Concerned Citizens

Tomorrow is Earth Day, celebrated around the world as a way to highlight activities focused on helping improve our presence on this planet. Started in 1970 by Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D-WI), the purpose was to inspire awareness and appreciation for Earth’s natural environment. As Nelson stated “I am convinced that all we need to do to bring an overwhelming insistence of the new generation that we stem the tide of environmental disaster is to present the facts clearly and dramatically.” It’s a great celebration but it’s also something that should create lifestyle change.

Since chairing Fiesta Verde I’ve become even more aware of what can be done to help improve our environmental impact. I wouldn’t call myself an environmentalist by any stretch. But I can say that I try to do as much as I can and have made lifestyle changes to help reduce the human footprint on our planet. The change has taken such a turn that I now look at my actions and buying habits to see what I can do to be more environmentally friendly.

Take my change in t-shirts. After last Fiesta I started exploring the concept of purchasing clothing that’s made from recycled plastic. I realized that unless we started creating a market for that plastic it was going to become more a cost than a commodity in the lifecycle, resulting in diminished need and use. So now I buy t-shirts from AnvilWear that are made from 50% PET recycled plastic. Yes, they cost a little more but feel just the same as regular t-shirts and are actually more durable.

After a while I started leveraging the doorside recycling service in the building. The service allows me to collect recyclables in a small container and have the collected right outside my door each week. It costs $6 a month for the convenience pick-up but I’m really paying for the pick-up more than the recycling service. Doing so I’ve found I fill the container almost 2/3 full each week and have resorted to trash disposal about once every 3-4 weeks. Now the issue is making sure I get rid of the trash before it starts stinking. What’s even more interesting is that I look at each item I pick up as either recyclable or not. If not, I try to find a recyclable product or figure out how to do without it.

All my lights in the apartment are CFL lights to help reduce my energy footprint. I know, I’m not making much impact having a one bedroom apartment. But if all of us took the action we’d reduce our energy consumption dramatically and start eliminating the need for fossil fuels. Just think where we would be had we not taken these steps many years ago regarding energy capacity. Each reduction brings us closer to energy independence.

I’d love to take public transit more often but VIA doesn’t really offer a good option there for me. As some of you may know, my one-way transit time without changing buses is around 1 hour and 10 minutes. With driving never more than 15 minutes and regular attendance at a morning meeting by work, I really don’t have a good option other than to drive to work every day. Besides, VIA’s plans for improved service through Bus Rapid Transit are being scaled back constantly. Soon it’s going to be no better than just fancy bus service with no improvement in transit time.

In general VIA really doesn’t have a good plan for the future. Sure the SmartWaySA efforts were supposed to map out a strategic plan. But with very little funding options and an almost fanatical desire for something related to rail, the transit authority really doesn’t have any good tricks up its sleeves to meet the needs of the general public. Once the final piece of the sales tax is tapped out by Mayor Castro’s education initiative (something I support by the way) the only funding source will be federal funds and you know how easy that will be to obtain. I guess the option I portray may be San Antonio’s only way to get light rail.

So, take the time to think about the planet tomorrow and do something to help her out. It could be as simple as using a compostable container or as incredible as cleaning up around your neighborhood. But take the action and help keep our planet usable for generations to come.