Approach Of Earth Day Leads To Record High Good Intentions, Wasted Time

Story by Logan Thompson 

| Published Apr 13, 2010

April 22 is Earth Day, and people across the country are already celebrating the bounty of earth’s gifts by finding ways to feel good about themselves.

“Footprint. Biofuel. Green. Renewable. Sustainable. Conserve. Reuse... Synergy.”

Those are just a few of the words Audrey Knoll wants everybody to remember this year. Knoll is a sophomore philosophy and international studies major at UNL, and she will host several green campus events during Earth Week.

“We really need people to be aware this year,” Knoll said. “Ted Danson predicted we only had 10 years to save the oceans. That was in the late ‘80s, so we hardly have any time left.”

According the Knoll, the theory is simple: The better we feel about ourselves, whether accomplishing anything or not, the better off the earth will be for our children and grandchildren. Because the more time we waste “feeling solid about life,” she explained, the less time we have to "maliciously destroy this 4.5 billion-year-old planet."

“And as we all know,” the self-proclaimed activist said, “the best reason to do anything is because it feels good.”

“There are a lot of ways to help the cause,” said Nebraska’s Environmental Resource Manager, Alfonso Goriano. He outlined several “methods of good intentions” people can employ this year, especially in regard to recycling.

“Recycling is the simplest, most logical way to save the earth,” Goriano said. "Once the items are transported with large trucks, sorted, cleaned, smashed and broken down at a plant with harsh chemicals and high-energy machines, turning them into something new is sensible and inexpensive.”

Specifically, the recycling of paper has the greatest benefit. According to Goriano, this is one area in which good intentions have real effects; it’s not just about wasting time. At the core of this idea is the fact that the vast majority of paper products come from tree farms, which only exist because we use them, Goriano explained.

“If this trend of wasting paper continues, we’ll need a lot more farm trees,” he said. “Soon people will be so busy harvesting and replanting them, they’ll neglect natural forests altogether. We have to recycle so we can reduce the number of unnecessary farm trees and give ourselves time to intend to think hard about saving the rainforest.”

To waste time in ways other than recycling, one of the events Knoll will hold on campus is Third-World Day.

“It’s a really cool idea,” Knoll said. “Since technology is leading to more energy use and growing carbon footprints, we are asking people to stop relying on it so much and live like somebody in a third-world country instead.”

Knoll detailed the event, which will take place April 21—no electricity, automobiles, computers or other electronic devices for one day. This also applies to garbage disposal because, as Knoll points out, that trash will be picked up by gas-guzzling trucks. Instead, trash is to be thrown on the ground next to the toxic, methane-belching feces of your oxen.

“Also, no shoes.”