By NICK SIRIANNO
Environmental ethics. What is environmental ethics and how can it personally benefit you? Environmental ethics is simply how you behave in and perceive the environment. In other words, it is conduct within the environment fueled by a set of personal moral values. Considering we all have different ethics on everything, environmental ethics range from moderate to radical, sometimes even excessive. In today’s growing awareness for “going green” we have all developed some kind of environmental ethics. There are the “posh organics,” the “crunchy,” the “intellectual environmental studies major,” the “self informed,” the “New York Times taboo talker,” the “I’m going to go to Washington to hold up a sign idiot environmental activist,” the “going greeners,” and, my favorite, “the locals.” Of course, I just simply listed a few stereotypes, but we can all agree that these types of people exist. There are also some environmental ethics rooted in pure passion for the environment, the preservationists and conservationists who, for the most part, are informed enough to not waste their time trying to fit into a particular environmental stereotype because it is the “green” thing to do. Economics has played a role in greening the world by putting “organic” labels on food simply to increase sales while still packaging in plastic, and trucking tons of “organic” products all around the world. Unfortunately this organic movement has fooled the public by making them believe “eating organic” is the remedy for all environmental problems. I am informing you that the organic movement is false to question your own environmental ethics.
I’d like to lay out two close to home scenarios that contradict every environmentalist possible. Number one, driving to the bar. This might be a little biased because I live in the OC. I only have a three minute walk to the bar, and I feel sorry for all you Kappa girls that have to walk all the way over from Main Street, but there are two major benefits to walking versus driving. Number one, you become a more responsible environmentalist, and two, you have a much greater possibility of being walked home. Driving to the Hoot isn’t worth it, it wastes gas, puts you in a dangerous situation, and honestly makes you look lazy. Guys who drive to the bar should stop because it allows you to hold hands with a friend with a walk back, girls who drive to the bar should stop because you can find five less minutes in the gym by walking. It all works out in the end.
The second scenario is recycling cans. On Sunday morning, I was walking on campus, picking up the occasional can here and there until my bag filled up. Each week I take a trash can to the Besettes redemption center and make ten dollars. It isn’t a lot, but it cuts the price of a thirty in half. Recycling is responsible environmental activism, and makes you money!
So, start by determining what is your environmental ethics and then begin following the set of morals that subscribe to those values. Oh, by the way, if you drive to the Tic-Toc you might as well just give up on life because you’re a lost cause anyways.
