Although my family has always been supportive of my career choice, they have never really understood my interest and motivation in working to “protect the environment.” But, after more than 14 years of studying and working in the field, I think they’re starting to come around and I’m just so proud!
I’ve long been deemed the “tree-hugger” in my family and quite frankly, very proud of that. I wear it like a badge of honor. Wearing this badge means that I often have to remind my mom to “turn off the faucet” when she cleans up the kitchen counters, tell my dad to “turn off the light” when he leaves a room, or urge my brother to “recycle that bottle” when he’s about to throw one in the trash can. I try not to nag, but I do look for these instances where an opportunity presents itself and I jump right on in with my two cents. The best part of wearing this badge is that it has actually rubbed off in some way.
The best example of this is the decision my parents made in 2003 to buy a Honda Civic Hybrid. Now, we can’t forget one of the major factors in this decision – the allowance to use the HOV lanes! Nor can we forget the bottom line benefit of money saved at the pump (the car averages about 40 mpg). But, we should focus on the fact that by owning this car, my parents are continuing to prevent an enormous amount of harmful emissions that would have otherwise gone into our air. The decision, as my parents like to say, was a “no brainer.”
Another example is the fact that my mom now not only looks for CFLs instead of traditional incandescent bulbs, which is a huge leap in itself, she even knows to look for the ENERGY STAR label on the package. For those not familiar, ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. You can now find the ENERGY STAR label on over 50 product categories as well as buildings (commercial, institutional, and industrial) and homes. Now, my mom may not know the details of ENERGY STAR, but she recognizes that the cyan blue label means something important. She understands that it means it will save her money and allow her to one way to “do her part.”
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