Change

Today, the Science Building received its 75 new recycling bins as part as an initiative by the Baylor campus to be more green. Most of the people at Baylor already know about this effort due to the lack of trays in the dining halls and plastic to-go containers instead of styrofoam ones. While I was helping about 10 other people put together these bins, I started thinking about why we need so damn many (we didn't get close to finishing the three hours we worked on it). In this part of the country at least, people only recycle if it is convenient. I can see how that works, as Texas is one of those laid back communities where a lot of people are care free, but its still kind of weird. People, especially in places like Texas, aren't big fans of change. It takes something being forced onto them for anything to actually begin movement towards the future, like 75 brand new recycling bins that will be placed at every corner and more in this building. Maybe the answer to getting people to accept and eager to help environmental problems is first having them accept that change is ok. This was just a little epiphony I had as I was taking my restroom break from the assembly line. It really does depend on the background people have. I have a friend from East Texas that is basically against all efforts to become "green" on the Baylor campus because it is inconvenient for her. At first this made me a little agrivated, but now after thinking about it, all she is afraid of is something different than she is used to. I know this isn't a new realization, seeing there are tons of stories or historical events involving the idea about fear of change, but maybe it needs to be considered more on the environmental stewardship front. If people never accept change, then how can our society ever advance itself? I need to think of ways to guide people along. This would be an interesting psychology or sociology study.