Jesse in Urban Issues, Lifestyle
Frowned upon for conjuring images contrary to the 'ideal neighbourhood', communities of new developments had prohibited the use of clotheslines decades ago. Our twenty-first century of environmental awareness has drawn attention to this issue once again with the hopes of giving Ontario residents freedom to dry outside.
Citing an average hydro savings of $30 annually if 25% of household laundry is dried on a clothesline, Energy Minister Gerry Phillips hopes that this will encourage Ontario residents to take their clothes off the grid, at least during the warmest months (June to August); opting to line-dry for a longer period (mid-April to mid-October) would further increase monetary and environmental savings. Installing and using a clothesline is a cost effective way to becoming environmentally conscious while saving money – not just in utility bills, but prolonging the life of your dryer as well.
A 60-day consultation period has been established appealing to the public on ways to end these restrictions. I will be keeping watch on the outcome which, in my opinion, should be obvious. An interesting article from All About Cities mentions the debate between home owners who are for clotheslines vs. those who are not: property value vs. a sustainable environment. Is real estate finally trumping climate change? Maybe the outcome is not an obvious one.
Jesse Fleming is a freelance writer based in Toronto. Email Jesse
Subscribe to the Move Smartly blog by email
photo credits: www.art.com