- 11.07.2009
- |
58°F
- Blogs > OrangeChat
You may also like Crosstown Traffic | WakeWatch | Bull's Eye | Eastern Wake Buzz
OrangeChat
How are we doing? If you have a question, complaint or suggestion about coverage of Orange and Chatham counties in The News & Observer and The Chapel Hill News, post your comments in this blog or e-mail us. Comments here may be reprinted in The News & Observer or Chapel Hill News.
Orange County considers drive-thru ban
That cheesburger and fries may be doing more harm than to your waistline.
On his blog Leading from the Left, Orange County Commissioner Mike Nelson laments the county board's recent failure to ban new drive-thru windows in its jurisdiction.
Sure, they’re convenient. But when a car idles for an hour, Nelson says, it emits nearly 4 lbs of CO2. “Of course, we don't idle our cars for an hour at any one time. But add up how many cars are idling in line at a fast-food restaurant the next time you drive past or at the bank.”
The proposed ban failed by a 3-4 vote. Nelson, Bernadette Pellisier and Alice Gordon voted for the proposal. After the vote failed, Commissioner Barry Jacobs moved to discuss the matter again in the fall and requested additional information.
"He may eventually vote for a ban, so the battle is not yet lost,” Nelson says.
Mark Schultz
Mark Schultz is the editor of The Chapel Hill News and The Durham News, and one of the Western Triangle editors for The News & Observer.
Comments
العاب|العاب
Fri, 11/06/2009 - 08:19 — alamriالعاب|العاب فلاشية|شات|دردشة|
العاب|منتديات|المزون|عقار السعودية|عقار|
قروب|الثقافة الجنسية|شبكة تناغم|منتديات تناغم|دليل تناغم|العاب فلاش|العاب بنات|شات كتابي|دردشة كتابية|العاب الاكشن - العاب ماريو - العاب سونيك - العاب التلبيس - العاب البنات - العاب الطبخ - العاب باربي - العاب المغامرات - العاب الاطفال - العاب السيارات - ازياء , فساتين , موضه , فساتين سهرة 2010 , ازياء 2011 - العناية بالجسم , العناية بالبشرة , العنايه بالشعر - مكياج ميك اب تسريحات ستايلات 2010 - مطبخ المزون , طبخات , اكلات , وصفات , معجنات , حلويات - صور ديكور , اثاث , غرف نوم , حمامات , اسقف - وظائف - صور منوعه - صور متنوعه|صور بنات - صور للبنات فقط - صور اطفال - صور للاطفال فقط - صور مضحكه و كاريكاتير - صور للضحك فقط - صور متحركه و تواقيع - صور جاهزة فقط - صور شباب - صور للشباب فقط - صور طبيعة - صور للطبيعة فقط - صور تصاميم - صور للتصميم فقط - صور ماسنجر - صور للماسنجر فقط - مقاطع بلوتوث , مقاطع فيديو , مقاطع قصيرة طويلة , تحميل بلوتوث فديو - ماسنجر - تحميل برنامج المسنجر - توبيكات برامج صور ماسنجر 2010 - العاب 2010 - تحميل برامج الجوال - ثيمات موبايل - خلفيات - برامج حمايه للجوال - برنامج جوال 2010 - صور انمي 2010 - برامج كمبيوتر 2010 , تحميل برنامج , حماية , محول صوتيات , ريل بلاير - مسجات 2010 -
This is perfect!
Tue, 07/07/2009 - 16:11 — elvisboy77http://squeezethepulp.com/w/ho:july_2009#drive_thru_ban_fails_environmen...
I can
Sat, 07/04/2009 - 19:50 — billybodSee the reasoning behind the suggestion, however it was never going to pass.
Mike Nelson, Environmental scientist
Sat, 07/04/2009 - 15:51 — elvisboy77At least if he really was one he would realize that eliminating drive thrus means more parking spaces, larger business sizes, etc.
Did he calculate how much "carbon" it would take to find a place to park? Of course not. That would make too much sense.
What about runoff from a larger parking lot? Please, don't confuse me with the facts.
I am so sick of hearing all this feel good eco nonsense. It does not compute, but the Orange Progressives don't care about that, as long as it feels good, forget about the real impact.
I find it sad that rather than teach kids to clean air conditioning unit coils and replace incandescent bulbs with fluorescent ones, and other very simple acts to reduce electrical consumption, the recent "green" training camp/ class in Carrboro had the kids hooking up a solar cell to power the town commons lighting.
Feel good? Yes. Make a difference? Absolutely not. What a shame.
It speaks volumes that Pelissier, who is the darling of the local greenies, including the Sierra club, voted for this. Total lack of understanding. Not that this matters for a politician.
Happy Independence day.
This is how
Mon, 07/06/2009 - 15:01 — TBlakethey are going to offset the carbon produced from having the garbage trucks drive all over the county empty.
I do give you credit for constructive suggestions though. Keep up the good work
Consider the handicapped
Sat, 07/04/2009 - 08:35 — ActLocalA handicapped person can now pick up a prescription, deposit a check and grab a bite to eat without having to get out of the car. Nelson's proposal will create a significant hardship for people with disabilities. Unfortunately, what might be a convenience to some is a necessity for others, only there would be no economy in offering this service, if it was limited to only those who truly require it.
