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AudreyDarnell
Dr.Knepler
PortlandFRINQ
4/14/15
WhereWeGoandWhatWeLeaveBehind
IfinditironicthatIliveinoneofthegreenestcitiesinthecountry,andyetIcouldnever
reallysaythatIamahugefriendtotheenvironment.Itmaybesadtosay,butIhavealways
beenthatpersoninthepublicrestroomthatusesthreesheetsofpapertowels,Iveoftenbeentoo
lazytosortoutmytrash,andmyparentsusedtohavetoremindmeatleastonceaweektocut
downonshowertimeandsavesomewaterfortheArizonadesert.IdontthinkIeverbecame
ecoconsciousuntilIstartedlivingonmyownandbecameawareoftheamountofwaterand
trashIwasusingandwasting.Forme,goingtocollegewasenoughtourgemetoaltermy
lifestyle.Iwouldliketothinkwecouldsolve,oratleastcomeclosertosolvingouruniversal
wasteissuesifeveryoneintheworldalteredtheirlifestylejustalittlelikeIdid.Ibelievethis
wouldhelpcreateacollectiveconcernforourenvironmentandaconsciousgroupefforttopay
moreattentiontoit.
WhileIamsurethatmorepeoplethanwethinkaretakingindividualeffortstoaltertheir
lifestylesinwaysthatbenefittheenvironment,urgingoursociety,letaloneourentireworldto
takeacollectiveinterestinconservingresourcesandreducingfoodandtrashwasteislesseasier
toachieve,andsome,likeNickolasThemelisofHumes
Garbology
argueisnotevenpossible.I
personallyagreewithThemelis,butIbelievethatwecancreatethiscollectiveactionwithinour

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owncitiesbyprovidingincentivesforpeopletopaymoreattentiontotheirproductionoftrash
anduseofnaturalresources.Forme,livinginadormwasenoughtourgemetoaltermy
lifestyleandheightenmyawarenessoftheenvironment.However,thisawarenesshadlesstodo
withachangeofheartonmypartandmoretodowithpracticalityInoticedthatusingonepaper
towelinsteadofthreeallowedmetosavemoney.Ifeltguiltyhoggingtheshowerwithanother
roommatewhomightneedit,andsortingandmonitoringmytrash,allofwhichIusedtolazily
throwinourtinywastebasket,savedmetripstothelaundryroom.Inotherwords,Iwasgettinga
benefitoutofdoingthingsthatwerealsobeneficialtotheenvironment.Thisideaofaltering
oneslifestyleforbothenvironmentalandpersonalbenefitsmaysoundselfish,butitseemsas
thoughithasproventobeeffectiveinvariouscitiesthroughouttheworld.
Copenhagen,Denmarkisoneofthesecities,listedalongwithPortlandasoneofthe
greenestcitiesontheplanet(Humes252).NotonlydoestheCopenhagencommunitybelievein
thephilosophythatdealingwithandsolvingtheproblemoftrashmustbealocalconcern,even
aneighborhoodconcern(Humes253),buttheyalsoabidebythismindsetbycreatingand
utilizinginnovativeandcreativemethodsfortheirwastedisposal,includingbutnotlimitedto
keepingtheirtrashlocal,buildingaestheticallypleasingwastetoenergyplants,andconverting
wasteintoheatforpeopleshomesandbusinesses.AlthoughEuropeancountriesprobablyhave
differentattitudesaboutwasteproductionanddisposal,Ibelievethatsomeofthesemethods
wouldalsobeverysuccessfulintheUnitedStates.Forexample,inCopenhagen,anew
wastetoenergyplantisbeingcreatedthatwillalsoserveasacommunityskipark(Humes258).
IthinkthatAmericancitizensandenvironmentalistsmaybemoreopentothismethodof

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convertingwastetoenergythanothermethodsproposedinthepastsinceitisbothasourceof
sustainabilityandentertainment.
Althoughemployingmethodstoreducewastethatalsooffercommunitybenefitsmay
urgeindividualstobemoreenvironmentallyconsciousintheshortterm,Istillthinkthatashift
inattitudeabouttheenvironmentandtheimportanceofpreservingitisnecessaryinorderforthe
issueoftrashandfoodwastetobesolvedinthelongrun.AlthoughIoriginallywrotethatmy
attitudeabouttheenvironmenthadnotchanged,andthatmylifestylechangeswerepromptedby
practicalitymorethananything,IdobelievethatthevariousreadingsIhaverecentlydoneon
foodandtrashwasteandneighborhoodaccessibilityhaveinformedmeabouttheseissuesina
waythathasmademechangemyattitudeaboutbeingconsciousofwhatIamconsumingand
wasting.Sincenoneofmyhighschoolclasseseverputafocusonenvironmentalconsciousness,
Iwasneverawareofthefactthatacrosstheglobe,athirdofallfoodabout1.3billiontonsper
yeargoestowaste(Bloom,InUnitedStates,theresalotoffoodbeingwasted).Thesekinds
ofnumbersstickouttome,andhaveencouragedmetomakesmallbutimportantalterationsin
mylife,suchasmakingsureIdontpurchasemoregroceriesthanIcanusebeforetheir
expirationdates.
Inthissense,mypreviouscasualattitudeaboutwasteandtheenvironmentwaslargely
circumstantial,whichIbelievetobetrueofmanypeopleinoursocietyandworld.Unlikesome
childrenlivinginbigcities,Iwasnotbroughtupinanareawheremostofitsinhabitantscareda
greatdealabouttheirenvironmentorbeingabletowalkeverywherebecausespatialandclimatic
restrictionsalwayspreventedthemfromdoingso.Inmyhometown,carswerereliedonasthe

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onlysafesourceoftransportationandtheirperceivedconveniencewasvaluedfarmorethan
beinggreen.Aftergrowingupwithasimilarmindset,itwaseyeopeningtoreadaboutthe
20minuteneighborhoodgoalPortlandhasadoptedintotheirurbanagenda.Inthearticle,The
Riseofthe20MinuteNeighborhood,studiesconductedcomparingthecostofowningacarin
theU.S.andowningabicyclearereferenced,showingthatisactuallyfarmoreexpensiveto
maintainandoperateacarthanabicycleperyear.Whiletheofficialsofmajorcitiessuchas
Portlandhaveprobablyputmuchresearchandthoughtintotheenvironmentalbenefitsofusing
differentmodesoftransportation,cityofficialsinplaceslikeTucson,Arizona,whereIamfrom,
probablydonotbecauseoftheircircumstances.
WhileIdliketobelievethateveryonealteringtheirlifestylesjustalittlebitwouldgetus
closertoresolvingourcurrentenvironmentalissues,Ialsobelievethatwemustalterour
attitudesabouttheseissuesandtakeintoconsiderationhowimportantourenvironmentreallyis
tousandhowmuchofitwewanttopreserve.Forsome,suchasmyself,readinguponthe
subjectandstayinginformedaboutpossiblesolutionsandcurrentproblemswiththingssuchas
wastedisposalmaybenecessaryinordertopromptthisshift.Forothers,justthepromiseof
addedcommunitybenefitsmayurgethemtosupportcertainmeasurestoreducewasteorconvert
itintoenergy,anideawhichstillremainscontroversialinAmerica(Humes251).Butaboveall,
acollectiveconcernforourenvironmentandacollectiveawarenessofitsfragilityisneeded
beforewecanaccomplishanythingelse.