It’s all the bow-wow, this TV and digital ruse planned to take effect February 17, 2009. My dog-eared wisdom says it’s another rip-off, set to hurt persons with flexible incomes (low-income, the elderly) and those who live in rural areas. My other issue, whoever concocted this switch had no “green plan.” I told Mom; let’s use the old TV until it doesn’t work anymore. For me, it’s reduce first, then reuse and recycle.

Here’s the doo! You don‘t have to chuck your ole analog TV. Get a converter box. If you get a new “squawk box” (go energy efficient with an Energy Star product) and make sure you keep the old TV out of the landfill. There it leaks 4-8 pounds of lead into groundwater. Seventy percent of the heavy metals found in landfills include lead, mercury and other dangerous chemicals that come from electronic cast offs.

Mom and I had to get a computer fix recently; we took the opportunity to de-clutter. You know getting rid of old computers and monitors that were gathering dust. We took them to the local computer guy who fixes them up and gives them to a needy family or a school. Now how cool is that? Remind your pet parents, the landfill or even worse the sidewalk is not a solution. Oh, make sure the folks who say they are recycling are not dumping them overseas. That is not at all neighborly.

While my real life is anything but boring, Mom and I don’t watch anywhere close to the typical 4-5 hours most people spend in front of TV every day. In case you wonder, as a dog I watch animal and planet earth programs.

As always stay in touch,

Cedar

cedar@petsgonegreen.com