Breakin' the law

In this picture are Andrew Verner, Director of Graduate Programs and Anne Forrestel, Director of the Leadership Communications Center of the business school. Dr. Verner rides his bike to campus most of the year. Anne rides her bike to school year round. Do you realize how much it rains here? How cold it gets? How icy the roads get? The fact that it snows here? And they aren't the only ones around here who do that...Folks like these great people are one big reason I chose Oregon!

Today, I felt like I broke a law in Eugene.

I had just finished off an Odwalla drink and standing outside of the business building, I couldn't find a recycle bin anywhere and I was sweatin' it.

Though very recycle-conscious myself, coming to Eugene has been quite the eye-opener. I worry that the life of the garbage man is either non-existent or in danger of extinction!

So, my plight was to either dump the empty bottle in the trash or carry it around with me. But, we were all just starting to load into vans for a service project, so I actually really just needed to get rid of it. Argh. Since when are recycle bins sparse anywhere in Eugene? Not opting to do the latter, I chose to dump it and reluctantly, and almost secretly, I tossed it in the trash. Part of me felt guilty, but most of me worried that I would be ticketed or ambushed by green freaks for the improper disposal of a perfectly recyclable item. Turns out neither happened, though the guilt still kind of lingers...

I am continually impressed and amazed at the level of environmental consciousness here in Eugene. People ride their bikes, take the bus or walk more than I have ever seen in any city besides New York. It is truly impressive.

Now that I ride the bus everyday and pretty much recycle anything and everything thanks to convenience and accessibility, I figure all I need now is a compost bin and I should be all set!