Happy Blog Action Day!
Today is the first ever “Blog Action Day“, in which 15,000 bloggers (website owners) have agreed to post an article on the same subject with the aim of changing the world. This years topic is the environment. That’s it, no complicated rules, just try to change the world. Some of the sites involved have tens of thousands of readers and they have agreed to donate this days proceeds to a charity. My reach isn’t as large and I don’t make any money here, but I would like to share my thoughts and hopefully change my little corner of the world.
The Life of William Baldwin
Growing up my biggest hero was my grandfather. He was a biologist for the US Fish and Wildlife and was one of natures greatest proponents. He could give you the scientific name of every plant and animal in the lowcountry and name every bird just by hearing their call. His loggerhead sea turtle research done in the Cape Romain Wildlife Refuge was ahead of its time and is still being used today. He found his way in the real estate business because he managed a plantation and became known among all the plantation owners as an expert in the land. Therefore, when it came to selling them, they naturally trusted him. My grandfathers death when I was twelve was a life changing event and I have tried to live a life that would make him proud ever since. Becoming a father has made me want to protect our natural resources even more so that I can share the same enjoyment I have for nature with my son. I think you can’t help but to feel a special connection with nature when you grow up in a place like McClellanville.
Who Wants to Recycle?
I would like to gauge the interest in town for adding recycling pick-up to the regular trash pick-up. It seems that in an area that is so rich in environmental beauty and socially conscience people that we should be setting a better example. I save my bottles and cans and take them to the dump every couple of weeks, but I wonder how many other people do too. I think that many more would recycle if they simply had to put set them out at the side of the road. I don’t blame the town because I don’t think enough people have voiced their opinion in the past. The town enters into yearly contracts for trash pickup. Currently, we have trash pick-up twice a week. If there is enough interest in a recycling pick-up day, the could include the service in next years bid for the contract. The town budget is pretty tight and this may result in a slight tax increase. I don’t want to see taxes go up any more than you do, but we only get one planet so lets try to protect it as best we can.
Help Make a Difference
In the next week I will be looking into the costs associated with the recycling pick-up. If you would like to see the town take a proactive step toward saving the planet and encouraging people to recycle by providing regular recycling pickup, please leave your comments below (if there isn’t a place to leave comment, click on the title of this article and scroll down) or contact me directly with your thoughts. I spoke with a council member and was told that a petition is a very good way to show that there is a strong interest for a cause. If you would like to help get signatures, please contact me. Otherwise, keep your eyes open around town for the petitions and help support mother earth.