Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Cap & Trade, Wally Style!

Cap and trade is a climate control measure in which businesses, essentially, pay a tax on profits garnered from polluting practices. It's all the rage in the new climate change control measures. If you pollute under the cap you can "sell" the remainder to other companies.

Well, my ma ape has been reading stories about the environmental impact of pets like this article about how cats are RUINING THE OCEANS by eating overfarmed fish (I've known they were ruining the world for YEARS). Or this article about how some people are making their pets vegan to reduce their carbon footprints.

As some of you may know, my ma ape makes like a rabbit. She's been a vegetarian since she was a teenager (at least 470 decades ago) and is now a vegan. And she worries about all of the pollution we make (especially in her personal air space after eating a particularly large dinner). But she also agrees with this:

"With humans, of course, we believe that whether or not to consume meat is a personal and private choice. With our pets, of course, we're deciding for them," said Mindy Bough, senior director for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. "Someone has to look at their own personal views and work with a veterinarian to make sure nutritional deficiencies aren't occurring."

So she decided to let us play a role in deciding and she gave us a choice: delicious rosemary tofu served with mushroom gravy on cauliflower and garlic mash or Cornish Hens? Our choice was unanimous:


HENS, PLEASE! (Actually, two of us chose both.)

So we're going to do a little cap and trade where the ma ape will try to make her carbon footprint SMALLER so that our little greedy footprints can be BIGGER!

Ma Ape/Dogaboos:

Vegan/Raw and home prepared meals
More locally grown foods /More meatables from local sources
GARDENING!/ Eating tomatoes from the garden--NOM NOM
Commute by bike/As many walks as our twelve feets will carry us on
Canvas bags/Recycled poo bags (Oscar has offered to EAT our waste. This is being negotiated. Ma Ape's opening offer: STOP THAT!)
Composting/Leaving fresh organic materials for composting

Does anyone have any more suggestions for our cap and trade program? Also, I am looking for ways to reduce my brudder's gaseous emissions. I have come to accept the hot air coming out of the ma ape's mouth is inevitable.

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