GOING GREEN
ONE STEP AT A TIME TO REDUCING YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
For our honeymoon, we took a visit to San Francisco. It was the first time I had ever been to the city, and I instantly fell in love. People were friendly, and they looked you in the eye. Everyone’s diversity was welcomed. But, most of all, downtown San Francisco truly cared about what was going on around them. In our hotel room, a sign informed us that, because the hotel strove to conserve water, a towel on the floor meant “wash me,” while one on the rack meant, “I’ll use it again, thanks.” I saw very few parking spots, and people were just happy to either walk everywhere or take the electric transit system.
Back in Reno, it was a bit different. Eco-friendly people seem to live in little pockets of culture, concentrated on specific streets in the metropolitan area. Stores offer either organic food or eco-friendly practices, but few people are really aware of which stores are which. The local disposal companies offer recycling services, but it’s rare that we see a recycling bin in apartment complexes, or milk crates for cans in office break rooms. Just like the vegetarian/vegan counterculture, eco-friendly consumers and businesses seem to be an underground organization. How much of this is apathy, and how much is ignorance?
Is being eco-conscious a demographic issue? Poorer communities may claim they just have too many other things to worry about, but it is in those communities that you also see people recycling cans for the extra money, or planting gardens to avoid food costs. Lack of money can lead to energy conservation, and less waste. In the upper communities, being eco-conscious is chic. The new shopping centers feature stores that claim “fair trade” or “environmental sustainability.” But what about those of us who are stuck in the middle? Do we really do our part, if it’s not borne of necessity or social pressure?
This section of Blackrock Wellness is an ever-growing, ever-expanding feature, dedicated to giving consumers in the Reno/Sparks area, or globally, the tools to help the environment out, even if just a little bit. All suggestions and submissions are welcome, and if it fits the parameters of this site, we will include it.
What impact do you, personally, have on the environment?
Calculate your carbon footprint.
What products are recyclable?
What can you do?
Where, in Reno, can you find an eco-friendly business?
What resources can you find on the web?
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