We are the answer

As 2019 begins, many of our old problems and challenges remain: gun violence, wars, homeland security, health care costs and too many more to name here. For most of us, the solutions to these conundrums appear beyond the reach of one individual. Many of us want to throw up our hands and say, “Well, I can’t do anything about that today,” and move on.

On a brighter note, however, there is one problem we can all “do something about” everyday. We all play a part in pollution, unnecessary waste, and lack of forethought about our attitudes toward our environment. For a number of years, we often heard the slogan to “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” but as we move our recycling bins to the curb every couple weeks, not much more thought is given to the work that remains to be accomplished.

Our world is showing the effects of this neglect. It is predicted by some scientists that in the not-so-distant future, there will be more trash in the Pacific Ocean than there are fish. Some states or municipalities are taking a stab at lessening the impact of plastic straws (California) or plastic shopping bags (Hawaii). A school in the Twin Cities area was recently featured on the news because the students and staff now recycle 80 percent of the cafeteria waste, but that is just one school out of thousands in this country.

As a population, we have moved away from internalizing the concept of personal responsibility to do as little harm as possible to our world every single day.

For many of us, the idea of reusing a plastic container or buying secondhand items at a thrift shop harkens to the time of our parents and grandparents who were chided for their miserly ways once prosperity boosted the middle class to a lifestyle of plenty. There will always be enough of whatever we need, so why worry? We foolishly do not fathom that the garbage we create today will choke the planet in the not-so-distant future. Reducing our consumption of everything is not about being “cheap.” It is the choice to be wise, to think of others, to value our environment.

So, what can one person do? Perhaps the first step in this process is to increase our awareness of the issue. As we move through our days, we can examine the choices we make and how much of our resources we waste that day. For example, did we choose to use paper rather than plastic bags when shopping or, better yet, bring reusable bags? Perhaps we wrapped our sandwiches in good old waxed paper and toted our fresh water in metal or glass water bottles. There are multiple sources available to assist with finding alternatives to plastic. A group in Washburn, Wis. has laid the groundwork for citizens interested in learning more about this issue. To find out more, email Larry Woodward at [email protected]. Or a quick search of the internet will offer apps and information to get us started or keep us going.

Maybe there are more “Rs” to add to “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” Rethink the way we use everything everyday. Remind others to join in the efforts to change consumption patterns. Rebuild our society at the local level to reflect awareness of the responsibility we all have to save our resources and our environment.

Remember, we can all do something every single day.

Writer Francy Chammings is a retired English teacher and clinical psychologist who loves living in Carlton County.