THIS IS EARTH WEEK in Emporia, a good time to think about what each of us can do for the ecological health of the community, the state, the nation and the world.
The community got off to a good start Saturday with the “Shred It!” event at ESB Financial. A lot of Emporians brought paper to be shredded to the bank, where a mobile shredding truck was parked. The truck was full before noon.
Every piece of paper that was shredded is one less piece of paper that will wind up in a landfill (and one less piece of information that could be used to make life easy for an identity thief).
Emporia State University students will be involved in Earth-friendly activities this week. The Environmental Club and the Young Democrats will sponsor a number of events, encompassing information, recycling and clean-up efforts. The campus activities will be wrapped up at 6 p.m. Thursday with a showing of “March of the Penguins” in Room 72 of the Science Hall.
On Saturday, Flinthills Mall will sponsor Ecomania. Local businesses and organizations will offer information and sponsor games and activities, including a contest for sculpture made from recycled materials.
Earth Day, which is Wednesday, has come a long way from its beginnings, when it was dismissed by many people as some sort of radical stunt by “tree-huggers.” The public has come to realize that environmental problems are real and growing and that the Earth is affected not just by the actions of big industries and governments, but by the everyday actions of everyday people.
As this week’s activities remind us, there are two simple ways we can help the planet — recycle everything we can and use energy wisely.
Those are not activities just for Earth Day or Earth Week. Every time we turn on a light, set a thermostat and make a trip to the store, we make decisions about energy use. Recycling is available to all Emporians 52 weeks a year at the recycling center on West South Avenue and at businesses around town.
Use the opportunities of Earth Week to gather useful information. Then spend the next 51 weeks applying that information to everyday life.
Patrick S. Kelley
Editorial Page Editor
ZaneRokklyn (anonymous) says...
Observation, I think your view of "green" is too narrow. You seem to be saying that there is only one kind of thing to do, and it is always harmful, so the only way to reduce our impact is to do less. By that logic, the most responsible thing you could do would be to kill all people, a la Twelve Monkeys.
But there are many things to do, and some of them are good. Not just sustainable, but restorative. I can't claim that everything with the word "green" slapped on it is good -- some is just less bad -- but it takes both kinds to shift our balance toward green, and we have to start somewhere.
as for what's the matter with landfills, paper does *not* degrade in a short period of time: http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/mod02/01...
April 21, 2009 at 8:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
We live out in the county so sort our trash. Cans (steel & aluminum), glass, and newspaper go to the recycle trailer at Dillons. Milk jugs we wash and give to L&L Pets for their aquarium water they sell. I admit we burn a lot of paper and cardboard we could recycle. But after sorting there is very little we can't burn or recycle. It take little effort to set up a few boxes or paper bags to throw recycleable material in as you go along.
I'm surprised they aren't showing the movie Wall-E instead. We got that for our young son and it's a rant against rampant consumerism. You should watch it, Observation. It is entertaining for adults and the message of so much trash on Earth forcing people into space is very timely. There's some funny bits kids won't get but adults will, watch the names of people and companies for a good laugh.
April 21, 2009 at 9:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
kinglyon (anonymous) says...
Couple more ideas to mention. Think first of our local animal shelter to get a great 'recycled pet' instead of buying from a greedy breeder.
Also being Green Week, and the recent EPA talk of carbon emissions, the gas chamber used at the shelter continues to pollute the air. How much longer until the city will change to the more humane method of lethal injection?
April 21, 2009 at 10:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
Observation, we don't have trash pickup so any nonburnable trash has to go to the dump or be recycled. So we might as well let it be recycled and save the energy etc of them making new ones. Glass can be recycled forever, I don't know how many time they can recycle steel. Paper is like once and done. The shelter in Topeka asks for shredded paper for pet bedding. I've not heard that the Emporia one does, though. They could use old towels and blankets, I'm sure.
April 21, 2009 at 3:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Pollyanna (anonymous) says...
Tru' that Kinglyon. We got a shelter dog 2 summers ago and he is a pure joy. Nice plug on the lethal injection as well. When will our city do the right thing by our animals that are euthanized?
April 21, 2009 at 4:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jibberish66 (anonymous) says...
Earth Day is special to me because it was founded by Ira Einhorn, nicknamed the Unicorn Killer. He murdered his girlfriend, stuffed her in a trunk and stored her in a closet while he traipsed around the globe telling us how horrible we were in our cars. Whackjob!
April 21, 2009 at 5:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
Observation, I don't recycle for convenience. It's to reduce waste. As we have almost 10 acres of grass on our property alone, we absorb carbon. I don't know the ratio but we may break even. I don't think you should put people down for recycling by saying it does no good. Any trash we keep out of landfills does some good.
April 22, 2009 at 10:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Just think of all the jobs that are being made for the future, "mining" metals out of ancient dump sites. :D
Before anyone jumps on my case, I take more to recycle (cleanest too) than I send to the landfill. Just playing devil's advocate to my own lifestyle to acknowledge Observation's point that to every action there is a variety of possible outcomes. The possibility exists that actions that we are currently being indoctrinated against could actually end up having the better long-term results. I recycle because I don't believe it harms anything and just might help, but I don't believe that not recycling absolutely condemns the earth.
April 22, 2009 at 3:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )