Sustainability regarding both energy and commodity consumption has to be more of an issue in the upcoming presidential and congressional elections. Whether you are paying record prices for gas (hopefully you consider using public transit if it’s available and you do not already) or you see the price of pretty much everything creep up slowly (and sometimes quickly!), you may see that your bank account is dwindling. You also may not be making more money than you were last year or the year before that, especially when you adjust for inflation.
So this campaign season, when you get out and talk to the candidates for different offices, call them, or write them, let them know you care and that you expect for them to talk about the environment, sustainability, real world ways to reduce energy consumption, and that you expect them to put their plans into place, once in office. We’ll all benefit from a cleaner environment, better managed energy resources, and the intelligent use of commodities. But we have to keep it on their radar!
Paper, metals, plastics, and organic matter all have to be cycled wisely through the system. The very idea that burying perfectly reusable materials in a landfill is ludicrous. The expectation is that our leaders today and tomorrow tackle these issues with broad plans with real results. That goes for every level of government.
For instance, shipping our paper products overseas for recycling makes little sense with the price of fuel as it is, versus recycling it here for our own use. We’ll save by not having to cut down, ship, and mill as many trees, too!
Recycling needs to happen on a broader scale. In the coming months, look for a broader outline of, The Green Deal, which will help show the type of big ideas needed.
Related posts:
- New Series: The Green Deal This entry is part 3 of 3 in the series...
- Five Simple Ways to Green Your Life Today Check out five simple approaches to a greener life, starting...
- Commentary: Should Candidates Green their Campaigns? What does more than $1 Billion in campaign spending mean...
