Apr 22nd, 2008
Protecting the Earth, Step by Step
Garbage day is Monday at the Politis household, which means that every Sunday night before retiring for the evening, Poppa P gets to take the trash cans out to the curb.
And for 10 years, that has also meant taking the green recycling can out to the curb as well, filled (as often as not) with newspapers, cardboard and other paper products, as well as with empty soda bottles and aluminum cans too.
In spite of the fact that I assiduously collected newspapers, aluminum cans and glass of all types and colors as a 13-year-old to help pay for a month-long summer trip to visit cousins in Ogden, Utah, the truth is that for most of my life I’ve been a reluctant recycler. But not anymore.
Intellectually, I realize that throughout modern history unscrupulous profiteers have illegally dumped toxic liquids, chemicals and materials into our water, air and land, and wantonly harvested plants, animals and compounds from the earth with little thought about long-term consequences and/or sustainability. In this regard, I am glad that there are now tougher laws in place to halt, minimize and prevent such actions in the future and to seriously penalize those who thwart such regulations.
That said, I have often felt overwhelmed at the enormity of the task, particularly as one individual out of a worldwide population of more than 6 billion.
“What can I do?” I have wondered when contemplating the environment. “And will my solitary actions make any difference?”
Today being Earth Day 2008, I realize that I do not have such questions any more.
Instead, I find that I have resolved to do what I can do personally to ensure that we have the best possible planet for my children’s children and beyond, as well as for me and my family today.
This does not mean that I have become a card-carrying Earth First acolyte or a PETA member. However, over time I have become more conscious of the potential impact of my decisions on the environment, and as a result, I find myself doing more and more on an ongoing basis from an ecologically sound approach (which means the companies I have a stake in are taking a similar tack as well).
For example, in the past six months or so, we’ve initiated 
three steps within the POLITIS LLC family of agencies (SOAR Communications, Politis Communications and MAD JOLT MEDIA) to lessen our impact on the environment, specifically we
- Purchased and began using recycling bins within the office,
- Began deploying CFLs (compact florescent lights) throughout the office, and
- Decided to stop buying small bottled water by the case, opting instead to move to a water cooler system that uses refillable five gallon water bottles.
Additionally, we’ve begun replacing old bulbs at home with CFL bulbs as well.
Interestingly, taking these more environmentally sound steps is actually costing us less money each month on the lighting and water fronts, but that is just a side benefit. And truthfully, saving money is not why we moved in this direction at all.
No, the reasons are much simpler: selfishness and guilt.
I happen to like
- Drinking clean and pure water straight from the tap,
- Breathing untainted air,
- Being able to turn on a light or appliance 24/7,
- Swimming in an unpolluted ocean,
- Tempting trout in a high-mountain creek,
- Enjoying a fantastic sunset in the remaining pristine areas of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, and
- Reconnecting with self and nature in the High Unitas of Utah.
And when I contemplate that such pleasures might not be available for long, either for me or my children (or for grandchildren yet unborn), I shudder at the thought of answering the question, “Grandpa, what did you do to protect the earth?”
Hence for me, the question is no longer abstract: protecting the environment is now personal, both for today and for tomorrow.
So although it may only be baby steps for now, they are steps forward nonetheless. And that’s a good thing.
I also suspect that if more of us begin to take baby steps as well, the prognosis for the future becomes brighter every day.
Happy Earth Day to all!
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{NOTE: My special thanks go out to Chip, our employees and my kids for setting a good example for me in this area and for encouraging us to move forward in environmentally conscious ways.}
