In the 90s, during that decade of sweeping social change, conservation was sexy. Or at least the idea of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle seemed sexy enough to want to spread. Who else remembers Captain Planet, the mulleted defender of the Earth? He was a product of the ‘90s. So was Nickelodeon’s “The Big Help,” an annual cleanup and conservation project. (MTV’s “Reduce Your Daily Impact” campaign is only about seven years old)
My guess is 90 percent of people reading this article are also ‘90s babies.
My question is why, when we’re at a point globally where there are constant threats of widespread flooding, super hurricanes and long droughts, that living green – using and consuming only enough and giving back as much as you can – doesn’t seem as sexy? I really don’t know. This is not rhetoric. If someone has a real answer, email me.
Be Honest: when was the last time you considered 1) where your tap water comes from 2) the light(s) and appliances you left on/plugged in for hours and 3) the possibly recyclable trash you threw away?
You know, I don’t even blame you too much. A lot of people just are not thinking ahead.
China definitely seems to be looking ahead, however. If you’ve been paying attention to renewable energy news lately, you’ll recall that U.S. solar company Solyndra went bankrupt a couple months ago because it couldn’t compete. Who was outselling it? Chinese solar-panel manufacturers.
Last month, the New York Times examined China’s bid to expand its desalinated water (brine that is purified for consumption) production, despite taking a huge loss. Yes, it’s costing them four times as much as they make in selling it – now. With one billion and counting citizens, resources will matter sooner than later. And they’re getting ready.
Tomorrow is America Recycles Day, an initiative that also came out of the ‘90s. To commemorate it, FAMU will be hosting a gathering on The Set from 11 a.m. Bring your recyclables in the morning.
Let’s bring the sexy back to green, because the problems are real.