Tree Hugging Gas Guzzler

Sarah’s student action organization just hosted an event on campus to promote alternative energy. It was pretty creative: they rented out solar panels, used them to power blenders, and charged $2 for a “solar smoothie”. I loved the idea and enthusiastically plugged it to all my friends. A bunch of us went to their table during our lunch break to support the cause. I must commend Sarah’s dedication to raising awareness about the environmental issues that will affect our future.

However, sometimes I get a little confused by her lifestyle. Perhaps it is no fault of her own, since she comes from a state where driving huge SUVs are encouraged, but I figured that after preaching to everyone the importance of conserving energy and reducing greenhouse gasses, Sarah would give up her SUV and other wasteful activities.

She hasn’t. In fact, when her family moved here, they brought along their three cars (all huge gas guzzlers that don’t really fit in driveways). Sarah also neglects to turn off the lights when she leaves a room, and many times I have come home to the TV blaring in an empty apartment.

On the other hand, she encouraged our house to start composting, which we quickly agreed to do. Sarah brought home a little compost bucket that we put our food scraps into, and a composter is supposed to come pick it up along with the trash every week. Unfortunately, she forgot to mention that she hadn’t signed our apartment up for this weekly pickup… so our compost bucket has been rotting out on the street for two weeks now. And of course, she refuses to get her perfect hands dirty by emptying it out. I’ll let you know when someone (and I flat out refuse to do it for her this time) gets on it.