In response to an announcement of our 2013 Community Conservation Civics Initiative, the League of Women Voters of Larchmont-Mamaroneck received the following letter:
I would suggest that if you want people in Larchmont and Mamaroneck to cut their energy use then you get the LWV to set an example: cajole the members to rack- and line-dry their clothes.
That is a simple, highly visible, low-cost action almost every resident can take. I have been rack- and line-drying my family’s clothes since 1992 and see no reason why others cannot reduce their energy consumption that way too.
The resistance to line- and rack-drying seems to be tied to people’s sense of class. Rich people got machine dryers first, and a stigma of poverty became associated with line-drying. So, richer people resist line-drying their clothes because they think they would be looked upon poorly by their peers. You and the LWV can change that perception by hanging the household wash.
Regards,
Richard Ward
Larchmont, NY
December 18, 2012
December 18, 2012