4 - Sunday, April t, 1990 - North Shore News THERE WAS a time when it was enough to shout simplistic slogans about the need to save the environment. ‘‘Enough”’ because voices crying in the wilderness have to be loud, and have to carry a simple message, in order to be heard. Usual- ly it comes down to: ‘‘DO YOU HEAR ME?”’ Those days are gone. As the Globe '90 conference clearly showed, a new era of en- vironmental sophistication, awareness — and technology — has dawned. Someone coined the term eco- perestroika to describe the change. A surprising number of the worst rogue industries have come around to the realization that they cannot carry on business as usual. I don’t want to get dewy-eyed about this, but to blinker yourself to the extent of the change is to find yourself being left out of the dialogue. Certainly, transformation isn't happening as extensively as it should or could. Nor is it happen- ing across the board. But there is movement. Serious movement. There are a growing number of responsible business and union leaders who see the writing on the wall. Many companies are coming to terms with the environmental facts of life for the unastonishing reason that, as parents and citi- zens, they can see what is happen- ing to our world as clearly as any eco-freak. Others plainly see it as a band- wagon. Yet others as the modern bottom line. And many more «re taking steps simply to make sure they stay ahead of any possible in- coming regulations. The fear of penalties is a new and potent fac- tor, too. I liked the words of Quaker Oats Canada president Jon Grant, who told the conference that ‘the pretence to environmentalism won't do. Ecobabble won’t sell."” His own company has reduced its waste by 75 per cent, uses recycled paper, and has a top-to- bottom environmental program in place, which means banning foam plastic cups and reducing paper- work so that trees can be saved. In the last year I have interview- ed dozens of CEOs whose sincerity was genuine. These ranged from a battery manufacturer who has found a way to eliminate mercury contamination from the produc- tion process to the builder of a CFC ‘vampire’ unit which sucks the ozone-destroying chemical! out of fridges and air conditioners and recycles it to prevent it from escap- ing into the atmosphere. Globe '90 brought the greening of the boardroom into focus. This phenomenon isn’t phoney, although there is still far too much lip-ser- vice and hype involved, to be sure. Ce Gore °90 brought the greening of the boardroom into focus. This phenomenon isn’t phoney, although there is still far too much lip-service and hype involved, to be sure.’’ ee ee The environmental clean-up and protection industry became a $100-billion-a-year business in North America last year with a projected growth rate of around seven per cent. This is an industry that plays by its own set of rules, the first com- mandment being that this better be real. The second — as in any other industry — is that this also better work, buddy, or your cash-flow projection charts are dust. As governments, especially at the municipal level, start picking up the tools of the green clean-up, they are only going to purchase equipment that works. And there are hordes of bean-counters with their eyes on quality control. Also, there is the competition to worry about. This is where the Fraser Institute, for all its ideological rigidity, is right on about the role of market forces. The world will now beat a path to the door of the builder of a bet- ter PCB-disposal machine, but it will have to be the best that inge- nuity can devise, because it will be tested in the field against other NORTH VANCOUVER SCHOOL DISTRICT School District No. 44 (North Vancouver) equally high-tech systems. Against this background of ris- ing expertise, increased research and development, and technologi- cal sophistication, sloganeering has fallen on hard times. As industri- alists, manufacturers and distributors enter the game, the onus on environmentalists is shif- ting. Passion and commitment aren’t enough any longer. You have to be precise and extremely well-inform- ed, otherwise you'll be gunned down by hard data, much of which simply wasn’t around a few years ago. The plastics industry is an ex- cellent case in point. Plastics have been viewed by ecologists