Living in a big city like this hides the interaction between human beings and the environment. The impacts and effects are almost invisible as you don’t see massive deforestation as you would, say in the Amazon. Nor do you see desertification as is evident in some parts of Africa. Likewise, better waste management (though appalling for a modern city, a major city in the world’s largest economy) means that you don’t see the effects of litter at large as you would in Harare or Nairobi.
However, I see the interaction between people and the environment in a different way. I see it in the choices and decisions that people around me make every day. Because I understand the impacts of every action we make, I see every option made as having a direct impact on the environment in terms of the global community.
Monday, Wednesday and Friday are trash days. On the eve of each one of these days, outside my apartment building stand a mountain of black bags, each one jam packed with waste. So much waste over a 48 hour cycle. It’s is amazing how much we use and throw away. It all comes from somewhere and must go to another place. The recycling program here is very poor and inconvenient that most people do not even want to use it. When I first moved here, I was passionate about recycling. I tried to find out information about it; I tried to inspire my flat mates to recycle. They must have thought I was mad, and indeed, perhaps I was, because there was no recycling pick up where I first lived. So, after a while, I had to painfully watch plastic, biodegradable waste and bottles all go towards the same end.
Of course, the impact of this waste cycle is not felt immediately by any of us as tenets of Boston buildings. If it did, something would be drastically different. People seem too busy to stop and care. So many times I have felt like approaching the landlord to bring up this issue. But I haven’t. If I did, that would be activism. Why haven’t I? Would it not be good to work on a way to build the awareness of people that live in my ‘community’ about the state of the environment, and the impact of their choices and action on it?
You see, it’s so much easier to do environment work over the internet, communicating with people that already are sympathetic to similar issues and are aware of these things. Regardless of where they are from, you can talk about the environment, have an understanding about the issues and work together. It would be simpler too if it was in Zimbabwe because I sometimes feels at greater liberty to tackle these thing there as it’s where I feel I ‘belong.’ Over here, I feel as if I’m out of place as a stranger, telling people that they should adapt their way of life for a more sustainable lifestyle. How dare I? But I need to remember that pollution requires no visas and environmental impacts have no limitations placed on it by customs control. It affects everyone, everywhere.
Perhaps people need to incorporate environmental issues into their already busy days. Perhaps thinking of the environment needs to be more than just an election item, but rather, a part of our daily behavior and ethic. What am I going to do this week to make improvements on my impact on the environment?
1. Continue to avoid buying coffee in disposable cups. Sometimes I get lazy and think that just one more cup won’t hurt the Earth that much. Every disposable cup does-especially if it does not get recycled!
2. Try and find our more information about recycling and if necessary, call the landlord to ask him.
3. Make it a point to talk to the neighbors at #8 about recycling and get their views on it. Where do they stand? If they are on my side, they I am not alone!
These actions won’t save the world, but they are a contribution. The greatest change I can make is in my mind and in my ethic. June will be Dumi’s Environment Month. Let’s see what difference I can make in my behavior and impact over 30 days. Email me at the end of the month and check up on me: dumi@yesweb.org
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