For more than a year, Barack Obama has reminded us of the changes this country needs and the changes he seeks to make. But maybe the real change needs to be within our expectations of grandeur; our understanding and implementation of tradition.
This Inauguration will likely be not only the most expensive, but also offer the greatest attempt at being environmentally conscious. Still, it may have a greater impact on the planet because of its grandeur and the incredible number of people who will join in the celebration. These grandiose galas and massive gatherings mean increased travel, substantial waste to landfills, and trampled grasses.
My question is this: if we as a people could scale back our expectations of what is acceptable and proper, what is assumed to be classy and our attempts of one-upping our peers, would we be so interested in such great and extravagant gatherings? Don’t get me wrong – this is indeed a moment in history, one that will be remembered for generations to come. And this is an event worth valiantly celebrating. But what if we were able to use this moment as an opportunity to jumpstart change through example? I’m just throwing this out there, but what if some of the celebration was inclusive of the people by being webcasted or televised instead of encouraging massive crowds to travel, increasing waste and the cost of security?
I was one of the estimated half million people who attended the Inaugural Opening Ceremony on Sunday. Yes, being in the crowd and watching the performances was magical. It was a moment to remember and I am always grateful for these opportunities living in DC affords. Still, this event could have been an opportunity to do more than just subliminally encourage well-wishers to recycle their waste – it could have been an opportunity to scale back and tout a changed America: an America in need of saving money and reducing waste (of all kinds); an America who looks to the individual to do their part; and an America who has found innovative ways to celebrate monumental moments with reverence and in environmentally respectful ways which aim to include We The People.
The waste left behind after five hundred-thousand people left the grounds of the Reflecting Pool was nearly as immense as the crowd which gathered in the first place, and the same is likely to be true of both the viewing of the Inauguration at the National Mall and at the parade route when the celebration finally subsides. The attempt to provide public recycling bins at the opening ceremony proved feeble as nearly every box marked recyclables only was filled with mixed wastes, plastics, glass, and aluminum, all mingling together. No volunteers stood at the bins educating visitors and directing them on what items should go in each bin. The National Mall’s grass, already in lousy condition due to poor funding for maintenance, turned to dirt and mud under the hundreds of thousands of feet. And the air was thick with the pollution emitted from a gas or diesel generator just to the left of the stage and the fumes from food being grilled at numerous tents around the Mall.
Sure, it was fun, but certainly with the economy sinking further and further and our environment under attack by new forms of toxins everyday, couldn’t we save the pomp and circumstance and still enjoy the moment?
Our leaders for generations have sought to change our minds, improve our ways, and lead us into more civilized, prosperous times. Barack Obama is no different in this respect. He stands for change and as such we all must personally find the change we individually want to make, and see it through. Obama supports environmental protections, and may even be more active than presidents before him, but for laws and regulations to have impact we all have to work together, changing our routines, and taking the extra step.
So, are you ready for the change? Could you have the courage to alter your expectations, and accept that not all traditions are worthy of carrying on when our finances and Earth are at stake? Could you accept a new American ideal of smaller can be better and less might actually be more?
Take the step, make the change, and lets aim to see our leaders light our way through their examples of low-impact, green living.
