It's Zion and It Stinks, Literally

***Update- Bountiful, Utah has signed on to start curbside recycling! Click here to read the story http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10004619

I will always love the mountains of Utah, the feel of downtown Salt Lake City (especially near the U), and the fiery martian landscape of the southern canyons. Yes, it is perhaps one of the most beautiful places on earth. It can also be one of the ugliest and uncared for places and nothing tells the visitor this more than the refineries spilling their smelly plumes into the Salt Lake valley air, the deadly inversion, and the nuclear waste dump they keep loading up. Everyone loves to run around saying, “We live in Zion,” “This is the place,” “We’re a banner unto heaven.” In fact today were celebrating a state holiday for that reason. Well, if it’s such a great place, then why do most of the people living there treat it like, well, sh*#? I’d like to see someone with enough balls (and stamina) to say that at the next conference or whole on television about the parade because like many of you, my pioneer ancestors risked everything that had to reach Utah and turn it into what it was. Now their dominant progeny figure they don’t need to care for it, "Christ will fix all when he comes."

Of all the places I’ve lived, Utahns are the least environmental savvy. Now I’m not saying anyone needs to give up their homes and build a nest by the lake, but is it too much to ask that you throw your paper/bottles/cans into a bin and take them to be recycled? And there’s no curbside recycling because most Utahns are too cheap to pay for it! For the last few years I’ve been trying to get my parents to recycle and they wouldn’t because they claimed there was nowhere to take it…well, problem solved because I logged onto www.earth911.org and found there was a dumpster next to the Walmart less than half a mile away. Now when I come over I’m guessing my mom throws out a laundry basket and scoops some paper into it to humor me.

So today when you’re done standing on the parade route in the spot you’ve been camped out on for two days, please pick up your trash and when you watch the fireworks tonight, think of what makes Utah "the place" and what will keep it that way for the generations to come.