Out of all the issues in the world today, environmental problems are becoming a much greater dilemma.

Taking care of the environment is one of the most underestimated obstacles in our society. Increased initiative needs to be taken in the school to preserve and protect the environment. Each day students eat lunch in school, leaving all of the plastic, paper and even aluminum products to be thrown into a dump. This careless method is not helping our environment at all and there should be more of a “green movement” throughout Southfield High School.

This is, however, a huge task to recycle the lunchroom waste. Fortunately, there is an organization called Southeastern Oakland County Resource Recovery Authority (SOCRRA), headquartered in Royal Oak, Michigan and part of what they do is aid schools and surrounding communities by setting up recycling access for items such as bottles and cans. We need to get their help to get on board with this program.

Individuals are not adequately informed about the environmental issues the world is facing. Whether it is global warming, pollution, or nuclear issues, they are all impacting the planet Earth. In Southfield High School “going green” is at a minimum. Not much is going on besides a few bins for collecting bottles and cans and some lights that turn off after a period of time with no movement. More should be done to contribute to helping the environment.

In the main hallway adjacent to the Counseling Center there are two measly recycling bins – one for plastic water bottles and one for other plastic bottles. But paper in the classrooms is discarded on a daily basis. Students and teachers use tons of paper every year. There is also all the plastic, aluminum and paper we throw out at lunch that goes without being recycled. Unfortunately, there are no recycling bins set in place in copy rooms, classrooms or offices.

Southfield High School has a student population of 967 students and a staff of population of approximately 100 more people, giving us the ability to execute a plethora of different methods to “go green” and help the environment. Students need to be urged to take responsibility for the environment and preserve this planet that humans all have to rely on for years to come.

Although, everyone must know by now that “going green” is more than recycling plastics and paper. Recycling is cutting down on driving, water usage and electronics usage. It is using non-toxic cleaning products. It is buying products with less packaging. It is using a refillable water bottle instead of bottles of water each day.

Southfield High School is not considered a “green” school but if we all do our research and step up and start a green movement, it would be a great contribution and necessary first step to protecting and preserving the environment. It is the little things that count and it only takes one person to start a movement.