Eye-opening

At some point in the past month I read an amazing statistic: the American airline industry throws away enough aluminum in a year to build 58 747s. I was struck with the enormity of that when I read it, but -- given the schedules of life -- simply noted it and moved on.

Yesterday, while Tal and I waited for our flight to Winnipeg in the ground level area at O'Hare, I watched planes land, able to spot their lights in the sky several minutes before they reached the airport. One of those planes was a 747, an Atlas Air cargo plane, huge and made more visually huge given its lack of windows along its length.

I found myself trying to picture 58 of those planes. How many soda and juice cans would it take?

Once in Winnipeg and after a brief nap, Tal and I went on a mission for our hosts at Shining Falls Lodge. At "The Real Canadian Superstore" we didn't find what we were looking for, but found something to buy (isn't that always the way?). The woman ahead of us in line had the child seat area of her card full of cloth bags in which she loaded her purchases. When we checked out, the clerk asked if we needed a bag. I said that we did, we finished our transaction and we went on our way. That bag cost us four cents.

In other stores we visited while shopping for our hosts, we noted customers, most customers, entering stores with their used plastic bags or with cloth bags.

Buy bags or bring your own. Interesting -- and challenging -- thought.