Book review raises awareness of going green

By Aurora O’Geen
The New York Times recently focused their book review on author Colin Beavan’s new book entitled “No Impact Man”. A quick description of the book reads, “The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process.” Beaven and his family attempted to live “no impact” for most of 2007. The article presented the idea to research what is being taught about “going green” and conservation in Plattsburgh.
James Munger, 6th grade teacher at Stafford Middle School in Plattsburgh, points out that although going green and information on global warming are not “formally taught”, teachers do try to incorporate the topics as often as possible. Stafford Middle School includes grades 6th through 8th and offers students the opportunity to be a part of their after school recycling club. Efforts of the club are directed toward recycling paper within the school.
Amy Sholtis, biology teacher at Plattsburgh High School is an avid believer in going green. This year, her efforts are focused towards recycling within the school. Believing that it takes a greater awareness to spread the word, Sholtis started the school year by showing a small presentation to the faculty on recycling; motivating them to show the presentation to their own students. Sholtis says, “The support from the school to ‘go green’ has been amazing” - support coming from not only the students, but faculty as well. She notes that although she has seen progress in the school within the past few years there is still much work to be done. Students and faculty are slowly switching to reusable containers, recycling bins have now been placed on the school sports fields, and reusable shopping bags are becoming popular- small steps that add up to big changes.
Students attending Plattsburgh high school are expected to follow three so called “guidelines”- be respectful, be responsible, and be safe. Sholtis would like to add one to the mix and it is of course, to be green. Noting that small efforts lead to big changes, Sholtis believes the more support the school gets to “go green” the greater the changes will be. So far, efforts include grant money for solar roof panels, a garden, and even a living roof.
It seems students at Plattsburgh State are also influenced to “go green”. The campus offers numerous clubs and organizations for students looking to get involved and learn more about our impact on the environment. Over the years the campus has made notable progress in attempts to move towards reusable containers, providing recycling containers across campus, and offering students a great deal of information regarding conservation. Transfer student Emily Gardiner came to Plattsburgh from SUNY Potsdam during her sophomore year. Being new to the campus, Gardiner says the recycling efforts on campus were “easily recognized” – nothing the recycling bins available within dorms, dining halls, and class buildings.
Efforts on campus also include information through classes. Megan Barnes enrolled in SUNY during the spring 2009 semester. An accounting major, it seemed unlikely that any environmental influences would be incorporated into her class schedule. To fulfill a general education requirement, Barnes opted to take an environmental studies class offered on campus. She says the class “opened her eyes” to the idea of recycling and how important conservation is to preserving our future.
Of course schools aren’t the only place where children are influenced- family life plays a big part as well. Heidi Lebrun is parent to three young girls who attend Bailey Avenue and Oak Street elementary schools in Plattsburgh NY. When asked of her family’s interest in going green Heidi explains her children have surprisingly learned a great deal about recycling and conservation through cartoons as well as in school. Turning the lights off, conserving water, recycling- installing such ideas into a child’s mind at a young age will no doubt influence their behavior in the future. The more information we provide, the easier a “greener” life becomes.
Going green doesn’t necessarily always mean attempting to live “impact free” for an entire year like Beavan, but small acts add up. It seems clear Plattsburgh’s community efforts, whether they are through schools, or at home, seem to be influencing our youth. Misconceptions of going green may be common, but you don’t have to be an environmentalist to make a difference in our world- awareness is essential for change and community efforts are clearly adding up.