Monday, March 08, 2010

Save the Planet?

I know that I can't save the planet on my own. I may not be able to effect any global climate (whether or not man is causing the change). I can, however, in my small little way, help to make the land fills just a little smaller. I can use a little less electricity. I can help the environment be less cluttered. Here are 2 things I do in my life to help the environment even though they may seem infinitesimal.

Just over a year ago, our garbage collection company gave us recycle bins. At first, it seemed a little tedious to break down the boxes and organize the cans and newspaper but, I decided to give it a try. After a week or two, I got into the flow of it and I actually feel like I'm helping.

Recycling facts:
Every ton of recycled paper:
Saves 17 trees
Saves 4,100 kwh of energy
Saves 7,000 gallons of water
Reduces air pollution by 60lb
Saves 7 cu yard of landfill space


When I was a student at BYU, I remember when the university installed the electronic doors that allowed the handicapped to press a button and have the door open for them. Being the average lazy college student that I was, I would punch the button into every building and walk in through the doors as if I were the king of the land. Doors opened for me and shut for me without any effort. Then, I read an article in The Daily Universe that mentioned the fact that those doors were for the handicapped and would wear out much faster if they were used by the general public. I also noted by my own intuition, that those doors were using a large amount of electricity to open and would let in far more cold air than a regular door. My days of using the magic button ended and to this day, I prefer to open my own doors even if Target or Fred Meyer want to open them for me.