tea vs. coffee...sand vs. salt

As many of us prepare for - or are already knee-deep - in the first major snowstorm of the season, we rely on snowplows and salt trucks to keep our streets safe. But the debate over the best way to keep roads clear without damaging the environment rages on, just like the Arctic winds.

Since even Vancouverites will need some help this winter, Business Week has a good report on the pros and cons of salt and sand. In essence, this answer is this: neither one is a perfect solution.

Sand requires repeated application and extensive cleanup. Salt can hurt the environment by ending up in streams and rivers, killing fish and plants.

Salt is twice as expensive as sand, but sand needs to be plowed up immediately after a storm and can plug storm drains. Sand also creates particulates and dust, which can cause air-quality problems.

But salt is corrosive and damages trees and cars (not to mention my faux-leather boots), and can pollute groundwater.

The article notes that here in Canada, there was a huge public outcry in 2001 over how salt was affecting the environment, particularly the water supply. Our environment agency even considered listing road salt as a toxic substance.

Toronto devised a way to reduce the use of salt by pre-wetting it before applying it to roads, a process that melts ice and snow much faster, and the results have been dramatic: the city decreased its annual salt usage by almost 37,000 tons.

Like everything we do, there are ways to improve, and science to help us along. In the meantime, you can personally take steps to reduce salt AND sand use at home, and use alternatives like EcoTraction to melt snow and ice.