Today is brought to you by the emphasis in striving for a cleaner, greener planet...
Friday, a time for immense fun to be had at the weekend's expense right? If that includes running around campus collecting the recycleables and taking them to the center then I give it a thumbs up. One of my first experiences I remember in Anchorage involved downing a bottle of water (lame, I know beat me up later) and looking for a place to recycle it... "Well we really don't have a recycling program so throw it in the trash." With much hesitation and remorse for what I was about to do, I closed my eyes, held my hand over the Hefty coated abyss and let go... Only to have nitemares for days with that reverberating plastic 'plinkin' sound...
Those ill feelings all changed when I came to APU, as I noticed quite rapidly, that they did indeed recycle. Earlier this week I attended a meeting with their Eco-Club, a student run organization in coalition with the school in making sure things are running smoothly in making a greener campus. The club sponsors events in the community, their main event on Earth Day is used as a catalyst to increase awareness of things the averyage Achoragian can do to keep their city green, even when its covered in snow. The main thing the organization does, is all the recycling on campus. Heck they even drive down to the row (university houses just off the main drag) and offer curbside!!! Every Friday evening they head around with the APU Ford F250 diesel (see any possibilities here?) and collect cardboard, paper (of all sorts) cans, bottles, plastic, from residence halls, campus buildings, the cafeteria and drive it to the recycling center in Anchorage. This is done on a weekly basis and is totally relying on student initiative. Cool?
Let's put this in perspective...
The Recycling center is a row of containers, (so far as I am concerned with termanology) for cardboard, glass, plastic, cans, paper, newsprint, if it can be recycled the center has a container for it. In this corner of the city that few see, and I say few because this seems to be the ONLY place one can bring their recycleables, containers are beckoning for attention. There is no curbside program here in Anchorage, so its up to citizens to make the program flourish...
That night I made numerous trips from the truck to various containers to donate plastic, cans, glass, paper in hopes that it would make its way to being a post consumer recycled product. As I listened to the 'glink' of the glass, 'plunk' of the plastic, and 'clack' of the cansI felt a strong urgency for activism and awareness. I am now one of 600,000+ people in this state (one of hopefully many who know about recycling) that has the ability to do someting. Although not my personal battle I feel the importance of education of these programs should be at the top of the list. All it takes is an hour from your week, (assuming you do not have a curbside pick up for recycling) to help minimize landfill space and give something another chance at life. I rode silent back to APU over the whirrr of diesel as the truck accellerated and deccellerated over the graveled Alaskan streets thinking about the impact this city could have on it's landfill space. It goes to show that there can always be something more done, you can always lend a hand else where even if you're community recycles. Adapt a conscious nature about what you use, and what can be re used. Small local acts can add up on a larger global scene. Do what you can, where you are, with what you have...
That's the report for now... I will post more on the organization as well as the event as the Earthday nears itself to our presence. Until then, don't just wait until April 22, there's a plethora of things out there begging to be taken care of right now...
It's your world... Nuture it...
Vivas...
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