Citizen support, fairs set a green example

It's starting to look like "Key West Clean and Green" might be more than just a catchy slogan. Kudos to Duncan Mathewson for his recent letter to The Citizen praising Chris Belland's letter in support of alternatives for Styrofoam, which is made from dirty fossil fuels, pollutes our oceans, kills fish and never biodegrades. If Columbus had come to the Americas carrying Styrofoam take-out trays, we would still be seeing particles of them floating in the oceans, swirling around the Northern Pacific Gyre and being consumed by marine life.

Mr. Mathewson is absolutely correct that "going green is not rocket science." It is common sense. Eliminating "convenience" items that are polluting and designed to have no useful life after a five-minute cafe con leche will make us healthier, reduce our waste collection bills and reverse the downward spiral of our deteriorating oceans' viability. This should resonate with us in the Keys more than just about any other place.

Nov. 15 is America Recycles Day. In honor of this event, Green Living & Energy Education (GLEE) is sponsoring three recycling fairs in Key West, Marathon and Islamorada on Nov. 17. The free fairs will be educational and fun-filled events intended to promote the benefits and necessity of waste reduction and recycling. Key West once had a recycling rate of 30 percent, and in the past 10 to 15 years that number has plummeted to around 6 percent. We can and must do better.

The Key West event will be cohosted by the city and Waste Management.

The attention received by such prominent citizens as Chris Belland and Duncan Mathewson for speaking out on this issue demonstrates that when community "influentials" get behind something, a movement can really take off, and what was once considered fringe becomes mainstream in a short amount of time. Look at Portland, Boulder, and other cities where recycling and preserving the environment are second nature, and people take pride in their extra efforts to sort and clean their recyclables properly.

Mr. Mathewson is also correct that setting the right example for our youngest generation is the key to establishing new habits and social norms, and creating a culture shift that will translate into protection of the environment for their future, and their children's futures. Teach them well, and they will likely teach their parents a thing or two as an added benefit.

With this in mind, our fairs will take place at schools (Key West High School, Marathon High School and Montessori Charter School in Islamorada), with involvement from kids at the high school, middle and elementary school levels. Educational films, plays, recycled art projects, recycle bin painting, green giveaways and many other activities will keep kids entertained as they learn and grow into the environmental stewards we need them to be. For more information or to help out with the fairs, call Lucy at 305-296-6348.

Jody Smith Williams, vice president, GLEE Key West