It is easier to throw something away rather then recycle it. It’s easier to keep our heat @ 75 in the winter rather than put on a sweater or a robe. It’s easier to watch TV rather than read a good book. It’s easier to drive 5 miles to work rather than ride our bike. It’s easier to stay out of shape rather than become physically fit. I'll be honest, in my kitchen right now there is a stack of steel cans and several bottles waiting to be brought to the recycling center – on bad days when a big meal has been cooked, and my counter is overflowing with dishes, there are times I want to throw all of those recyclables in the trash because that is the easy thing to do.
A recent article says, “Consumers have good intentions - but not very good follow-through. Surveys over the past five years, including this year, show consistently large
discrepancies between intentions and actions. Every year, for example, around 20
percent or more consumers say they`re planning to get an energy audit, yet the
percentage of U.S. homeowners who've actually gotten one has languished in the
10-15 percent range.”
In our world many tasks have become simple, easy, and instant – the internet can answer almost any question we have, cell phones allow us to talk to anyone at anytime we choose, Facebook keeps us connected to everyone we have ever known, 24hr fast food feeds our late night cravings, Wal-Mart is open 24 hrs a day every day, twitter keeps us closely connected with our favorite celebrities, etc… we are becoming more and more demanding of our products and now more than ever we expect what we want when we want it. The mere fact that we live in a society that can provide us with our demands is an astounding accomplishment – and something to be very proud of. We live in the most advanced civilization to walk the earth with amenities unfathomable a mere 50 years ago! The question is, has all this access made us apathetic? Do we have the patience not to opt for the easy out?
Living an environmentally responsible life is not easy, but if we are to curb climate change and conquer the environmental issues facing us today we must turn our intentions into consistent actions, we must make better choices in our daily lives, and we must demand a better future for ourselves, our kids, and our planet. Here’s to action!
-
