This isn’t necessarily an anti-government (federal or local) or a libertarian post, but it will have hints of both. As much as certain administrations have done to protect the environment (yes, it was Nixon who instituted the Environmental Protection Agency and served as president during the passage of the Clean Air Act), there are general regulations in place that stand in the way of sustainability.
A few years ago I saw the documentary “Garbage Warrior” about Michael Reynolds, an architect in New Mexico who was working outside the traditional discipline (reviewed in 2010). Reynolds came up against regulations on how to deal with wastewater. Although he designed systems that accounted for inputs and outputs, they did not conform to either septic or municipal waste standards.
Recently I had a similar experience. In trying to find a day care for my youngest son, my wife and I were told that they would not use cloth diapers, and that it would be difficult to find any major daycare that would because of concerns over disease. With our eldest son, he used washable diapers, which were a novelty to the daycare provider in our previous location, but there was no regulatory issue. This time we were told that the health department, or whoever it is that has responsibility for these issues, does not allow it.
I understand the need for governmental regulations to protect air and water against those who would sully natural resources willy nilly. What I struggle to comprehend is the regulation when more sustainable options are on the table (close-loop homes like Reynolds was designing or washable diapers). There has got to be a happy medium somewhere. Can’t these issues be appealed?
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