Students trash environmental responsibility

I often wonder how many Rice students are aware that the blue bins in their rooms serve a purpose other than being an extra trashcan. And by aware, I mean the bare minimum of recognizing that they are recycling bins — even if they are not using them as such.

Probably not very many. That highlights one of the biggest problems at Rice — environmentalism is not taken seriously. If we analyze this from a broader perspective, it is obvious that Rice’s lack of environmental awareness is a microcosm of the overall sentiment in the United States. Sure, most people know the shameful reputation and the statistics — such as the fact that Americans constitute 5 percent of the world’s population but use 25 percent of its resources — but even these numbers do not seem to make much of an impact on the general population. People use basic resources like clean water, paper and plastic as if there are no consequences.

At Rice, I have noticed to my great dissatisfaction that Styrofoam bowls and disposable plastic cups seem to be more popular than their reusable counterparts, even when these are in plain view and easy to access.

Coming from Taiwan, I find myself in a state of constant, horrified awe at the rapid use of resources and the complete lack of environmental awareness prevalent among U.S. residents. Even a regular trip to Target leaves me feeling dejected. Shoppers mindlessly consume the red and white plastic bags, even if for a pack of gum, only to carelessly discard them immediately afterwards. Although Taiwan is considered a less-developed country, the residents do acknowledge that the environment’s sustainability is limited. The recycling system is surprisingly advanced: Only government-issued trash bags are collected, and trash must be neatly sorted before collection. Because of the pricey trash bags and heavy fines for littering, people are discouraged from producing too much waste. Plastic bags, like the ones at Target, cost around 3 cents, discouraging unnecessary waste. Recycling has become almost second nature for everyone there.

The rest of the world also exhibits a greater degree of environmental awareness than does the United States. In Europe, most restaurants leave their lights off during the day, and air conditioning is always used sparingly. American restaurants, on the other hand, have the A.C. on at a ridiculous full blast so that even on the hottest summer days I still need to carry a jacket. These comparisons are saddening and reflect American insensitivity to the severe environmental consequences that the entire world will have to shoulder in the future.

Recently, many companies and governments have finally come to realize that there is a limit to the planet’s resources. Extreme weather and rising temperatures have alerted people to the imminent dangers of global warming. It is refreshing to see politicians and leaders take a stronger stance on environmental issues. But ultimately the habits of the general population are what will have the biggest impact. It is easy to fall back on the dream that some clever scientist will eventually come up with a revolutionary invention to save us and allow everyone to continue living the way we do now, but we must recognize that fantasy for what it really is — a lame excuse. The ozone alerts we experience almost daily have become blatant reminders of our past environmental misdeeds. It is important that everyone acknowledge this problem rather than continue denying the environment’s deterioration.

As citizens of the world, we all bear the duty of preserving our planet and renouncing the luxuries of unlimited environmental consumerism. It is not difficult to shorten showers in the morning, turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth, throw recyclable materials in their respective bins, or flip off the light switch on your way out the door. And the next time you eat in a servery, please choose the reusable cups and bowls. These small changes of habit will amount to a big difference. And we might as well start getting used to it — the environmental degeneration will become frighteningly more apparent in the near future. And, inevitably, it will force use to change our current lifestyle.

Joyce Yao is a Will Rice College freshman.

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