To Start Things Off...

I love this planet. Really, anyone who can't agree with that sentiment evidently hasn't really opened their eyes to everything Mother Nature has to offer. I think that every issue can be tied back to the environment, because it is all-encompassing: Political issues tend to involve resources of some kind, social issues, like war and general human conflict, may involve the fact that we are quickly discovering that space on this planet is finite and we are reaching its carrying capacity with a growing human population.

That is why, when it came to choosing my beat, or the topic about which I would write for every assignment all semester long, it seemed like an obvious choice. My fascination with all things green and sustainable began last year, in my senior Environmental Science class. At the time, I hated the class, and it was only later that I really began to appreciate everything I had retained.

I believe that everyone should have equal responsibility in caring for the planet, and I recently spoke to my former Environmental Science teacher, Tom Long, who worded it best:

"It's easier and more beneficial to teach people how to be environmental than to clean up after them."

I could not agree more. The first step to education is to change peoples' opinions about something, and that is what I am out to do with the stories I write about the environment. If people learn something or become aware of an issue to which they were previously blind, then they'll be more likely to notice similar topics or issues in the future and may eventually find themselves considering the well-being of the planet before acting irresponsibly.