Krista Brown
English 150
November 30th, 2008
Going Green
Some people think that going green is just recycling and using the reusable bags when going
shopping, but it’s much more than that; recycling, stopping pollution, getting environmental friendly
appliances throughout the house, and helping going green organizations. This may sound expensive with
the environmentally friendly appliances, but in the long run it saves energy so a person will pay less on
the electricity bill each month, and be one step closer in saving the environment.
A long time ago, going green was not the ‘cool thing to do’ and some people were even called
names like ‘tree huggers’ or ‘whale savers’ (Evelyne Michaut and Rob Watson, 2008). This is what
authors Evelyn Michaut and Rob Watson had to say about going green, “’Greening’ is the process of
changing your activities to conserve resources, reduce the stream of waste and pollutants, and lessen
your overall impact on the environment,” (2008). One factor of going green, as the authors stated, is
reducing pollution. Pollution can be caused by many things; electricity production, cars, factories and
even putting things into rivers and lakes. Factories are the biggest reason for air pollution on the earth.
They are generated by power plants which then lead to the smoke escaping into our air, and causing a
large pollution problem. Everyday appliances like lawn mowers and barbeques cause air pollution.
Another kind of pollution is water pollution also. Finding fresh water is starting to get more
difficult as the years go on. Large factories have been caught dumping hazardous substances into bodies
of water, so they don’t have to deal with it. This is making it harder for us to get fresh water, and it’s
killing everything in the water, like animals and plant life. “Each year, 1 million sea birds, 100,000 marine
animals, and 50,000 fur seals are killed as the result of eating or being strangled in plastic,” (Geocities,
2008). Even though the factories seem like the main cause of water pollution, they are only responsible
for 10 percent (Geocities, 2008). The main cause of water pollution is from farms, “Farming uses about
two-thirds of all water in the United States. Every year, millions of pounds of pesticides and fertilizers
run off the farmland and contaminate the water supply,” (Geocities, 2008). Even though some people
do not think they are polluting the earth, every household takes part in polluting and wasting water. The
average household uses around 80 gallons of water per day: flushing a toilet takes around 7 gallons of
water, a bath takes around 30 gallons, a ten minute shower can take up to 70 gallons, a load of laundry
takes up to 40 gallons, and a load of dishes in a dishwasher take up to 12 gallons of water (Geocities,
2008). So next time you use water in your home, think about how you can reduce how much water you
use. Taking shorter showers or getting appliances that save energy and use less water are some ways to
save on water and energy.
There are lots of appliances available that one can get to save on water and energy. A company
called ‘EnergyStar’ specializes in making these appliances. One common item that people are starting to
switch to is fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs send off less heat and more light, so it can save a person
money on their electricity bill also. These bulbs are more expensive than the normal watt bulbs, but
people always have lights on in their homes so why not be environmentally friendly and save money
too. EnergyStar also makes Dual Flush Toilets, which lets a person control the amount of water one uses
when flushing and is even made from ‘easy to clean’ material so it reduces bacteria buildup (Live green
Live Smart, 2008). There are lots of other appliances and household items that can be purchased that
look nice, but are made from recycled material or just save energy and water. Countertops, washers,
dryers, dishwashers, radiant in-floor heating, solar hot water systems and even windows are some of
these energy saving household items. Other ways to be environmentally friendly in a home are to print
on both sides of the paper, and turn off appliances and lights when you are not using them.
There are some people who think that making a house environmentally friendly and saving on
energy and water is just the beginning of going green. There are many organizations one can join or
support that help the environment. Some examples of these organizations are the Alliance to Save
Energy, The Children’s Rainforest, Defenders of Wildlife, National Wildlife Federation, Trees for Life, and
Whale Center (Geocities, 2008).
Going green is a good example of ethical leadership because it’s morally right to want to help
the planet and keep it clean for people to live in. The author of ‘The Unwritten Laws of Business’, W.J.
King, states ten ‘dos and don’ts’ on having ethical behavior, and on point states, “Make it a rule to help
the other person whenever an opportunity arises,” (W.J. King, 2007). If everyone follows that rule and
helps the environment whenever an opportunity arises in saving energy and water, our planet will be a
nice and healthy place to live. There are many ways and opportunities to help the planet; from putting
appliances in our homes that save energy to simply recycling and reducing pollution. “If every American
recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25 million trees a year,” (Geocities,
2008).
There are many ways to help our environment, such as recycling, stopping pollution, getting
environmental friendly appliances throughout the house, and helping going green organizations. If
everyone were to use ethical behavior and pitch in in helping the planet, the planet would be a healthy
place to live. “The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50 million
homes for 20 years,” (Geocities, 2008).