Environmentalists Only in Word

Author: Ian Ausprey '04

An April 2002 poll by the League of Conservation Voters found that 47 percent of Americans consider the environment to be a "very important" consideration when at the voting booth.

This statistic should excite any American intent on opposing President Bush's controversial environmental record in 2004 if it were not for the fickle quality by which Americans reflect the environment in their votes.

The majority of Americans call themselves environmentalists, but when elections come around, environmental issues take a back seat to more pressing needs regarding the economy, jobs and national security.

The disconnection between verbal determination and the ballot is one of the most basic forms of environmental apathy present in a democratic nation. But other manifestations of apathy exist within daily life, even on the relatively green Middlebury College campus.

For instance, many students drive their vehicles between classes, excused by the challenges of a large campus and extreme climate. Paper is consumed in libraries at impressive quantities. Students feel comfortable taking dishware from the dining halls and not returning it, an act that has already cost Dining Services $6,600 this academic year and encourages use of disposables. Even amongst the nation's foremost undergraduate Environmental Studies Program a divide exists between personal philosophy and daily action.

Consider the case of the Yellow Bikes. The Yellow Bike program addresses campus transportation by providing a fleet of marked bicycles available for student use with membership. The success of the initiative has been particularly apparent this fall, with a diverse array of people making use of a highly visible fleet.

Yellow Bikes provide students who cannot afford bicycles an efficient mode of transport, discourage car use and symbolically accentuate Middlebury's environmental Peak of Excellence.

Yet it would be unfair to ignore the inherent abuse that accompanies the bicycles' use. Bikes are left thrown on the ground, chains fall off without the rider stopping to reassemble them, tires jam from use on inappropriate terrain. It is rational to recognize that appropriate use of this resource would improve program efficiency and lessen its financial burden, yet a disconnection perseveres between the treatment of a common resource versus one's personal property.

It is important for Middlebury students to realize that they can make an environmental impact through small daily actions such as returning Proctor cups or printing only essential academic material. A simple first step could include a visit to the annual Environmental Fair during Thursday's Thanksgiving dinner at Ross where a variety of on-campus and local organizations will be available to inform and involve interested students.

Environmentalism succeeds via the accumulation of small successes, actions Middlebury students are more than capable of addressing, even if it means spending an extra 30 seconds to find a bike rack.