As the environmental crisis of the natural world continues to grow, the fifteen committed members of the environmental club come together to confront the issues at hand. They meet every other Tuesday in room C101 for the main purpose of educating themselves on the dangers to the environment and to educate others on these dangers. Through projects like their annual battery drive and shoe collections, they work to make Neuqua and the world more environmentally-friendly.
For its members, the environmental club is not just another way to boost their college applications. They are passionate about their cause and this passion motivates them to want to inspire others. For sophomore and vice president of the club, Aubrey Ramsdell, recycling and motivating others to do the same is a cause she is passionate about and one of the many reasons she joined the environmental club. She works to teach others that even the little decisions they make have big impacts on the environment. “Be more aware of recycling bins,” she said. “They don’t count if even one person puts food in them.”
The misused recycling bins and the insufficient amount of recycling bins in the cafeteria is not the only place Neuqua is in need of environmental reform. Although, 97% of Neuqua’s lighting is energy efficient, according to Assistant Principal Lance Fuhrer, each night, Neuqua fails to unplug all appliances including the school’s hundreds of computers. In a time where even the slightest bit of effort goes a long way, the energy and money saved by unplugging the computers for one year alone is enough to heat a small house. Also, as the United States has recently taken second place as the largest air polluter, exceeded only by China, and considering the large percentage of Neuqua Students who own a car, it may be time for Neuqua students to drive the bus instead, saving both their wallets and the planet.
Outside of Neuqua, students should also play their part by making even small changes in their lifestyles. Just by turning down the heat a few degrees, Americans could save 500,000 barrels of oil a day. In more extreme areas of reform, according to a study done by the United Nations, the production of meat produces more greenhouse gases than cars a year. If Neuqua students were to cut out meat from their diet just twice a weak, the impact would be significant. Yet, perhaps the easiest amount of reform is exchanging the plastic water bottles for an eco-friendly, reusable water bottle. Every plastic water bottle used and then thrown out eventually makes its way to what has become known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. As the size of Texas and comprised of 3.5 million tons of plastic trash, the real crime is the lack of attention it receives.
With all of the information the environmental club works to make public knowledge, the number of people willing to help a quickly deteriorating planet, is shocking. Junior and the club secretary Stephanie Cheng believes that people, both inside and outside the Neuqua Community, are slow to join the cause because they believe what they do will not make a difference. “But it really adds up. They think that the environment is not really a big issue and they don’t want to go out of their way,” said Cheng. As the planet calls for help, most people do not realize how far their effort will go.
By Molly Leger, staff writer
