Florida Catholic | Editorial

‘In the beginning, God created … the earth’

Published: 04.18.08

As Earth Day approaches April 22, it is well for us to consider how we treat the gifts God gives us. We must be good stewards of the resources the Lord provides. ”

Most weeks, I take more recycling to the curb than I have in my trashcan. Last year, the trash company accidentally took the extra recycling bins I had been using; I guess they got confused because these were blue, office-type recycling baskets and not the large green bins the company provided. So after begging the city to replace the bins they’d absconded with, they dropped off two more large bins. Some weeks, I stack all three next to the trashcan that might have only one or two bags in it.

I’d like to convince my city to give each resident a covered 90-gallon recycling container (as large as the trash container) in order to encourage more recycling. My hope is that if people had the opportunity to recycle as easily as throw something away, they would do so. I recycle junk mail, sale flyers, used paper from my printer, milk bottles, egg cartons. If it’s recyclable, it goes in the bin, not the trash.

I even belong to an Internet mailing list group called Freecycle that exists explicitly to keep things out of the landfill. For example, say I’ve got something in my garage or home I’m about to get rid of; a simple “offer” post on the list may garner a dozen replies from people who will take it off my hands. And people seeking an item can post a “wanted” notice in the same way. Landfill space is saved when these items find new owners and new usefulness. I picked up an old, wooden ladder that might otherwise have been thrown away. It’s a bit battered but still serviceable. On the other hand, I’d been saving a box of old magazines and I didn’t really want to just recycle them. Sure enough, a “wanted” request came up on Freecycle for magazines and books to send to troops overseas. These publications will be reused, which is better than simply being recycled.

For details on finding a Freecycle group in your area, visit www.freecycle.org.

• • •

For information on the U.S. bishops’ Environmental Justice Program and resources on climate change, justice and health initiatives, visit
www.usccb.org/sdwp/ejp/

Despite all this, I’m sure my “carbon footprint” is bigger than it ought to be. Although my car gets 35 miles per gallon (even though it’s not a hybrid), I live farther from work than is ideal. I sometimes forget to bring my canvas bags to the grocery store.

I don’t compost as much as I could. I have a corner of my yard where I toss some compostable material (yard waste and fruits and vegetables, etc.). Eventually it goes away, but I don’t know if that’s because it biodegrades or the squirrels carry it off. I don’t have a formal compost bin that would generate the proper amount of heat, and I don’t put everything in that I could.

Each of us on the planet, should look at our impact on the earth. This is the creation God made for us. It’s a special place — the only one we’ve found so far to support life. As Earth Day approaches April 22, it is well for us to consider how we treat the gifts God gives us. We must be good stewards of the resources the Lord provides.

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‘In the beginning, God created … the earth’

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