Eco Footprint
Though lame, being green makes a little sense when you're dirt poor.
June 18, 2008
By Luke Morris
I am by no means a giant environmentalist pansy like the people you can find a dime a dozen around Lawrence. In fact, I hope the damn dirty hippies die in a very nongreen way, like inhalation of too many car exhaust fumes. But I have found myself taking up some green actions here in Philadelphia.
I still believe that global warming is extremely overhyped. I don’t believe it’s that important either – I, the most important human being outside Jesus Christ, won’t be around by the time the exaggerated harm begins. But I can now confirm that smog actually exists. If you look out at Philadelphia in the early morning, it’s that hazy gray cloud looming over Center City. Smog is still better than smug, though (If you don’t know what I’m referencing, watch this South Park episode).
Really, I’m more doing things that are green out of necessity because I’m cheap. For example, I take the subway or walk to work in Philly. This is mostly because I don’t have my car with me, and gas is unaffordable. I’ll easily take a 45-minute walk to work and a $1.45 subway trip back, thank you. I’m also buying less Styrofoam and other disposable plates and cups. It’s much easier to buy two of each and wash them constantly, although sometimes the grape juice taste lingers when I go to drink milk. In my apartment in Lawrence and home in Humboldt, we used the windows and fans instead of the air conditioner when possible. Here I don’t care, though. I don’t pay utility bills on my dorm room.
One of the more notable habits I’ve picked up on is recycling paper. Newsrooms should be some of the leaders in paper recycling. We go through lots of paper, even beyond what gets put out on the streets every day. And it’s easy to do. Walk 20 feet to the recycling bin and throw all newsprint or printer paper in it.
I have no intention telling others to start going green. For me, it’s just a cost-cutter. But if you want to save some cash, greening it may help a little.
By the way, does anyone feel like having a huge car wash in the middle of Lawrence and dump the soap into the Kansas River just to piss off the whiny-ass, self-righteous environmentalists in the city? It’ll be fun.
Discussion
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If it walks like an environmentalist, quacks like an environmentalist, recycles like an environmentalist, then it must be...
Dear God shoot me now if that's the case.
But anyway, I forgot to joke about Sheryl Crow's speech about only using one square of toilet paper during restroom trips. Formulate your own environmentalist joke around that.
Dear Luke,
I'd like to congratulate you on becoming a fellow environmentalist! One of the top reasons to join our ranks is the expense of not doing so. Going green is, as you've discovered, surprisingly cost effective. You've already realized some of what the "Daily News" article below proclaims: going green is easy and will save you money. The alternative--ignoring the problem--will cost a country billions [see "Solar Shingles" blog].
Your disbelief in global warming is not surprising, as many people who recycle and walk or take public transport to work don't consider global warming as big a threat as many scientists say. What really matters is that you're taking steps to cut your own impact on the environment and save money. You cannot deny, while affirming the existence of smog, that humans' pollution negatively impacts the earth regardless of whether global warming is happening rapidly, slowly, or not at all.
In short, welcome to a group of people millions strong who are fighting to move toward environmentally-friendly, and coincidentally cost-effective, alternatives to wasteful modern living.
Get used to this movement: it's here to stay, and it's only getting bigger. [See the last three links].
Your fellow environmentalist,
Kelly
Daily News - Money:
http://www.bankrate.com/nydn/news/energy-environment-2007/environment_worst_excuses_a1.asp?caret=2a
Japan pays huge price for not going green:
http://solarshingles.blogspot.com/2008/05/japan-pays-huge-price-for-not-going.html
Green is the future:
http://www.popsci.com/futurecity/plan.html
http://www.greenbuilding.com/
http://www.apple.com/hotnews/agreenerapple/
Did I just get confused for an environmentalist?!!! Now I REALLY want someone to shoot me.
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