I thought that in these modern times the idea of being environmentally aware was fairly common, and even if we don't all actively participate in trying to single handed stop climate change, most people are conscious and sympathetic of the issue. But just the other day i was laughed at and mocked for suggesting a small environmentally minded activity.
It was in the physics lab. We had just spent half an hour waiting for the x-ray diffracting machine to take the readings and we were analysing the data. I will not bore you with the details but it involved graphs and finding the peaks. We had six peaks and needed these values, and upon finding that how to display these values the conversation went a little something just like this:
Other physics student 1: "So can we print this somehow?"
Me; "Or we could just copy them down, you know, save some paper..."
Other physics student 1: "why?"
Me (with puzzled look) : "to not waist paper, save some trees..."
Other physics students 1 & 2: *laughter*
There was six values! and we had already printed the graph of the spectrum (which we had to do twice each as 'other physics student 1' and some how messed the first one up). They then printed 3 copies, one for each of them, of a table that took up about a tenth of each sheet and continued to mock me for not wanting a copy. Other physics student 3 is my friend but was no help at all.
I really did not expect to be laughed at for that.
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6 comments:
Yes, how stupip of them. My uni (swinburne) has signed a sustainability contract thingy, so all lecturers and tutors are forced (under conditions of their employment) to save as much paper by avoiding printing where possible. This is good. All unis should be like this. Pfft. I don't care if oterh unis are 'bigger' and it would be 'harder' for them. Swinburne is huge compared to the majority of unis.
Monash and Melbourne sign sustainability contract? Yes.
Oh, also!
http://www.fun-bag.blogspot.com
Go there. Have fun. Have bag. No smoking allowed.
Some people are so ignorant about the social issues. But then again, it's not right to force them to see the issues either.
Talking to people about poverty often just ends up in people taking the piss. It even happens at church and youth group etc.
Anyway. Good suggestion, at least you've got it in mind.
Roar. I know some people like other physics students 1 & 2.
But good on you for looking out for ol' Earthy!
Jesus thinks it's pretty ok!
i know how you feel, we go through REAMS of paper at work and it's such a terrible waste.
i also feel extremely guilty for destroying many a tree through printing legislation today :(
but good on your for being environmentally friendly- obviously physics students (other than your good self) have no social conscience :P
unlike us earnest and idealistic arts students!!!
That's pretty crazy. But like, what annoys me more is watching stupid ads on TV about saving water by the government. It's so hypocritical, it's true that everyone should make sure they save their water, but the majority of our water is being drained out for things like uranium mining (uranium is just stupid) and by inefficient farms AND also because in Melbourne, the major problem is that our drains are old and need replacement, because the water is actually leaking before it even gets to our houses! ARGH! Sorry. Big environ rant.
Swinburne is pretty cool if it has that sustainability contract thing, that is a really awesome thing gong. At bigger uni's I reckon it'd be easier for us to cut down on basic things like paper, and make a substantial difference, but blech, the bigger the uni the stingier they are.
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