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by Jane S. Shaw
Canada's National Post reports that a six-year-old boy was not allowed to participate in a lunchtime drawing for a stuffed teddy bear at his daycare. Why? Because his parents had packed his lunch in a disposable plastic bag rather than reusable Tupperware. "We have to take care of our planet and the bags do not decompose well," the boy's teacher told his unhappy father.The incident has spurred a "fierce debate" about how far to go in protecting the environment, wrote National Post reporter Tamsin McMahon. There's a debate? Yes, apparently many of the people who commented on the family's blog post agreed with the school's position. The Post was kind enough to ask for my opinion (as a coauthor of Facts, Not Fear). I pointed out that it's extremely difficult to know whether something is environmentally friendly:
Schools should focus on teaching kids the fundamentals of science so that they can explore environmental issues themselves and draw their own informed conclusions as they get older, Ms. Shaw said.The full story is available here.
Founded 30 years ago in Bozeman, Montana, PERC—the Property and Environment Research Center—is the nation’s oldest and largest institute dedicated to improving environmental quality through property rights and markets.
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Research is at the heart of PERC's work, with a focus on the question: What is the link between economic growth and environmental quality?
The goal of PERC’s programs is to fully realize the vision of establishing “PERC University,” where scholars, students, policy makers, and others convene to expand the applications of free market environmentalism.
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