A Less Green Earth (Persuasive Editorial)

Everyday countless numbers of trees disappear from the face of this earth, and there is no denying the fact that the color green has drastically depleted in recent years due to human activities. Unfortunately, our school is a contributing factor to killing these trees. Teachers and students alike use stacks of paper without pausing to think of the future consequences, simply throwing paper away which will end up in useless landfills.

A survey from our school shows that a student receives six handouts on average from teachers daily. With 234 students in the school, the number of paper consumed per day, theoretically, is 1404! Many teachers carelessly print out pages of articles and various homework assignments which students will never look at again. Papers are filed and are thrown away at the end of the year. To solve this problem, teachers can make use of the internet and personal blogs. Mr. S, the R.E. teacher, posts review sheets for every test on the internet, saving hundreds of copies.

Students are also indifferent to our rapid consumption of trees. Students do not bother to use the back sides of perfectly clean sheets or to find a recycling bin. Only one out of every thirty students in our school actually attempts to recycle paper. When asked if paper recycling is a necessity, Kwang S said passionately, “No! Why should we care? We can just plant more trees!” Though planting trees is helpful, the rate at which trees grow to their fully matured heights is microscopic compared to the rate at which we cut down trees. Our school has already taken the measure to plant new trees in the past, but it turned out to be a failure as balls and children’s feet trampled over the seedlings. It is not an easy process or a very realistic approach to plant a tree – especially in Istanbul where people do not own private gardens. It takes only a second to waste a beautiful sheet of paper, but it takes decades for a tree to grow.

However, there are students who are willing to recycle paper if they had the opportunity. Deirdre V, a junior, says, “If they had recycling bins at our school, I’d be sure to put paper in them. Unfortunately there is none.” Without recycling boxes, students are inevitably going to throw paper away as their folders get heavier as the year goes on. This is why we need recycling boxes so students who are willing, may have the chance to help save the trees. Nathan B, another junior, sums it up for us: “I would if I could.”

The world needs trees. Trees provide the air we breathe, the desk we work on, a home for various animals and millions more. Our school uses an innumerable amount of paper during the year, but we can make up for it if we recycle paper. One ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees, and everyone can make a difference. If we want a green world for future generations, now is the time to stop the destruction of trees before we forget the color green.