Deb Clapper
Going Green: What does it mean?
Television news, newspapers, magazines, and online, there’s talk about “Going Green.” But what exactly does going green mean? Is it the wave of the future, or just another fad? Will it really save our planet? These questions are the focus of this paper.
The term, “Going Green”, is used to describe a lifestyle associated with environmental awareness. It means we, as a society, do what we can to reduce our carbon footprint. “Reduce – Reuse - Recycle.” By recycling, we can reduce our contribution to the landfills. By using the same products over and over, we can conserve the energy it takes to make new ones.
Some small individual examples of the green movement include purchasing a water bottle and filtering our own tap water. With this simple choice, we can reduce the need for plastic water bottles. By using a tote bag for groceries, we save the need for making more plastic bags. By performing simple things - like turning off lights that aren’t being used, not running water while brushing our teeth, and purchasing more fuel efficient vehicles - we conserve a great deal of energy.
Going Green is all about environmental changes. Changes we’ve made to the planet that require us to become more enviromentally aware, and changes we make to help our planet replensish some of what it’s lost because of our over indulgence. But what does Going Green mean to the average person? I asked a few of my family members what it meant to them. I asked my younger son, Shaun; my future daughter-in-law, Samantha: my husband, Jeff; and my Aunt Lor.
Shaun is a garbage collector. Or as he and his co-workers prefer to be called, Garbologists. “It means I get to take some of the brand new crap people throw away because it doesn’t go with their décor to decorate my own home. I’m recycling!”
Jeff says, “It SHOULD mean you don’t take 30 minute
Cited: Web sites, e-sources Corbin, Cristina. “Interior Department Approves Construction of Controversial Offshore Wind Farm.” Foxnews.com. N.p., 28 Apr. 2010. Web. 22 Aug. 2010. <http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/04/28/interior-department-poised-annouce-decision-controversial-offshore-wind-farm/>. Daley, Beth. “2 Tribes Object to Cape Wind Turbines.” Boston.com. Boston Globe, 29 Oct. 2009. Web. 22 Aug. 2010. Hochberg, Adam. “Wind Farms Draw Mixed Response in Appalaicha.” NPR.org. N.p., 27 Mar. 2006. Web. 22 Aug. 2010. <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5300507>. Kaufman, Leslie. “Among Weathercasters, Doubt on Warming.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Mar. 2010. Web. 22 Aug. 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/science/earth/30warming.html>. Roach, John. “Global Warming ‘Very Likely’ Caused by Humans, World Climate Experts Say.” National Geographic News. N.p., 2 Feb. 2007. Web. 22 Aug. 2010. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070202-global-warming.html>.