Last night, Clint Eastwood had a lively conversation with an empty chair that he apparently thought was Barack Obama. Grist List does not endorse candidates, but we know a lot about chairs for some reason, and frankly some of the chairs we’ve met have an environmental record that rivals the president’s. Obama should pick one of these babies as his running mate, or at least his sustainability czar.
1. Patio chair made of recycled food packaging
Platform: “Reduce waste, and make ’em sit on it.”
Strengths: Looks good on camera.
Weaknesses: Ties to the fast-food industry.
2. Chair that generates power from the pressure of your rear end
Platform: “Investigate innovative sources of renewable energy … in the butt.”
Strengths: The less the government acts, the stronger it grows.
Weaknesses: Somewhat at odds with Michelle Obama’s pro-exercise message.
3. Chair that grows its own garden
Platform: “Increase support to small farms, and vice versa.”
Strengths: Bright.
Weaknesses: Probably receiving disproportionate subsidies for that watercress.
4. Chair that slides into a bookshelf
Platform: “Reduce sprawl.”
Strengths: Would clearly fit right in in a mostly white environment.
Weaknesses: Looks like something a child drew, and we saw how well that worked for Ross Perot.
5. Cardboard origami chair
Platform: “I’m a platform!”
Strengths: Adaptable.
Weaknesses: Rain.
6. 3-D printed chair made of old refrigerators
Platform: “Winning the future.”
Strengths: Made by robots.
Weaknesses: Big deal, so is Mitt Romney.
