Hog judging and recycling

We have spent most of the last week visiting various locations in central Ohio.  Relatives from Kansas were visiting and we had a grand time showing them various things around Cleveland and Columbus.  A lot of things were discussed about this great region that we live in.  It was mentioned how lush and green Ohio was.  Of all the things that were likely to come up, that is not one I was expecting.  It is true, though.  Perhaps that is why I find it so easy to live here.  Like Portland, Oregon, Ohio is a pretty green state.  There are plenty of trees and nice hills and foliage.  Growing up in the windswept plains of central Kansas, I love to be near my trees.  Another discussion, we had was the rich heritage that Ohio can claim.  In the Victorian age, Ohio was a rich and the region very important.  Just travel to any small town and see the quality of buildings that are till standing.  Every town has a public square and and most a courthouse that rivals Cleveland.  Nearly every small town we visited had a row of fine mansions that was the heart of the industrialists of the area.  What can we do to bring this type of prosperity back to Ohio?  Our attempts to reinvent the region as a new green economy could make all the difference.

Knox County Fair recycles

While near Apple Valley, we attended the Hog Judging at the Knox County Fair. No, we didn’t go just for the hog judging, but it was still interesting to watch. We also watched the alpaca obstacle course (who knew there was such a thing), but left before the calf penning. The fair midway was the usual line up of deep fried sugary snacks and shredded meat products. What surprised me the most was the recycling. Nearly every garbage can was also partnered with a recycling bag. When we attend events in Cleveland, and most other areas, there is not a recycling bin to be found. At one event, we asked them to produce one, and someone went and got a bin from the office that was likely used for office paper. More than once I personally removed garbage from this bin, so the recycling could still be recycled, but I fear that in the end it was all sent to landfill anyhow. This leads me to wonder how a sophisticated group of urbanites in Cleveland cannot even grasp the simple concept of recycling, when the small town folks and farmers of Knox county had no issues. One thing that I hold onto is the matter of priorities. When a city makes recycling a priority, it makes it know to its citizens that recycling is important. It educates them and lets them know that it is taken seriously. So few of our residents in this town get recycling privileges, that when they are out and about, they don’t even think to look for a recycling bin. If there were to be one, how would they know what to put in it? I agree that there has to be priorities in city government, and that public safety outweighs recycling needs. At the same time, with out a comprehensive recycling program, are we just “greenwashing” on a governmental scale?  With creativity and a strong will, we could find a way to recycle more in this town without sacrificing other alternatives.  One option would be to privatize the recycling program.  Without even spending a dime of its own money, a city could award a contract to pick up recycling and the company that does it could keep the profits from selling the recyclables.  If I can come up with that off the top of my head, surely the great minds in the region can come up with many more.  Send your ideas to your mayor or city council.