The Right to Dry

Here in Kansas, we're enjoying the last few days of a glorious "Indian Summer" after a very chilly, rainy October, and I'm so very glad to have the opportunity to use my laundry line a few more times before my laundry days become captive to the electric dryer.
Now don't get me wrong -- I know I'm extremely blessed to HAVE a dryer and the choice to use it on rainy days, snowy days, night time...really any time I want.
That is a choice that the majority of laundresses the world over don't have.
But just because I OWN a dryer doesn't mean I have to use it exclusively. I love hanging out the laundry - Free light! Free heat! Free air! And a lovely smell and sunlight stain removal to boot.
You might find it interesting then, that the "Right to Dry" is becoming an increasingly public struggle in many communities, even as the awareness of energy usage and environmental stewardship issues also increase. (Soapbox alert!!) Dryers use 10-15% of our nation's domestic energy...and while no one should be FORCED to hang laundry on a line, I don't think anyone should be prohibited from it either, just because a laundry line hung with towels or t-shirts doesn't maintain the upperclass facade many suburban subdivisions desire. Those same celebrities who ask us, "How do you "green your routine"" on prime time TV live in neighborhoods that explicitly prohibit the airing of public laundry. That's not just incongruent...it's wrong.
What about your neighborhood? Are you allowed to peg your pants? If not, you might consider visiting Project Laundry List, a non-profit organization dedicated to "making air-drying and cold-water washing laundry acceptable and desirable as simple and effective ways to save energy."
Tell your story, donate your money or time, send in photos of your laundry on the line, and be inspired!
Now, get to work! It's Laundry Day!