The world is dirty. Living in the cabins, and being exposed to the importance of sustainable living has made me change my perspective. My recent trip to Nepal, while inspiring, was also frustrating. The intense exposure to the trash on the streets, the face masks used to avoid inhaling pollution, and the stark smell that spreads through each village, each street, each home made me tilt my head to the side and question how Nepali people could treat the environment so poorly? Having taken many trips to India, I was surprised that I barely noticed the serious implications of living in such poor environments. Moreover, I realized that many other factors are involved in said environments. The problem is not as simple as it seems—I mean, if you see trash on the streets why don’t you just pick it up? Why don’t you have a trashcan? These questions lingered in my mind long after the trip ended. After digging a little deeper, I found the spider-web like complexities of poverty and pollution. Lacking government support, and having few NGO’s focused on sustainable living are just a part of the problem. Moreover, Nepal’s high poverty rates feeds back into the system/mindset “Why would I worry about potential lung cancer, when I probably won’t have dinner on the table tonight?” The major contradictions rose especially when I considered that two of the most prominent religions in Nepal are Hinduism and Buddhism; two religions that have deep roots in respecting nature. So then, how did living conditions drop drastically? What is the driving force that pulls people to respect certain aspects of religion, but neglect others? Do people even care about these issues? And if they don’t…then how do we get them to care? These thoughts and ideas while complex root from open conversations we have had as a Greenbelt Community. The drive to want to make impact in an underdeveloped country is an extension of the change agent I see in Dr. Dripps. The movement began long ago, but it stays ignited by weekly classes and constant motivation and empathy for the environment.
-Juhee Bhatt
