A More Green Earth

Resourceful Ways to Create a Green Earth The National Parks Around The United States That Makes Our Country Beautiful

— Aspen Jewkes, Opinion Editor

Reuse, reduce and recycle are all things that have been heavily pushed on people for years. Reusing could be as simple as refilling a bottle of water instead of buying a new one every day. These things are simple, but many people do not do the things they need to do in order to help the earth. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, “thirty two percent of Americans recycle today.” Although everybody knows what we should be doing to reduce the greenhouse effect, it has many other benefits that most people do not know about. According to USA Today, “if everyone in America recycled just one plastic bottle, those materials could make more than 54 million t-shirts or about 6.5 million fleece jackets.” “If everyone recycled one aluminum can 295 million new aluminum cans could be made, and it would reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 6,750 passenger cars off the road and save energy equivalent to 80 thousand barrels of oil.” The benefits of recycling not only affect the environment, but it also reduces costs of things needed in communities such as park benches and clothing, which in return saves peoples money. According to USA Today, “If everyone recycled one plastic bag, those materials could be reused in making 28,906 park benches or 144,530 16-foot composite deck boards.” Not only does recycling save money, but if more people were to recycle, it would increase the amount of available jobs affecting the workforce. While many people like spending their money on brand new items, buying recycled items can be just as good as the brand new ones and it would be saving the environment. Simple items to switch out for recycled ones could be; aluminum cans, comic books, shoes, makeup, toothbrushes and backpacks. We only have one planet to live on, and by taking the steps we need to make it more green, we could preserve the life of earth.

Graphic by Leah Emineth

— Leah Emineth, General Reporter

The world has many features that are often overlooked or ignored, even though many people have the ability to enjoy and see these places. “The Grand Canyon was a breathtaking place to visit,” junior Kendal Beckler said. “We got to go on some hikes and saw the raw beauty of the canyon.” The Grand Canyon is just one example of natural beauty in the world. “I would like to visit Washington state because of their massive forests and waterfalls, and I think that it would be fun to go on a hike to a beautiful waterfall.” Washington has many beautiful attractions such as Franklin Falls, which descends 70 feet or Little Mashel Falls located in Washington’s Pack Forest. This debuts a series of three waterfalls within a 5 mile span and the tallest mountain plunging 90 feet. “I think the beauty of earth gets overlooked because sometimes it can be difficult to truly appreciate what is around you,” Beckler said. The national park system includes over 400 national parks with at least one in each state and even extending into territories such as Puerto Rico and The Virgin Islands. These parks make a great opportunity for people of all ages to get outdoors and explore. “The Rocky Mountains have been my favorite place to travel to because the mountains are very beautiful and it puts into perspective just how small we are,” junior Sophia Mcleish said. The Rocky Mountains stretch through states like Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico reaching a total span of 1,900 miles of mountains. “I think the natural beauty of earth gets overlooked because most of us live in cities and never see earth from a different point of view.” Mcleish said. The world is filled with unique places to visit and see, whether it is 20 miles away or 1,000 miles away, the world around us is filled with beauty.