Let’s talk about Penn State’s impact on the environment shall we? So we know that they have a pretty amazing recycling program and have more kinds of recycling bins than I know what to do with (what are the different kinds of plastics again?). But what else do we do? Well with just a little bit of research, I found out that we have a whole week of dedication the the Earth (better known as Earth Week) that starts the 18 of April! But most of that week is dedicated to the education of sustainability and protecting the planet than it is actually stepping out and doing such things. Here are a list of our waste management facts. You can see that we quite literally produce TONS of waste each year. And I would say that we combat that solid waste amount pretty well also.
So on paper at least it seems that Penn State is doing a stand up job. My concern lies in the individuals at this school who have yet to grasp the concept that pizza boxes CAN be recycled as well as the Styrofoam food containers that I see in the trash and all over my building. And I will be the first to admit that I’m not perfect when it comes to recycling. I through away those containers when food is grossly stuck all inside. But I also know that my guilt for doing this is drastically lowered when I see a trash an full of it already. I’m starting to notice a trend where people will give into the temptation and ignore the guilt more easily if they feel it is the common behavior among their peers. And I believe that this is a vicious cycle; a growing cycle. I also feel like it is our duty as the individuals to put an end to this. We need to start taking responsibility for our own actions. What I mean by this is, instead of taking your usual 45 minute shower (which I know many of you don’t do, I just have a specific person in mind) aim for 10 (or consequently 5 if your showers are already pretty short). The average flow of water in a shower is 2.1 gallons per minute. So keep that in mind next time. Also, think about what your throwing away and where it is going to end up for hundreds of years to come. Think about the impact. What animals would get harmed or sick from it? How much space is it going to take up? Keep this in mind because when we actually really start paying attention to the reality of it, we will start acting on the guilt.
Encourage your friends too. Maybe make a goal or something you can all work towards. Make a reward system for your floor! Anyway you do it, just make sure it is getting done. We cant afford continuing to treat our Earth the way we are because as cliché as it may be, it is the only home we have.