for de- cades as the Great Satan of trash, perhaps for the simple reason that plastic is so ubiquitous. Yet I have been researching the waste disposal question for a while, drawing on some of the new information that has come to light in recent years, and to my astonishment, it turns out that there is much to be said for plastics from an earth-friendly point of view. It sounds like treason to say it, but plastics have been given a bum rap in many respects. This isn’t to say that plastic packaging isn’t excessive and to a considerable extent unnecessary. Nor is it to suggest for a minute that plastic is a boon to the eco- system. But the surprising fact to have emerged from my research is that plastic is a lot better, in many cases, than an awful lot of the biodegradable alternatives. Stay tuned for more heretical revelations. we. © Council approves mall ‘copter buzz HOLLYWOOD IS coming to West Vancouver in the form of a Disney movie, and because some of the scenes to be filmed call for a helicopter to buzz around the Park Royal Shopping Centre at night, West Vancouver District Council agreed Monday night to lift its noise bylaw temporarily to ac- commodate the film makers. By SURJ RATTAN News Reporter But council agreed to the tem- porary measure on the condition that Park Royal management also agrees. The long-delayed deal to sell the shopping centre was completed earlier this week. Filming for the Disney movie, Run, being produced by North WEST VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL Vancouver-based Greyhound Pro- ductions Ltd., would include using a helicopter in and around Park Royal’s south mall close to th Kapilano 100 building. : The original April 2 and 3 film- ing dates have been rescheduled to April 4 and 5. The helicopter is scheduled to be used between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on those dates. Municipal clerk Doug Allan pointed out that April 5 falls on a Thursday and said the shopping See Helicopter Page 5 Drivers guilty of drinking RECENT CONVICTIONS in North Shore courts have resulted in fines and penalties for drinking and driving related offences. NORTH VANCOUVER: John Gordon Green, 19, 3738 Hillcrest Ave., North Vancouver (impaired, $500 fine); Wendy Francine Ryan, 26, North Vancouver (over .08, $650 fine); Satendra Sonny Jit, 26, 1255 Elmwood Place, North Van- couver (breathalyser refusal, 15 days jail). WEST VANCOUVER: Scott Walter Leckie, 25, 8327 Chestnut Drive, Squamish (impaired, $700 fine, one-year driving suspension); Eileen Joyce Koch, 45, 4469 Per- cival Ave., Burnaby (breathalsyer refusal, $350 fine, one-year driving suspension); Mary Peggy Krygsveid, 45, 203-1155 Pacific St., Vancouver (over .08, $300 fine). ARDAGH HUNTER TURNER Barristers & Solicitors IMPAIRED DRIVING AFTER HOURS 645-8989 [986-4366 | FAX 986-9286 300-1401 LONSDALE, NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C. and Fine Furnishings Ltd. =e .* DINING a _ DINING STABLE extends to 8’ SUITES ON SALE! REGISTRATION OF PUPILS TO ENTER KINDERGARTEN IN THE 1990/91 SCHCOL YEAR North Vancouver School District is now enrolling students to enter Kindergarten in the 1990/91 school year. For the 1990/91 school year, it has been determined, by motion of the Board of School Trustees, that children who turn five years of age by December 31, 1990 may be registered to enter Kindergarten as of September 1, 1990. Children who turn five years of age between January 1, 1991 and Aprif 30, 1991, may be registered to enter as of January 1, 1991. All parents wishing to enrol children for the 1990/91 school year, to enter either September 1, 1990 or January 1, 1991 should register at their neighbourhood elementary school. The child's birth certificate is required at the time of registration. This beautiful dining table sfeatures a sun- burst oak pattern an top, catved skirt resting on Lion’s Paw center, solid oak pedestal, Solid Oak English Wind- sor back Din- ing Chair reg. $229.00 Sale 48" round extends to 72” Dining $275 East 8th Ave. reg. $169.00 Sale $9900 Sale taking place at all four locations. VANCOUVER Vancouver 1428 Main St. 873-4267 'g73-462 549 DISCOVER RICHMOND CENTRE 1 28 Rd. _ MAPLE RIDGE 22653: Dewdniey KRayal Cit Antiques® and FINE FURNISHINGS LTD. REFINISHING & RESTORATION, APPRAISALS —WE BUY QUALITY ANTIQUES.—