Be eco-aware or be square

• Pages: 25-25

25

Reprinted by permission from The Environmental Forum®, May/June 2021.

Copyright © 2021, Environmental Law Institute®, Washington, D.C. www.eli.org.

Notice & Comment

all property was shared. Notably, both

were economic success stories, speaking

well for communitarian interests.

Also successful were the followers of

John Humphrey Noyes, who consid-

ered themselves “Bible Communists.”

ey moved to western New York to set

up the Oneida Community. Where the

Rappites were sexless, the Oneidans had

a communal marriage, based on Scrip-

ture’s injunction that “all mine thine, all

thine mine.” Indeed, that applied to all

property as well. In place of law or regu-

lation, they had community sessions in

which miscreants were subject to the

justice of the tongue. And like the Rap-

pites, they were industrialists. ey in-

vented the better mousetrap, the Victor

Four-Ways, and made a fortune. ey

began the silver company that still bears

their name. But eventually the children

of plural marriage didn’t necessarily

support it for themselves, and the com-

munity expired.

e 19th century of course also had

national movements rooted in com-

munity, many of which still resonate

today. Lincoln spoke often of com-

munity, and invoked the Declaration

of Independence in reminding Ameri-

cans that theirs was a “government of

the people, by the people, and for the

people,” one “dedicated to the proposi-

tion that all men are created equal.” e

emancipation movement, the surage

movement, the labor movement, the

Populist movement, and religious sects

all embraced the sense of sharing of as-

pirations emblematic of community.

Today, the Movement for Black

Lives and its brethren, including the EJ

movement, remind us of the validity,

continuity, and evolution of commu-

nitarian goals. At the same time, they

make clear the distance yet to be trav-

eled. e American genius has been to

continually expand the community to

the point where the concerns of indi-

viduals are the concerns of all. No lon-

ger should where you live determine

your quality of life, indeed your very

lifespan. e community — acting as

one — should no longer stand for it.

NOTICE & COMMENT is written by the

editor and represents his views.

derstand the environmental impacts











measure all of the indirect sources

of environmental problems for a giv











place. After all, alternative forms of



dress the issue of plastic use.





tons, promoting reduced plastic







Similar to our bottle of rubbing

alcohol, the main advantage of these











higher than the rate for cartons. At





good about a habit that contributes

























Arnold puts it, the simpler solution

of traditional environmental regula







—Akielly Hu, contributing editor

I have a bottle of rubbing alco

hol that is square instead of round.

“Square bottle uses less plastic than







might recall that out of all geometric



volume for the least amount of sur



closer in shape to a sphere, use less

plastic than a square one?

Over the course of an afternoon,



and ruler to set the record straight.



bottle of equal height and volume

uses 5.826 square inches less plas













ball court.







terial than a square one for struc



square bottles inside rectangular













of adding up direct and indirect

environmental costs of a product



the environmental impacts of the





production and use, to disposal or







2007, and to evaluate products for



ing policies for several states.



BE ECO-AWARE OR BE SQUAR E