Pass a law requiring drive-thru's at all businesses
Tue, 07/07/2009 - 07:43 — marcoplosSince there is deep concern for the needs of the handicapped and handicapped spaces close to businesses are not enough, it is only logical to require drive-thru's at all businesses - food stores, hardware stores, little stores, restaurants that serve healthy food, etc.
Mommy & Daddy government
Tue, 07/07/2009 - 09:55 — TBlakenever solved any problem.
Government should be in the business of removing obstacles to solving problems, creating a path of least resistance to entrepreneurial solutions that benefit the electorate. Throttling enterprise while saying the laws or zoning do not apply to the government itself is a sure way to miss opportunities and not good government.
As far as a drive through goes, think of offering drive through or delivery services as a competitive advantage or product differentiator. If the people want it they will use it. If it is not economical for them to use it they won't. If it creates such a large problem (which I really don't think it does anymore) then effort should go to solving the problem not banning the value provided by the drive through.
Who knows, a smart entrepreneur might realize air conditioning is the reason people leave their vehicle idling and design an air conditioner compressor that operates on batteries while the vehicle is idling and even add solar panels to help recharge the battery. Opps! Already done in the Prius.
My point is that problems are only delayed and not solved by banning things or by force fitting solutions.
Tear down the stoplights
Tue, 07/07/2009 - 10:01 — marcoplos& repeal the traffic laws.
It would be much easier
Tue, 07/07/2009 - 19:32 — elvisboy77For you to move to a third world nation, you will be happy there. Everyone will have a little garden and a little solar power system, and probably a little well.
Kindred spirits for you!
I always knew
Tue, 07/07/2009 - 14:36 — TBlakeyou were an anarchist at heart :)
I get it, this is a joke.
Tue, 07/07/2009 - 08:11 — ActLocalIf this what they call carrying a counter argument to a ridiculous extreme?
Just because a handicapped person has a choice of going to a pharmacy where he or she can drive through and pick up a prescription, is not the same thing as requiring ALL pharmacies to put in a drive-thru. Banning drive thru banking is quite another issue than requiring all banks to provide drive thrus.
If you had to unload a wheelchair and transfer from the car to the chair and then do it is reverse to leave, perhaps you would feel differently. I am not handicapped, but help care for someone who is. Your snarky sense of superiority, simply because you lack a disability, is unfounded. Believe it or not, even fast food restaurants are providing healthier alternatives these days, although I'm sure that your superior self-image would never permit you to eat anywhere but Weaver Street Market.
Do you drink tap water, or are you simply the apologist for OWASA, who drinks Evian? Now go kick a puppy. That is about the same thing as arguing against amenities which make life easier for handicapped people. It probably really frosts you to drive past an empty parking place with blue lines. Those spaces are reserved for the lucky ones.
Yes & the utilities are providing alternatives also
Tue, 07/07/2009 - 10:12 — marcoplosThe fast food joints sell new crap with green packaging. The monopoly electric utilities are allowed to get away with offering decades old "innovations" wrapped in bullshit. Even the Home Builders Association has flip-flopped and is now "green" (well, at least they publicize the handful of members that are...).
The Chamber of Commerce is pro-handicapped rights (to access drive-thrus), now that business-as-usual might be affected.
I'll eat out of my garden and support local farmers, get my power & energy-efficiency from methods that the utilities mocked for years, get my clean water from a well (and fight business interests to keep the aquifers untainted), and help my handicapped neighbors get what they need without having to add to the pollution load.
Marcoplos
Tue, 07/07/2009 - 13:07 — ActLocalThose dandelion greens can taste pretty bitter. Might be time for a change of diet.
Time to appreciate actual local
Wed, 07/08/2009 - 07:42 — marcoplosYou have no idea, ActLocal.
can't ban all drivethrus
Sat, 07/04/2009 - 07:12 — turkeydance4 drive-thrus in Orange County have been there long
enough to qualify as a Historic Preservation Site.
Good for those who voted yes
Fri, 07/03/2009 - 17:59 — tbucknerIn addition to banning drive thrus which create light pollution in addition to the idling issue, I'd like to see the county enforce their no-idling policy for staff who drive county vehicles. I wish the town of Chapel Hill would enforce their same policy too, especially for the buses.
Schools are the biggest drive-thus
Tue, 07/07/2009 - 07:46 — marcoplosThere should be large signs at school pick-up lanes letting drivers understand that, if your car will idle for more than ten seconds, that it is fuel-efficient to turn your engine off.
Also, the entire bussing system should be analyzed to achieve more efficiency. Many buses drive long distances with few riders.
Liberals are sooooo stupid.
Fri, 07/03/2009 - 14:08 — tarheelskierCarbon Dioxide is not a pollutant!!!!! Just another way for dumb liberals to enforce their backwards agenda on America, which used to be the land of the free.
Drive Thru Ban?
Fri, 07/03/2009 - 12:29 — ncflyerWell, here we go again. Another left-wing guy feeling he is smarter than everybody else so he has to tell us what to do. I have no problem taking care of the environment; but that comes from better education, not dictatorship.
The twin bookends of The
Fri, 07/03/2009 - 12:14 — AgentPierceThe twin bookends of The Triangle ..... the JoCo nuts on the East and these Orange County fruitcakes on the West.