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William Sueppel

Published: June 29, 2008

I believe it is time for Highlands County to become more aggressive in their recycling endeavors. Although I do not relish the thought of higher taxes, it is painfully obvious that we are not being good stewards of our limited resources.

Non-renewable resources like oil and the high demand for oil is eating away at our wallets. The recycle containers located around the county are not capturing enough recyclables. The county continues to dump good money into ridiculous billboard advertising and TV commercials while delaying the inevitable.

It is time for the leadership to acknowledge the future of the children and realize that the sustainability of our limited resources must be protected and closely monitored. It is said that the manufacturing of one aluminum can requires the energy equivalent of three hours of television operation or the electricity to operate a 100-watt light bulb. The news reports, as well as our monthly electric bill, reflect that energy costs are going up, up, up. Our little earth cannot continue to support our wasteful ways as we continue to have babies by the billions.

I remember a short story from college that described a movie of the earth's history. I am unable to give credit to the author as I cannot locate the source. The plot has stuck in my head for years. As the story is told, the earth is being filmed from afar. To watch the movie it will take us 24 hours in a fast-forward motion. Man does not appear in the movie until the final 10 minutes. Immediately, massive deforestation, erosion, silting and pollution of our water resources occur. Although my writing abilities are not as convincing as the story the author wrote, it should be apparent to anyone that we have made a significant impact on Mother Earth since our relative, recent arrival.

Again, it is time for the leadership of this county to take a proactive stance and do their part. Start by quit wasting our money on billboards and commercials and put your money where your mouth is. If we can buy asphalt plants to save money, we can spend money more effectively to do our part in saving the world.

William Sueppel
Lake Placid

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