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Thoughts on the Environment
By Brad | October 2, 2007
As a Green Team member, I take my committment to “greening” VTB very seriously, sometimes, almost too seriously. I acknowledge that I can get edgy when I see recyclable materials being tossed out. For me, it’s become a habit to recycle anything that I see. I don’t think it’s a bad habit to have but I did want to write about it.
With all the weather changes in the world, whether you call it Global Warming, a Pole Shift or hearsay, something is happening. I don’t care if you listen to Al Gore, Bjorn Lomberg or anyone who denies such changes. I believe the most important thing that people can do is acknowledge that something is happening and realize that there are things they can do that will make an impact in the short-term and hopefully the long-term as well.
All this talk about “reducing your carbon footprint” may seem like crazy talk to some people but it’s actually very easy to do. Even if it turns out that everything will be ok in the long run, at least we’ve all pitched in to clean up the world and find better ways to exist in this world.
That being said, I must admit that I actually enjoy recycling. There’s nothing nicer than looking inside a trash can and knowing that anything that could have been recycled, was recycled and not wasted.
When I was younger, the first real “job” I ever had was collecting empties from the roadsides. My father had been laid off and as a result, we never had much money for toys or whatnot. I got so good at collecting empties, I was able to go to baseball games and use what I had to enjoy life. That along with with my father’s advice, taught me the value of hard work. It was never glamorous and it’s a habit I still have to this day.
However, I’m glad because it means less empties in the landfill. Before I came to VTB, my last job was as a recycler at a local beverage distributor. I ran a machine that crushed empty cans into bales and machines that shredded glass.
But anyway, to me, being on the Green Team gives me a chance to bring my obsession with recycling and the environment to benefit VTB. Our recycling program was established in 2002 and has only gotten better thanks to the efforts of folks to recycle more and the Green Team to act as a pillar to support the recycling efforts.
Topics: Bear Crew, In-House Issues |
October 2nd, 2007 at 10:14 am
I’d say obsessing about recycling and reducing landfill is about as Be Bear as you can get. Thanks for showing us a bear’s-eye-view.