While Gustavus may have compostable dishware and free-trade bananas, being a good environmentalist in college can be really hard. Everyday I make choices that seem green, but then I start to question myself.
For example, whenever I wash my hands, I use a hand dryer instead of wasting paper towels. This is obviously the more environmentally friendly choice – I mean, I’m saving the trees, right?
But… what if the hand dryer is powered by fossil fuels? Are my dry hands the precursor to doomsday?
With that depressing thought, I head to the caf and grab some food to go. I use a GustieWare container, being the good steward of the environment that I am. As I finish eating that last bite of produce from Big Hill Farm, I toss the container into the GustieWare bin in my Residence Hall.
I’m feeling good about my actions… until I remember how much water it will take to wash all of these containers (not to mention the gas that’s wasted when cafeteria workers drive around campus to pick them up).
I’ve realized that there is no perfect answer or action to environmental stewardship. However, so long as we keep the environment in mind as we go about our days, the world will be a little bit better of a place. #HerEarth