Progressive Wednesday

My brothers and sisters, I’ve seen the future, and it’s made of rubber

Creative recycling is a great way to leave less of a footprint on this planet [1], and at the same time, save money, resources, and improve the quality of life, in terms of convienence and cost and… (I couldn’t think of any other good “c” words).

So here’s Philly, the land of cheesesteaks and Rocky and the Liberty Bell, considering an inventive change:

A Philadelphia official wants the city council to look at whether the city’s sidewalks should be made of rubber.

City councilman Jim Kenney recently toured Chicago to see environmentally-friendly city projects there. He came back with a number of ideas on which he plans to hold hearings.

These sidewalks won’t result in the kind of bouncing around one sees in the Fred MacMurray vehicle, The Absent-Minded Professor. These walkways are made from recycled tires, and, according to the EPA, only 56 million (or 19.4%) of “our annual scrap tires are recycled or used in civil engineering projects.” Additionally, these suckers (the sidewalks, that is) don’t crack, something that would greatly increase the life of the sidewalk given the need for salting during the northeast’s winters. These “rubber-walks,” as I call them, also reduce “slip-and-fall accidents.”

If you’re so inclined, you might write a brief letter to the editor praising this kind of smart recycling, for the way it helps conservation, tax-payers, and the general safety of citizens. Maybe your city could put used tires to a similar use. Plus, you know, a sidewalk made of tires is kinda funny, too.

Photo tireless taken by this dude.

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[1] You really might want to take this quiz to learn about your environmental impact. I did. I was shocked.