I walk my dog most mornings, so I have a tendency to observe a lot especially as it relates to our environment.I usually end up feeling pretty ambivalent throughout the course of the walk as I see some things that are clear signs of progress while others are not. For example, I notice more and more of the front yard lamplights and porch lights have compact fluorescent light bulbs which are much more efficient.This is a great step, but then I count the number of lamplights and porch lights that are unnecessarily lit as I am walking during the day, and I become a little deflated.I wonder to myself whether the people who live in these homes just forget to turn off their lights or if it is the result of a general apathy towards energy conservation and, ultimately, protecting our environment.I know everyone is different, but I often wonder what or how much it takes before someone is willing to make lifestyle changes to help our environment.
On trash days I notice a lot of materials in trash cans that could easily be saved and then recycled as opposed to going to landfills.I wish the city would provide smaller trash cans, so that people would think twice before throwing something away because the additional cans would come at a price.On a positive note, I frequently pass a trailer for a somewhat new company in town that sells solar and wind energy products for various applications. I do not know much about the company, but it is very encouraging to see the beginnings of this kind of “green” economic growth in the Midwest and especially in Indiana.
