There is a lot of pressure on President-elect Obama and he hasn’t even moved into the White House yet. Eco-heavy weights Al Gore and Michael Pollan have both penned editorials in major publications to Obama asking for leadership on climate change and food security. Frankly, it seems like all the green organizations in the country are asking him to take a stand on everything from climate change to offshore drilling to installing solar panels on the White House roof to planting an organic garden on the White House lawn.
Now a new campaign, organized by Ben Davis from I Shot Him Because I Loved Him design firm, is asking the Obama family to let it all hang out – their laundry that is. The Right2Dry White House Campaign is calling on Americans to sign a petition to encourage the Obama family to put their clothes out to dry on the line – just once.
The clothesline is one of the best energy efficient appliances you can use in the home. Stopglobalwarming.org reports line drying your clothes in the spring and summer can prevent an estimated 700lbs of carbon dioxide (per household) from releasing into the atmosphere. The standard clothes dryer consumes an estimated 900kWh of energy per year, about 10% of a household’s total energy consumption. The clothes’ dryer is the second largest consumer of household energy after the refrigerator.
We caught up with campaign director Ben Davis to have a brief chat about just why he thinks the Obama family should let it all hang out.
Tell us about the Right2Dry Campaign.
In the searing summer of Sacramento, where I was visiting family, I found myself in an air-conditioned home putting wet laundry into a dryer to heat it up to the temperature outside. The Iraq war had been on my mind and how little Americans had been asked to sacrifice. It hit me like a wet sock. We need to use less energy as a nation, and line drying is an easy and pleasant way to achieve this goal on a significant scale. I soon realized, however, that there were concerns about what the neighbors would think. Line drying had a stigma attached to it. It represented poverty and despair. I thought it should represent intelligence and patriotism. So I tasked my team to begin looking for ways to redefine the symbolism connected to line drying.
Is the goal to get the First Family to line-dry their clothes everyday or just once?
Just once. It's a symbolic gesture at this point. However, we would not argue with a permanent line-drying station. The significance of such a permanent change would be a move way beyond symbolism.
What do you think your chances are?
Hard to say, I believe our new First Family might like the idea. But the debate would include a much wider set of people and concerns, from historic preservationists to policy-makers. That's what makes the idea potent. If a laundry line is deemed appropriate for the White House lawn even for one day, it's hard to argue it has no place in your community.
Not wasting energy is an act of patriotism. It demonstrates a personal commitment to break America's dependence on foreign oil.
Do you want the First Family to set an eco-example or change legislation in Washington?
Both. One could lead to the other.
How many signatures are you hoping to get?
As few as are needed to compel the First Family to act.
How can people get involved?
Sign and share the petition. Push the issue in your own back yard and community. Go to Project Laundry List and join the Right2Dry movement.
It's possible that we've become overly puritan about exposing our undies. I say take your pick: preserve your dignity or your planet.
Why should people hang their laundry out to dry?
Love of country. Not wasting energy is an act of patriotism. It demonstrates a personal commitment to break America's dependence on foreign oil.
How political is the laundry line in the USA?
More political than a compost pile, less political than a bicycle.
Are there places where it is against bylaws to hang your laundry out?
Many million Americans are denied the right daily.
Is there 'stigma' attached to hanging your laundry out to dry?
It used to be the stigma of poverty. Ironically, now it's people of means - with the space and time - that more frequently line dry. So it's become a sign of status. It's possible that we've become overly puritan about exposing our undies. I say take your pick: preserve your dignity or your planet.
Resources
Sign the petition at: http://right2dry.org/
Project Laundry List: http://www.laundrylist.org/
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