Posted on April 23, 2007
Because April is Keep America Beautiful Month and yesterday was Earth Day, we thought we would take this opportunity to highlight a few things to keep Harrisonburg from needing an intervention staged by Captain Planet and the planeteers.
No, this isn’t another tree-hugging hippy harangue. And in case you’re wondering, your mother did not in fact pay us off to succeed her in her endless nagging. However, because these ideas have probably been drilled into your head since you were young, we will make the effort to merely reiterate and keep these ideas short and sweet.
Remember the three R’s. Not the three R’s of Reading, ‘Riting, and ‘Rithmetic you were so fond of during your years in elementary school. Rather, remember to reduce, reuse and recycle. Make a conscious decision to reduce your consumption of water and electricity. Reuse containers and other products as often as you can, including (and probably most importantly) your water bottles. This simple effort can lessen the litter in landfills, not to mention can ease the stress your pockets feel every time you slip spare change into vending machines. Remember to turn your lights and computers off when you’re not home. Finally, recycle anything and everything that you can. You would be surprised at what products can be recycled. Household and office appliances, food and drink containers, boxes, bags, paper, and even batteries can be recycled, so take advantage of this. Most people don’t recycle because they find it to be inconvenient. But placing a small recycling bin around your home makes a world of difference in the amount of rubbish you recycle. Items like furniture and clothes that can’t be recycled should be given to those who can use them.
Don’t leave your mark on nature. Be aware of what you leave behind when spending time outside. Whether you’re on a weekend camping trip or having a quick picnic lunch, make very effort to pick up your trash and dispose of it properly.
We can use the bus system JMU established for our use and keep the car keys on the kitchen table. If you do choose to drive, keep your vehicle in tip-top shape to minimize the ozone-harming emissions that escape from your car. Also, carpooling is a savvy gas-saving idea.
Take part in an Adopt-a-Street campaign or in another community cleaning campaign. Community service isn’t just for convicts. Cleaning up highways, byways and streets can reduce the amount of unsightly trash we see on the roadside, and can even reduce the amount of trash that trickles into our waterways.
Relieve environmentalists from their green soapboxes and incorporate these things into your daily life. There’s room for a little bit of tree-hugging for all of us.
