When you leave the United States for more than a week, it offers a time of reflection, a chance to look back, contemplate and consider how and why we live the way we do. My wife and I recently returned from a lengthy trip to New Zealand. During those 15+ days abroad, I found myself reflecting on the way of life in New Zealand compared to the United States.
I came away with one overriding reflection: Kiwis (New Zealanders) put much more effort and care into protecting the native environment than we do in the U.S. I make that statement based on lengthy visual observations while being driven to natural habitat restoration sites in the southern half of the upper island and a lengthy circuitous route along the coast and Southern Alps (Kā Tiritiri o te Moana is the name of the mountain range in the Maori language, hence the shorter Engish version used for simplicity and understanding) of the southern island.
Why do I say this about care for the environment? In the days we were there, we found virtually no garbage anywhere along the roadways.
Simple statement. Doesn’t seem like much. But, take a second and think about it.
When you drive ANYWHERE in the U.S., when is the last time you have seen the side of the road you are driving/walking on pristine? And, I mean spotless. No plastic bags fluttering in trees. No abandoned beer cans. No cardboard boxes or cigarette butts. No plastic wrap or Styrofoam or tires or shattered glass. Just grass, trees, bushes, undergrowth, flowers, greenery, the way it is meant to be.
If you are like me, you cannot find a street anywhere near where you live that has not been turned into a dump. The only time you see those areas cleaned up, is BRIEFLY after Earth Day or after a Rotary Club or some other do-gooders get out for their one-day-a-year to clean up the mess that others have created 364 days a year.
How do the Kiwis do this? How have they developed this ethic of protection, caring and cleaniness? I asked around.
The answer is simple. They care.
I spoke to multiple individuals from the country while we were visiting. The answer was similar from person to person.
First, parents instill a reverence for the land. Don’t throw things out the window or onto the ground. If you see trash, pick it up, parents explain to their young children.
Second, the ethic is taught and reinforced in school. Lessons about respect for the environment and the importance of keeping it clean start early. When you instill that way of thinking, it becomes modus operandi as life moves on.
Finally, concrete steps like banning plastic bags at retail shops or charging a $1.50 fee per plastic bag discourage wasteful behavior. Plastic bags are not “offered” at checkout; you must ask for them, then pay the fee. Quite frankly, if we taxed plastic bags in the U.S., our Department of Treasury might become rich. Maybe we could eliminate the income tax. We can hope.
I do love the U.S. We have a naturally beautiful country, but it doesn’t stay that way when far too many people dump their refuse on the side of the road. Being in New Zealand got me reflecting on that and how much it angers me about our country. We can do so much better. And it would be so easy. Make it a mission.
I came away with one overriding reflection: Kiwis (New Zealanders) put much more effort and care into protecting the native environment than we do in the U.S. I make that statement based on lengthy visual observations while being driven to natural habitat restoration sites in the southern half of the upper island and a lengthy circuitous route along the coast and Southern Alps (Kā Tiritiri o te Moana is the name of the mountain range in the Maori language, hence the shorter Engish version used for simplicity and understanding) of the southern island.
Why do I say this about care for the environment? In the days we were there, we found virtually no garbage anywhere along the roadways.
Simple statement. Doesn’t seem like much. But, take a second and think about it.
When you drive ANYWHERE in the U.S., when is the last time you have seen the side of the road you are driving/walking on pristine? And, I mean spotless. No plastic bags fluttering in trees. No abandoned beer cans. No cardboard boxes or cigarette butts. No plastic wrap or Styrofoam or tires or shattered glass. Just grass, trees, bushes, undergrowth, flowers, greenery, the way it is meant to be.
If you are like me, you cannot find a street anywhere near where you live that has not been turned into a dump. The only time you see those areas cleaned up, is BRIEFLY after Earth Day or after a Rotary Club or some other do-gooders get out for their one-day-a-year to clean up the mess that others have created 364 days a year.
How do the Kiwis do this? How have they developed this ethic of protection, caring and cleaniness? I asked around.
The answer is simple. They care.
I spoke to multiple individuals from the country while we were visiting. The answer was similar from person to person.
First, parents instill a reverence for the land. Don’t throw things out the window or onto the ground. If you see trash, pick it up, parents explain to their young children.
Second, the ethic is taught and reinforced in school. Lessons about respect for the environment and the importance of keeping it clean start early. When you instill that way of thinking, it becomes modus operandi as life moves on.
Finally, concrete steps like banning plastic bags at retail shops or charging a $1.50 fee per plastic bag discourage wasteful behavior. Plastic bags are not “offered” at checkout; you must ask for them, then pay the fee. Quite frankly, if we taxed plastic bags in the U.S., our Department of Treasury might become rich. Maybe we could eliminate the income tax. We can hope.
I do love the U.S. We have a naturally beautiful country, but it doesn’t stay that way when far too many people dump their refuse on the side of the road. Being in New Zealand got me reflecting on that and how much it angers me about our country. We can do so much better. And it would be so easy. Make it a mission.
