Cohousing-L Mailing List: Smoking Policies

[Thomas Lofft (tlofft]

RPD WROTE:
 
"Hey OK, dangerous fumes, big problem, yes. Many environmentalists think that 
coal-fired power plants and two-ton SUVs create more dangerous fumes than 
cigarettes. Fumes that are quite likely to dramatically change climate 
conditions around the world, and bring grief to hundreds of millions, perhaps 
billions, of people. The evidence known to me shows that carbon dioxide 
emissions from power plants and single-occupant passenger tanks are far, far 
more dangerous than second-hand smoke.

So, if I were going to charge off and seek to put the kibosh on dangerous 
fumes, I wouldn't start with smoking in the private residences of my coho 
community. Unfortunately, in the instance of greenhouse gasses, the burden of 
proof IS on the consumer, not the producer, of fumes."

 
AS I REFLECT on these comments, I agree that I would not allow any of the three 
in my living room. So far, I have been very successful. As a cohousing 
development partner, I also have enough influence to keep smoking out of our 
common house, carbon fuel power plants off our property (We have every home 
heated and cooled by geothermal ground source heat pump systems) and coal fired 
SUV's out of our parking lots.  But we have not yet found an SUV as small as 
only 2 tons. That would be a good idea in itself. 
 
Remember the Serenity Prayer:  "God grant me the serenity to accept the things 
I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the 
difference." I understand this was not an opinion shared by Don Quixote. 
I define 'dangerous fumes' as those most likely to immediately affect my heart, 
lungs, brain and palate. We have also avoided any wood burning fireplaces 
simply by educating ourselves as to the probability of cancerous emissions of 
wood smoke.  So far, no one has proposed a fossil fuel burning power plant 
either. 
 
Many thanks for sharing opinions and the opportunity to live in a nation where 
it's possible.
 
Tom Lofft
Liberty Village, MD