Conservation takes a change in mindset
The next time you make that arduous trek down the stairs to take out the trash, pause for a second and think about the trash.
Sure, we’re always told to keep our minds on higher things, but just this once, think about what’s in that large plastic sack. Chances are there’s a lot more in there than banana peels, egg shells and your roommates’ charred attempt at a simple meal of chicken and rice. All too often we as Americans throw away items that can be recycled without giving it a second thought. The only think that matters is discarding of unwanted items as quickly as possible.
But is it really all that more difficult to recycle items instead of throwing them away? It just takes a little bit of forethought and a good enough eye to chuck that plastic bottle in a different colored bin.
Recycling is only one element of a larger growing concern among many scientists and leaders of numerous other fields that the Earth’s resources are being depleted at an ever-accelerated pace. Earth’s resources are definitely meant for the benefit of mankind but some of these resources can’t be replaced, making them a scarce commodity indeed. When money becomes scarce it’s easy to cut back and preserve what funds are available. The same should be done to our environment.
It’s a matter of sustainability – rethinking how we do things to preserve the things that we need and want. Sustainability is about exploring alternative options to make things better for both mankind and the environment, because they are intricately connected. Energy and the sources that provide it are extremely important and scientists are constantly concerned about how to maximize energy use. But without the popular support of the American people – the major users of world energy – advances in energy conservation are slow and costly.
Innovative solutions to vital problems seems to be an ideal that is all but lost on the current generation of Americans. Go back in time 50 years and view America then. While conservation wasn’t the major issue at the time, innovation was highly valued by the people. The space race, which was celebrated Thursday by commemorating the launch of Sputnik, was a time of discovering new ways to do things. Millions of dollars were pumped into the space program because it was a focus of the American people.
Why can’t the same thing be done today? The space race was part of the Cold War, fueled by the fear of being overtaken by a threatening enemy. Perhaps we aren’t faced with a pending global nuclear holocaust due to arms build up, but we are facing a needless depletion of natural resources that will threaten our way of life in another way. Maybe we won’t see it in our day, but our children or grandchildren may. Looking back at how previous generations have messed up this country, let’s not be guilty of the same thing.
Carefully conserving energy and resources of all types should be the responsibility of all people. And we as college students, the rising generation, should pave the way in conservation efforts and urge our representatives to put money into the development of energy-efficient vehicles and other sustainability projects. And in the meantime, put the cap back on that water bottle and toss it in a recycling bin.