Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Kelsey Volk, Staff Writer

Pollution. Global warming. Conservation. Recycling. Environment. These words surround us, and our community, but do they sink in or just float in and back out again? In a city that revolves around energy and coal, is it realistic for us to work towards a sustainable future, or is it a farfetched idea?

 “Conservation is important to me, because I think it’s important to not lose certain species,” said junior Jake Hatfield.

“Global warming is part of a warming cycle, which is constantly changing,” said Earth Science and Astronomy teacher Gene LeMaitre. “Greenhouse gases are causing it to increase at a faster rate and we need to address that.”

While speaking with LeMaitre, he used a very thought-provoking analogy, “Global warming is like a fire, which is supposed to burn, but we are throwing gas on the fire.”

“I think we’re becoming more aware at the coal mines. They’re finding new ways of doing things, and trying to not let so much pollution into the air,” said principal Larry Steiger. “We have to make changes, we don’t have a choice.”

Regardless of which part concerns you, whether it is recycling, conservation, pollution, or saving water and energy, there are things you can do to help out.

Raising awareness about pollution and climate change issues is exactly what WWF (World Wildlife Fund) hoped to accomplish with the fourth year of Earth Hour.

In 2009, hundreds of millions of people participated in Earth Hour by doing something quite simple: turning off their lights for one hour. This year, Earth Hour fell on March 27^th, and there was an even greater turnout.

Sophomore Mary Smith, upon hearing about Earth Hour said, “Yeah, I will do it. It’s not bad to do it, and it will be helping the environment.”

“I had so much fun on Earth Hour,” said senior Madianna Solis. “A bunch of my friends and I got together and played with a ton of glow sticks. We have a lot of cool pictures.”

If you missed the opportunity to participate in this year’s Earth Hour, mark your calendars, for May 1^st. The annual Trash to Trees event takes place at Lasting Legacy Park from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Go to the park to pick up trash bags, and the more bags you fill, the more free trees that they will give you.

“I will likely have my Ecology students participate for extra credit,” said Biology and Ecology teacher Mark Winland. “It’s a great way to not only clean up the community, but to plant more trees, and every little bit helps.”

Winland is an active member of the National Wildlife Federation, and is also on the board of directors for the Wyoming Wildlife Federation.

There are so many things that everyone can do, big or small, to help out. The issues are all around us. We just need to address them, instead of shoving them to the back of our mind. One person can’t single-handedly tackle this, but they can light the spark that becomes the inferno.