A man may defecate with impunity on the streets of San Francisco. Should he choose to shoot heroin while using the citywide open-air john, the government will step in only to offer him a clean needle. Excremental and pharmacological waste litters the sidewalks of the once-Golden City. Environmental activists pay no heed. They have more important regulations to enforce — like banning water bottles at the airport.
Yesterday, San Francisco Airport officially banned the sale of plastic water bottles in the name of environmental protection. The new rule won’t achieve that goal. The airport will continue to sell plastic bottles of soda, juice, and sports drinks. But environmental regulations have never sought primarily to protect the environment. The rules seek chiefly to inconvenience. When it comes to environmental regulation, the cruelty is the point.
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