I do not subscribe to the Gospel of St. Albert of Gore, so I know I will be a lonely voice crying out on the fringe of today's Blog Action Day.I can so bravely proclaim my heresy because I don't think the enviromaniacs would burn anyone at the stake -- they'd be concerned about the excess release of toxic fumes into the air or something.
But that doesn't mean that I am not also a conservationist. Indeed, as the Devil may quote Scripture, let me cite to the Gospel of St. Albert: "Think globally, act locally."
Here, in my office, at the Undisclosed Location, there is a cardboard box for paper recycling made available by my building. I use it every day.
But my building does not have a recycling program for aluminum, and I bring a can of pop to drink everyday with lunch. So I have a separate bin set up for aluminum. When it gets full enough, I bring it home for recycling. I haven't yet carried the bag of cans on the train -- so there are days when I drive to work -- but not many. I take public transportation when I can -- and that's most of the time. And I save empty ink cartridges, too, because our local grammar school recycles them.
Before I moved here, I got all of the tenants on my old floor to dispose of their used computer equipment (printers, keyboards, monitors as well as CPU's). Yes, there was a selfish purpose: Disposing of computer equipment in that way satisfied our professional obligation to safeguard client data -- but it benefited the environment, too.
At home, we recycle cans, plastic, newspapers, cardboard, ink cartridges and plastic bags. In the City of Chicago the recycling program is highly suspect, so we've found alternate sources for our plastic bags and for the newspaper and cardboard. We're working on others.
The extremists in this world may be pitied or ignored according to your taste. But conserving our resources is only common sense. You do have some common sense, don't you?
9 comments:
Great to see you flying the "green" banner. We still have a long way to go in the UK to improve our recycling, you are way ahead of us in the States. Most recycling schemes are carried out once a fortnight and people hate it because the remaining rubbish is collected every two weeks too and results in lots of flies and vermin. There are real concerns about this.
We recycle in our household too, and like you I certainly do not subscribe to the Gospel of St. Albert of Gore.
Don't get me started...
Conservation is always a good thing.
I kinda, sorta do some of what you do, sometimes. You've made me feel guilty.
I did smile, having grown up in Michigan reading the word "pop." Down here in Atlanta it's "soda" or "coke" which also, with lower case intonation, means soda or pop. As in want a "coke" (or something to drink)?
I'm having difficulties with the debate about global warming. I haven't taken the time to figure out which political spin on it is closest to the science. I suppose I owe it to me, you and the planet to figure out what the truth is. Though, here in Atlanta we are in the middle of the worst drought in a long time. We just learned that we have as little as ninety days of drinking water left, if we don't get some monumental rain storms, and the Corps of Engineers continues to drain water from the two man-made lakes that serve as our resevoirs, to send water to the Florida Gulf coast so that Apalachicola oysters can have the fresh water infusion they need to not die and thus be harvested and sold. They are good, but.... Ecosystems and commerce can be a bitch.
not a Gore fan either...but do keep in mind what kind of world my grandchildren will inherit if we don't take action "locally"
we recyle. we reuse. we fix what we can rather than tossing it and buying another.
Good reminder, Cur. "Think globally; act locally" was not Al Gore's--the senator who started Earth Day back in the 70's coined it, I think, but I'd be glad to hear from others.
Over here Americans are looked at as hopeless consumers of everything at a ferocious pace but recycling schemes in the States are miles ahead of here. I recycle tho it means carting stuff in to town to be collected. OK, Cur, here's challenge for you--do you compost? Is it feasible in the city to do that? Anyone out there doing it? I put old coffee grounds on my heather and compost other bits but I have some space in which to do it.
Sharon -- I don't compost. My Long Suffering Spouse is the gardener, but she hasn't had much opportunity this year and I don't believe she has done this.
My parents used to, though. But they had more land.
Dave -- you can't be in a drought. The enviromaniacs who can predict rising sea levels in the next 50 years with such smug certitude also predicted with certainty that this year would be terrible for hurricanes -- the remains of which would surely drench Georgia. Come to think of it, they said that last year, too.
Ellee -- garbage pick-up every two weeks? That would never fly in Chicago.
you didn't reply to me - I am feeling left out
Patti! Honest, I thought your comment (and Katherine's for that matter) were self-contained and required no comment.
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Better now?
five days later, I'm back. Better? Not sure.
I like the vertical dots though.
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