Trees Grow Back

Paper recycling strikes me as rather odd. We waste a whole bunch of time, money, energy -- Resources -- to reuse something that grows back naturally, given time. If you want to recycle something, focus on materials that are harder to reproduce: metals and plastics. Even glass and aluminum recycling strike me as a bit odd, since silicon and aluminum are two of the three most common elements in Earth's crust.

But the real issue here is property rights. Yeah, you heard me. The City of Seattle is forcing people to recycle ($50 fine). For now, I think it's just businesses, so you won't get too many complaints, but it can't be too much longer before they make everyone recycle. But I say: I bought the piece of paper, I can do with it whatever I want! The city is hauling away two dumpsters from my building anyway. It shouldn't matter to them which dumpster I put that piece of paper in.

Also, the State of Washington has a long-standing law requiring every vehicle to have a litter bag ($250 fine). Once again: it's my car, it's my trash, I can store it however I wish. It only starts infringing upon others' freedoms when it gets chucked out the window. And I ain't gonna do that. So lay off, Olympia!