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EDITORIAL: Continue the change
We have the opportunity
Editorial | 11/4/08
Posted online at 5:47 AM EST on 11/5/08
President-elect Obama's election to president of the United States has galvanized the hopes of a nation beleaguered by war and economic downturn. His calls for change and ambitious plans for reform are inspirational and may begin an upward trend in our social and economic welfare. But we have to keep in mind that politicians are not the only impetus for change in our country. In fact, it is often the citizens who provide the voice and encouragement of reform.
It is important for us students, as well as the rest of our fellow Americans, to follow through on the promises President-elect Obama has made for our country. The mantra of President-elect Obama's acceptance speech was "Yes, we can!" We need to take this to heart and ask ourselves not what our country can do for us but rather what we can do for our country. We have to support our new administration's call for change with our own action.
We of the Brandeis community are clearly passionate about environmentalism. We have supported a ban on plastic water bottles on campus and engaged a new sustainability coordinator to improve Brandeis' sustainability policies. But we need to go further and support the government's initiatives to make the entire country more environmentally friendly.
While the government is dedicating millions of dollars to figuring out a way to turn corn and other vegetable crops into fuel is a step in the right direction, we cannot sit back and wait for a handful of scientists to develop a miracle cure for Americans' supersized appetite for consumption.
Bottles need to be recycled. Lights need to be turned off. Americans need to think before they take: Do I really need this? Brandesians need to think: Do I use the plastic cups in Usdan or the disposable paper cups? Do I need to leave my laptop turned on all night? Do I need to print out my LATTE readings on fresh paper, or can I use the backs of old worksheets and flyers?
While we can't stop manufacturers from producing tons of paper and plastic grocery bags or packing food in unnecessarily heavy-duty plastic cartons, we can make some changes at Brandeis.
It is important for us students, as well as the rest of our fellow Americans, to follow through on the promises President-elect Obama has made for our country. The mantra of President-elect Obama's acceptance speech was "Yes, we can!" We need to take this to heart and ask ourselves not what our country can do for us but rather what we can do for our country. We have to support our new administration's call for change with our own action.
We of the Brandeis community are clearly passionate about environmentalism. We have supported a ban on plastic water bottles on campus and engaged a new sustainability coordinator to improve Brandeis' sustainability policies. But we need to go further and support the government's initiatives to make the entire country more environmentally friendly.
While the government is dedicating millions of dollars to figuring out a way to turn corn and other vegetable crops into fuel is a step in the right direction, we cannot sit back and wait for a handful of scientists to develop a miracle cure for Americans' supersized appetite for consumption.
Bottles need to be recycled. Lights need to be turned off. Americans need to think before they take: Do I really need this? Brandesians need to think: Do I use the plastic cups in Usdan or the disposable paper cups? Do I need to leave my laptop turned on all night? Do I need to print out my LATTE readings on fresh paper, or can I use the backs of old worksheets and flyers?
While we can't stop manufacturers from producing tons of paper and plastic grocery bags or packing food in unnecessarily heavy-duty plastic cartons, we can make some changes at Brandeis.
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