Tag Archives: environment

Nom Nom Nom

As sort of a supplement to last week’s post, I want to talk about another sadly wasteful facet of our society – leftover food. Food scarcity isn’t really problem in the United States as much as it is in developing countries. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be conscious about how much of it goes to waste.

I know that here at Penn State, leftover scraps of food are composted into organic material. This shows that our university isn’t turning a blind eye to Mother Nature, a fact of which I’m proud. However, if I think about all the many institutions that don’t do such things, I begin to realize the enormous amount of food that gets put to no use. Much of the world goes to bed hungry, while Americans are mindlessly throwing extra food away.

My parents tell me that in some restaurants in the Philippines, employees are allowed to take any extra food home. That food then goes to feed their families and maybe their neighbors, instead of going completely to waste. Here in America though, there are laws against such acts because of liabilities involving food-borne illnesses. There are even rules about how long food is allowed to sit out. I remember watching a clerk at a Pizza Hut kiosk in Target throw away a pizza because the label indicated it had been sitting on the shelf for at least 3 hours. In these situations, throwing food away seems like the easiest option. But there has to be a better way? At least, I would hope so.

For instance, maybe there could be laws mandating that restaurants compost their leftover food. Or maybe regulations could be lightened to allow for extra food to be taken home or given to places like soup kitchens so that the food goes to those who need it. These ideas might be unrealistic (the FDA might not be on board), but it’s a start. In the meantime, individuals can do their part to reduce the amount of food waste. For example, take leftovers home from a restaurant and save it for another meal. At a buffet (like at the commons for example), only get food that you know you’re going to eat so that nothing gets left on your plate (don’t pile on food that you can’t finish). If you do have extra food, be a helping hand and put it in the compost bin yourself. These are just little things but I bet they could go a long way.

Turn the sink off – All the way!

Since we will be deliberating sustainability over the next few classes, I began thinking about little things that impact our environment. Yes, humans are pollutant. We tear down forests, we use up natural resources, we create lots of waste. But we can’t change all of these habits – people still need wood and gasoline. That part makes sense. However, there are some un-ecofriendly habits that don’t make as much sense. In particular, I’m talking about little things that create excessive waste that could very easily be avoided.

1) Letting the water run – I see this one a lot. When you’re brushing your teeth or scrubbing your face and you don’t need the water, why do you keep the faucet on? It’s not hard to turn the knob. And what’s more, people don’t shut the water off all the way so the faucet is left leaking for who knows how long.

2) Lights on during the day – True, there are many cases where lights are needed during the days. But what about signs outside establishments? If it’s bright enough outside to read the sign then using electricity to light the fluorescent bulbs in each letter is pointless.

3) Lights when no one’s around – One night, I drove by Acme (a grocery store) when it was closed. All the lights in the building were still on even though nobody was there. I guess, you might need a few lights here and there for security reasons. But you don’t need EVERY single light on?

4) Additional packaging – Who needs that extra little cardboard casing around a DVD? If it displays the same images as the plastic case, what purpose does it serve? The answer is none.

5) Not recycling – This is a bit inexcusable here at Penn State where there are recycling receptacle everywhere. It some cases, they’re right next to the trash cans. It doesn’t take much to sort some trash into a different bin.

When I see these occurrences happening around me, I get a litte annoyed. I know not everyone is environmentally conscious, but these things seem like no-brainers to me. Eliminating these poor habits doesn’t require much sacrifice. If anything, it just take some getting used to. So you don’t have to give up your car or turn off your heater to help the planet. Little things like this can make a difference. And if everyone were to alter their habits in these little ways, then it would make a big difference. The planet would be better off and Mother Nature would be happier.