The Practicality of Being Green, somewhat

Be green; just not this green

If you pick up a phone book for the greater Poteau metropolitan area (sic) and search for recycling centers you’re options are very limited. Especially when you discover the only thing these places are recycling is old metal (whether car parts or aluminum cans). In fact if my memory serves me correctly you will find no paper or plastic recycler anywhere in Poteau or the Ft. Smith area.
Which, strangely now, upsets me; I know how many plastic water bottles I go through on a hot day and the amount of paper I throw out. All of these things and more that could avoid the backseat of my car, trash can, and eventually a land fill if I had somewhere to recycle this junk. Here's what I remember about a few landfills

• Dumping an old kiddie-pool when I was 7 or so with my dad and grandpa. It amazed me at that early age how much junk, we as a city, threw away, granted it was Kansas City, Mo. Perhaps at that age it was more the smell that amazed me.
• My high school green house was powered by the methane gases released by the local landfill just miles away. I was happy about the free never ending power source, but a 17 year old can lose count of all the waste management trucks entering and leaving hour after hour. Kinda excessive.
• Go to Juarez Mexico, not that I have been, but none the less. Walk around. You may just see trash, but beneath the piles of food, diapers, and bottles are people’s homes. It saddens you to see people calling filth home. That cardboard box that once held someone’s new desk or flat screen television is their roof. Sorry, that is not an excuse to throw away your recyclable stuff so someone can have home improvements options.
• Plus, I don’t want to lose the state of New Jersey. In the next 50 years it will all be one big tire fire of a landfill. What will happen to the New Jersey Nets and New York Giants stadium? I kinda like Tom Coughlin and Devin Harris.

As many of you know I work for the local city government, and I do a great deal of driving its streets and visiting businesses. It amazes me to see trash scattered and littered throughout streets, culverts, ditches, and parking lots. If for nothing more then aesthetics pick up your trash! I shake my head at the amount of businesses that have no problem wasting electricity or other utilities because they get a payment or tax break. I don’t care if the electric company gives you a 90% payment break; if no one is in the restroom turn off the darn light. The power grid says thank you.
As you may guess it’s been assumed that little ole’ Phill is going green. Lions, bears, and Al Gore, oh my!
Yes, I would like to recycle. Yes, I have bought canvas bags at the local grocery store so I don't have to use the plastic bags. Yes, I have switched to paperless billing. However, understand, I’m not going green-peace, carbon emission measuring, vegan eating, hug a tree, liberal thinking, global warming promoting, vote for Al Gore kinda guy. I don’t wake up in a cold sweat at night worrying about that polar bear floating along on the melting piece of ice. What I see my self now doing is more about being a good steward of EVERYTHING that I have been given. Including my planet.
Stewardship isn’t just about my paycheck anymore and making sure that I give back in praise to the one who gives me the ability to work to provide for my needs. If I see everything I have or will have as karitas or a gift from God then I need to act like it. Instead of preaching at you here is a simple list of the ways that that I am reforming my behavior and becoming a better steward in the mean while. As you read this list note that most of these actually just make sense. Believe it or not; green can be practical.

• If I’m at home and I don’t have a need for something to be plugged in or turned on then it isn’t. This first started as a way to see if I could cut my electric bill, but turned into something larger. All electronics are plugged into power cords, not the kind that you play on your Fender, and are turned off when not in use. My electric bill went down nearly 50% and I’m sure it’s doing something to help alleviate the stress on the power grid.
• Instead of drinking out of water bottle after endless water bottle I bought a one gallon container of water and fill it up with water at the end of each day and stick it in the freezer at work. I keep it with me in the hot sun, and as it melts throughout the day I have a lasting continual source of cold water without a pile of Ozarka bottles piling up in the work truck.
• When I see trash I pick it up. Better in a can or sack then in a ditch or stream polluting your and my water source. Plus, as I said before, it just looks better.
• I switched my att bill to paperless billing. Yes, my bill statement is rather short, but by October of 2010 I plan on having an Iphone.Paperless billing then will save a Sycamore or two. I encourage you to ask your companies that provide you services if you can switch to paperless or online billing. You get your bill quicker, save time at the post office, save money on a stamp, you know exactly when you’re bill comes out of your checking, debit, or credit card account, and you’ll feel a little more handy with the old computer.

These are just a few examples that I have put into practice, and I plan on implementing several more. You can start small by picking up trash in your neighborhood. A guy I work with once got an entire neighborhood of kids to pick up their block simply by placing a $5 bill under some trash. Those kids saw one kid get $5 richer by picking up a sack and they all joined the hunt for riches. No one else found any money but in 15 minutes that block of road looked that much better. If you drink pop or other beverages from aluminum cans why not smash and bag those cans. You’ll save them from a landfill plus you’ll have some extra coinage.
Try living green for a week. I’m not asking you to raise awareness about ozone depleting methane producing bovine. Just live in awe of this beautiful masterpiece God gave us, known as the Earth, and act like you thank him for it. Even if all you do is turn off a light when you leave a room.