Hypocrisy and the Pledge

My wife introduced me to methods of protecting the environment. Previously, I had been a proponent but not a practitioner of strategies to limit harmful incursions on the environment. I brought a critique of modern, capitalistic culture into the relationship and she brought the knowledge necessary to mold thought into action. I was relatively ignorant of practical problems and solutions, and she educated me about the harmful effects a consumer society had on the environment, including the production of massive amounts of solid waste and harmful chemicals. She introduced me to tactics for a healthier less intrusive lifestyle. We eat organic foods, avoid purchasing products with excessive packaging, use our own shopping bags, avoid using harsh synthetic chemicals, and recycle as many consumer products as we can. We limited our landfill impact to approximately two small bags each week.

Recently we moved from a small college town to an even smaller rural town in Kentucky. The town we now live in does not have adequate recycling facilities. In fact the town transports its solid waste to a neighboring town for disposal. Unfortunately for our family, the move has caused us to revert to former easier behaviors. In fact, I recently removed a truckload of garbage from the house that we are currently remodeling totaling nearly 800 pounds. Included in the refuse were plastic bottles, glass, cardboard, and paper, all easily recyclable consumer products. As I stood above the massive transport dumpster throwing garbage bags onto the already overflowing pile I felt like a hypocrite. I advocate recycling, I believe firmly in recycling, and yet I am not recycling.

My pledge is that over the next few weeks I will calculate my family’s approximate impact upon the environment, and develop strategies to mitigate that impact. Further, I hope to push for a larger recycling center in the town as a way of encouraging responsible sustainable development for the larger local community.