The energy crisis according to Coke

The signs are everywhere. Individuals attempting to do their part for the good of the earth. In 2005, we were the first tenants in Brookfield Place to sign up for Bullfrog Power, the green electricity retailer. Firms such as Walmart, RBC and BMO have now stepped up to the plate for some of their branches. And even a few of my neighbours now have the same signs on their lawns.

Along Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway, Ontario Power Generation runs a massive billboard telling us how little (or much) power there are currently producing; the message occassionaly translates to “just look how piggy you’re all being right now”.

As a fund, we’ve financed a windfarm (Ventus Energy) and Canada’s most eco-friendly biodiesel plant (Biox). As a local community, we separate paper from tin cans from orange peels and diapers; unless of course you live in an old highrise where the rules seem somewhat different.

Why then, does the Provincial Ministry of Consumer Affairs allow Coca-Cola (KO:NYSE) to produce open-air refrigerators? Stop by the new variety store in the basement of Brookfield Place. It opened a couple of weeks ago, and the largest piece of equipment is this very bright and colourful refrigerator. Home to a couple hundred bottles of soda pop, water and fancy juice.

The concept isn’t novel, but the inefficiency of attempting to cool Coke Zero as it sits in the open air is incalculable. If you actually try to drink the pop from the back you’ll find its temperature to be in the mid-50s at best; the ones at the front are – as the Brits would say – on the “warm shelf”.

A few feet away is Brookfield’s branded recycling bin. The dichotomy speaks to the challenge faced by a green society.

For all Canadians trying to do to support the “one person can make a difference” concept, we are sideswiped by things as simple and stupid as open air refrigerators.

Bring on the provincial ban. And if not Queen’s Park, then Mayor Miller can tackle it. Why send Toronto homeowners massive new blue bins if you’re only going to let multinational corporations blow our “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” strategy out the back door?

MRM