Edmonton's drive-thrus contribute 750 tons of Green House Gases into the atmosphere in one month alone. In one year that's 9000 tons from one city!

Is it possible that the time has come for us to re-evaluate the importance of what we're actually breathing in here? Should we re-consider the consequences of this unnecessary convenience just to eliminate that simple walk?

This alarming discovery was given immediate attention by CTV news and revealing these startling estimated statistics May 30 2007 the source came from the University of Calgary. Their research was based on daily estimates in the contribution of Green House Gases into the atmosphere. Edmonton's drive-thrus as of this date are contributing an estimated 25 tons per day.

Over a year, an estimated total would be 9000 tons just from this city alone. Now let's take this a little further shall we. Using a total of 115 cities with same population, same amount of drive-thru's the outstanding shocker of the day would reveal a total of I MILLION TONS of Green House Gases to the atmosphere in one year alone.

We can't even begin to comprehend what that figure would be world-wide over a period of only five years. And the irony of this is the fact that few seem to take note or consider the relevance to what we are doing to ourselves in way of pollution.

Drive-thru mania is spreading like a bad disease across the US and Canada. And there are two main reasons for their increasing popularity, convenience and money. Chains are in frantic competition to offer the best service, while eliminating the cost of the larger restaurant. Offering the smaller restaurants with the drive-thru window, customers and owners alike are happy.

Some Startling Future Plans

CEO Jim Keyes would like to see half of all the new 7-Eleven stores to be built with drive-thru's. Dunkin Donuts decides 65% of all new restaurants will be built with drive-thru's. McDonalds has 13,000 restaurants across the US however, 90% of them have drive-thru's. The number of drive-thru's has doubled in the last five years. Good to Go fast food location in Houston Texas has fourteen drive-thru lanes to accommodate their customers.

With all this money making excitement building to new heights, owners are battling to reduce idle times in the drive-thru. Sounds like a sincere attempt however, you can only do so much with this idea as humans can only move so fast. Additionally, if all the coffee shops, 7-Eleven stores, Taco Bell's, along with Wendy's, Burger King and McDonalds build or renovate new drive-thru windows, this sincere attempt only masks the lack of concern here and contradicts this idea of reducing idle time. Reason being, allowing for new drive-thrus year after year will only increase idle vehicles not decrease.

These drive-thru window services contribute to smog, emissions, noise pollution, air pollution, pollution within the store itself as employees at the window are constantly breathing in exhaust fumes. They add to our obesity problem creating a lazy society. They congest the parking lots creating line ups adding to even more idling vehicles.

Ground Level Ozone

Scientists have estimated that 50,000 to 100,000 deaths per year are associated with air pollution, a disturbing reality. Regarding the ozone layer, 90% of ozone is good ozone however the remaining 10% is regarded as bad ozone and occurs at ground level as a pollutant.

Vehicle exhaust, solvents, industrial emissions and gasoline vapours are some of the major sources of bad ozone. Inhaling ozone at ground level enhances the lungs vulnerability to infections and increases sensitivity to other pollutants. And repeated exposure can cause permanent damage to the respiratory system aggravating heart and lung diseases. It damages plant life interfering with their food production hindering their resistance to insects, disease and polluted air.

And all this is for what, convenience sake, money, success?

Is the human species evolving or are we becoming selfish to our never ending needs, our services rendered mind set? Or is it because we cannot turn back the clock and change the structured society we all love so much?

Maybe we have misled ourselves in regards to the meaning of purpose. Materialistically speaking, is it our destiny or purpose to acquire as much as possible? Is our evolutionary success based on our technologically convenient lifestyle? Or are we here to serve the almighty dollar?

Things can become interesting when viewed from a different perspective and we should seriously re-consider the consequences that may or will arise from our human behavioural habits. That walk from the car is not all that far because regardless of how much money is to be made it is just never enough anyway.

Spread the word and help control the deadly consequences of drive-thru convenience!!

Kellie Hastings Copyright 2007