"Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without."
-- New England proverb
Perhaps because I grew up in a large family, the proverb above became an
ingrained practice. Some people today may think this attitude is dated, as
if it were pulled from a Depression-era Farmer's Almanac. For me though,
this proverb expresses a value that is more important than ever. It taps
into national security, environmental stewardship, preserving resources that
sustain life, and sometimes even moral and ethical choices that guide our
actions. You could say that conservation is a personal mission of mine,
which is why I encourage everyone to observe Earth Day on April 22.
This year is the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day. The Web site,
Earth Day Network, asserts that the first Earth Day in 1970 marked the birth
of the modern environmental movement. It's understandable if some people
today assume the first Earth Day was dreamed up by starry-eyed nature
worshipers. But that wasn't the case. Earth Day was the idea of Gaylord
Nelson, a U.S. senator from Wisconsin, and he managed to gain support across
the political spectrum.
Earth Day went global in 1990. Earth Day Network reports that 141 countries
participated that year. One of the outcomes was a heightened emphasis on
recycling. In the 20 years since, recycling has become a mainstream value
... but not always a mainstream practice. Recycling isn't always convenient.
It requires changing habits or adopting new ones, both of which can be
tough. It often means upfront costs for individuals or organizations without
the assurance that costs will go down in the long run.
I'm proud the Air Force has shown its willingness to invest in green
technologies. A good example of that investment occurred March 25 when an
A-10C Thunderbolt II made its first flight powered by a blend of standard
JP-8 fuel and hydro-treated, renewable jet biofuel. The Air Force is working
toward an ambitious goal of changing half of the continental U.S. jet fuel
requirement to alternative fuels by 2016. Decreasing the Air Force's
dependence on foreign oil suppliers contributes to national security. It
also improves the bottom line. Alternative fuels won't pollute the air we
breathe, which demonstrates respect for the fellow citizens the Air Force
serves. Lots of other benefits are likely to be realized, but you get the
idea.
In some cases, adopting green technologies and processes do require dollars;
but often, all that's necessary to improve management of resources is a
willingness to become more aware of what we have and to be part of something
larger than oneself. When that awareness is extended to include all the
products that depend on a natural resource in some way for their
manufacture, processing, packaging or transportation, the potential for
waste becomes huge ... but then so does the potential for better ideas.
I believe that conserving resources and using them judiciously is a personal
responsibility as well as an organizational responsibility. My goal is for
that attitude to take root and spread throughout Air Force Materiel Command.
Earth Day reminds us to do what we can to improve people's appreciation for
the resources they share, whether natural or manufactured. It's not a
stretch to think of Earth Day in terms of an Air Force 'Core Value: Service
Before Self.' Please ask yourself what service you can offer. Then make it a
habit of thought and action.