Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Ice Cream Season

The weather is starting to warm up and ice cream is once again starting emerge. I have to admit I am an ice cream addict and it never really goes away for me in the winter. During the summer months, we walk to Baskin-Robbins every Tuesday night in Harvard Square for their $1 scoop night. I've decided I am going to change my behavior a bit this summer. Sometimes I get a cone but other times a dish. I've decided I am now only going to get my ice cream in a cone. Why? Because a cone has less waste. The only waste with a cone is the small paper wrapping which I can recycle. However, if I get a dish of ice cream I then throw away the dish and the plastic spoon I used. It may seem like a little matter but if every customer on those warm Tuesday nights in Cambridge chose a cone instead of a cup, there would be a lot less waste.

Students in the dining hall at Lasell have the same choice. Ice cream cones are available as are dishes that can be carried out of the dining hall. This is one of those situations where students have the opportunity to make a choice. The environment probably does not cross their mind in the cone vs. bowl decision. My goal at Lasell is to get students thinking about the environmental consequences of their choices. They may still choose the less favorable option but I hope they are at least aware of the environmental impact. With awareness, better decisions will eventually be made. As the Environmental Studies Major starts, students in the major will surely help spread awareness across campus. By changing one behavior at a time, we will slowly become a more sustainable community.

1 comment:

In-Law-Line said...

Dr. Daley... how about bringing your own bowl to Baskin-Robbins? It would eliminate the extra energy required in the cone production/transportation process, and the novelty of bringing your own bowl into the shop would really turn some heads... (You should bring one of those little BoSox batting helmet ice cream bowls...)