i've finally decided to get on the GREEN bandwagon. it took me forever to get on. i'm not even sure what it was that made me finally get into gear with it. for the past couple of years, i recycled, but it was sporadic. i only really did it when i felt like it, or if something was too bulky or awkward to fit into my garbage can. and i haven't gotten all fanatic about it, but i am making a conscious effort now to recycle.
i used to associate being environmentally conscious with white granola people. portland used to be sort of known for granolas, although not so much anymore. i never really hear any black people that i know talking about being eco-friendly. and all the friends and parents that i know who are always talking about being enviro-conscious are white. and when you hear about lectures and projects for the environment, it's usually white people. but they're not all so crunchy anymore.
and i know there are plenty of black people who recycle, but i'm really just talking about the people i see who are on a mission to take care of the environment. now i'm thinking it's just the Pacific NW "air" that has got me so gung-ho. one of my brothers lives in virginia, and i wonder if anyone there even knows what the word recycle means. according to him, NOONE there recycles.
for me though, it just seems like common sense. i have to admit though, saving the rain water in bins in my backyard and later using that to water plants was a money-saving issue first. and then, oh yeah. it helps the environment too. why not?
3 comments:
As a black man, I too want to conserve energy and help save the planet. But I have a question that no one seems to have the answer to: Why bothers about separating glass, metal cans and plastic only to see the recycle collector early in the morning throw everything into one large bin on the truck. Paper however goes into a separate bin. I assume that at some large warehouse, hundreds of workers are again separating the material into specific bins. There must be a better way.
Curious as to what does blackness have to do with it? I'm not disagreeing with you, because I have noticed the same thing...it's almost as if many, not all mind you, but many black people refuse to think about environmentalism because they perceive it to be a 'white thing'. Not really sure what the solution to that is.
Definitely if you garden saving rain water can lower your water bill.
Funny how race enters into the green attitude. I also wonder why it splits between conservatives and liberals. It seems like conservative -keep things the way they are- people would be all over the conservation movement.
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