Green Tomorrow

It is nearly impossible these days to open the newspaper, turn on the TV, or listen to the radio without seeing a headline or hearing someone commentary on global warming. Clearly, a lot of the evidence we see in the media today makes a strong point to its existence. Polar ice shelves appear to be receding, ocean levels seem to be rising, and deadly hurricanes, typhoons, and tornadoes are constantly in the news. At the same time, there is abundant evidence that we are merely experiencing a natural warming trend. In the last two years there have been multiple regional records set for coldest temperatures on record and amount of snow precipitation.

Here in Mendon, Utah, it is near the end of July and there are still several small snow packs visible atop the gorgeous Wellsville Mountains. In my mind, the jury is still out on the possibility that global temperatures are rising due to human industrialization. However, I do strongly believe we as human-beings have an obligation to act responsibly with the earth’s natural resources. And I believe there are many easy ways each of us can do our part.

Recycle. Recycling takes effort. It is without question much easier to just throw whatever we no longer want or need into our garbage can and let the county or city magically make it disappear. Recycling usually involves storing and then hauling the recyclable items to locations that accept whatever it is we wish to recycle. Some are fortunate enough to have recycling programs that are offered at their curbside. In our place of business we have different boxes or bins for paper, cardboard, aluminum, and plastic. Once the pile becomes too large to handle, either I or someone else will bag the items and haul them to our homes or to other collection sites. It does involve effort. Since we are throwing it out anyways, we might as well put it into the hands of other industries that have a need for these materials. We can either do something now or we can wait several hundreds of years for aluminum, glass, and plastic to break-down. Other items that we should consider recycling are printer cartridges, glass, used car oil, and “green” waste.

Conserve electricity. This is a major issue around our home with four boys under the age of eleven running. I believe we all understand that electricity is generated by burning coal, natural gas, or by splitting atoms. More and more electricity is becoming available through renewable resources such as hydro-plants, wind farms, and solar plants. So it goes without saying that the more electricity we use the more of our precious natural resources will be spent in its generation and the more pollutants will be released into our atmosphere. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) use less than a fourth of the electricity needed to power a traditional light bulb. Using Energy Star appliances will also reduce our energy consumption. Purchasing a programmable thermostat makes it easy to heat or cool our homes when we truly need it not when we are usually at work, sleeping, or on vacation. Just think of all the electronic gadgets that you own now that were not even available when you were growing up. These are all plugged in 24/7 and sucking electricity. There are many creative ways we can use less and at the same time lower our bills.

Do not litter. Let’s face it - litter is ugly. I spent two years serving my church as a missionary in northern Germany. Each week we would strive for at least four hours of community service. I spent six months in Bielefeld and we did not always have abundant opportunities to serve in this particular city so we would spend most of our service hours picking up trash around the park, our apartment complex, or the subway station. I would consider Germany and Europe in general as much cleaner than most of the United States; however, we still gathered tons and tons of trash. It beautified our surroundings and we felt good doing it. If each of us threw all of our own trash in the garbage - there would be no litter. This sounds like common sense, but if each of us would only concentrate on ourselves we would see a huge improvement in the natural beauty of our surroundings.

These points are not new. We have all heard them before, but hopefully they will cause you to pause and reflect what you can change in your own world. I don’t know if the polar bear will be extinct in 40 years, or if Miami will be covered in 50 feet of ocean water someday; but I believe there are many things we can do today to respect and live in harmony with this earth we call home.

The world’s wetlands contain approximately 771 billion tons of greenhouse gases, namely carbon dioxide and methane which is equal to one fifth of the entire earth’s store of carbon.

If the world’s wetlands are destroyed they could release this powerful carbon bomb and unleash a climatic catastrophe upon the planet. As if we weren’t in bad enough shape as it is. Climate change and development are destroying large areas of wetland, and as they are drained, or built upon, their huge stores of greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere.

If all of the wetlands on earth released all of their store of greenhouse gases, there could be a rapid and catastrophic rise in global temperatures. The likelihood of all these gases being released is, of course, very slim. But even a fraction would have a significant impact.

Wetlands include swamps, marshes, river deltas, river flood plains, lagoons, mangroves and even peat bogs and tundra. These wetlands account for approximately 6% of the planet’s land surface, but store 20% of it’s carbon. In the past these wetlands have been destroyed, being viewed as an impediment rather than an aid to civilization. In the past century almost 59% of these wetlands have been wiped out worldwide. This has occurred through drainage for agriculture mostly, although other types of urban development have also contributed, such as peat cutting and groundwater pumping.

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Laziness is probably at the root of this problem, Trash. Everywhere you look there is trash on the roads in the medians, on your lawn, broken beer and alcohol bottles in the middle of the street. What the heck is your problem. People, you know who you are, get off your butt, walk fifty feet and throw it in the trash can.

Have you ever been to someones house and thought “how disgusting,how gross” That you could never live like that. Dirty laundry laying all over the bedroom, dirty dishes in the sink that were there four days previously, trash and wrappers all over the floors, empty bottles or full ones all over the coffee tables. I could go on but you get the point. All the while this person who you are gracing with your presence is lounging around in their underwear complaining that there is nothing on television.

Is it that we are allergic to cleaning or are we just so nasty that we see past or disgusting ways? the most typical trash deposits are grocery stores, shopping malls, shopping centers and highways. i recently read an article that quoted “a tourist complained that there were no trash cans nearby so they dumped their trash out of their car, here is a solution. TAKE IT WITH YOU! Find a place to throw it away.” It is that simple.

I have known people that had so much trash in their cars you couldn’t even get in the seat. Explain to me the problem here. It may take only five minutes to clean out your trash. Heck take an hour clean your house, wash your clothes wash the dishes. You obviously took the time to make the food, take the time to clean the dishes you ate off of. You don’t have an endless supply of clothes so take the time to clean the ones you have.

How many of us have been driving down the road only to see someone flick their cigarette butt out the window of their cars with no regard to other drivers. there is a reason car manufacturers build a car with an ashtray.

Delving a bit deeper, Public restrooms are extremely nasty. Sometimes you wonder if anyone cleans them at all. Walking into a public restroom to find the floors soaking wet with toilet paper thrown everywhere, Urine on the seats and clogged toilets and dirty sinks. Is it too hard for businesses to have someone walk into a public restroom every hour or so to check on the cleanliness? It is nauseating, And then you think, “there are actually people out there that are that nasty and have no regards for public health or their fellow man”

Laziness, that’s all it is. The mentality of the public is that someone else will clean it up, and it is not your problem, but soon it becomes everyone’s problem, because we all have to walk through it and step over it.

Pick up your trash, throw that cup in a trash can and not out your car window, walk twenty feet to a trash can, Flush your toilet, and wipe off the seats, you know who you are.

You ride down the road everyday and see tons of trash littering the sides of the roads and in parking lots, and it is sad to think that all the trash scattered across your own city could probably fill a few thousand dumpsters.

Laziness and total disregard is at the root of the problem, however, the same people that litter are probably the same people that have a spotless house, go figure that one. Perhaps it is those who litter are the same ones who have a nasty house, I suppose you just can’t tell,…. Just pick up your trash.