Environmental awareness is at an all-time high. More people are making lifestyle changes that are increasingly being described with the words "going green."

We asked Pitt County citizens to share their feelings about the environment, the issue of global warming and whatever actions they might be taking. Here is a shapshot of what four citizens had to say:

(ENLARGE)

Photos by Mark Rutledge/The Daily Reflector (ENLARGE)

'As you can see, there's this beautiful new playground over here, and this is the access to it. It's just pretty much a mess right now,' Jill Twark says while walking to Paramore Park along Fire Tower Road. 'So this is where I've been taking all the City Council members, on this walk, so they see the problems that we have.'

(ENLARGE)

'Sometimes you do things for so long, you forget why you're doing them,' Lynn Caverly says while shopping at Briley's Farm Market on 14th Sreet. 'Buying local was the original motivation.'

(ENLARGE)

Photos by Mark Rutledge/The Daily Reflector 'Most items will have a recycle insignia on the bottom,' Johnny Justice says, explaining his recycling methods. 'If there's any question in my mind, I go ahead and put it in there. If they can't recycle it, they'll throw it away.'

Lisa Beth Robinson, 39

Greenville

Instructor of book design, ECU School of Art & Design

Comments:

I think global warming does exist and should be a deep concern for everyone on the planet. I wish our government would take a proactive role in requiring more stringent, environmentally friendly policies for industry.

I think people choose to live ecologically because they want a more respectful and healthier community. Some of that starts with just how you go through the day, and it's really hard because there are a lot of obstacles. I don't think of myself as a particularly ecological person. I feel like I'm just doing what I can and what I need to contribute.

Green ways:

Commute by foot or by bike.

Use the car to run errands, carpooling with friends.

Recycle as much as possible.

Buy local produce.

Mow lawn with non-motorized push mower. "It's a novelty, but it doesn't need to be."

Lynn Caverly, 50

Greenville

Marketing manager, ECU Division of Student Life

COMMENTS:

We need to realize that as a human race we are interdependent on each other, we are one. Indeed, without this larger understanding, our present way of being on this planet may no longer be possible to sustain. ... There needs to be discussions to look at the day-to-day experience of humans now upon the earth. We need to see in undeniable terms what we have created in our collective lives on this planet, and how our beliefs have created our behaviors—behaviors that work against, rather than for, the stated objective of humanity.

GREEN WAYS:

Use bicycle for short shopping trips and to visit friends.

Try to leave the car parked at least two days per week.

Combine errands and map the most fuel-efficient routes.

Buy local produce, breads, etc., to lessen the need for shipping.

Buy organic foods and clothing when possible.

Use cloth or mesh bags when shopping.

Buy gently used items and donate things no longer needed.

Johnny Justice, 59

Pitt County (near Ayden)

Semi-retired business owner, telecommunications professional

COMMENTS:

Regardless of whether we're creating global warming, I think we're impacting it. ... What I've tried to do, and what I've tried to get other people around me to do, is to think about your lifestyle. Can you live a better lifestyle without necessarily sitting and focusing on convenience, and maybe be a little bit friendlier to the planet? I'm not one of those people who thinks the world's coming to an end. I just think that regardless of what political party you're with, you should just walk the walk.

The question I would ask people: If you're not earnestly recycling, think about it along the lines of would you want a landfill in your backyard. Most people don't want a landfill in their backyard. Well, neither does the person that's getting a landfill in their backyard. So whatever we can do to decrease the footprint that's required for that landfill to dump all this stuff in, then we ought to be doing it.

GREEN WAYS:

Recycle, recycle, recycle.

Compost as much waste as possible.

Use ceiling fans more and air conditioning less

Use front-loading washer to reduce water usage and wear on clothes.

Line dry clothes as much as possible.

Jill Twark, 39

Greenville

Assistant professor of German, ECU

Helped form FROGGS (Friends of Greenville Greenways)

COMMENTS:

I support the construction of Greenways — which can be bike lanes, sidewalks, walking trails through natural areas, or any other kind of linear park — because if more people commuted to and from work on foot or by bicycle, they would become physically healthier themselves, while reducing CO2 emissions and decreasing the amount of traffic on the road in general. Greenways help keep citizens safe by allowing them to travel and recreate in a space that is separate from the main flow of vehicular traffic. They preserve green spaces and increase the appeal of cities to locals, as well as to tourists and company managers looking for new places to locate their businesses. Having bike lanes on all major thoroughfares in Greenville and more walking trails connecting green spaces will preserve the environment and instill civic pride in Greenville citizens. Right now, (FROGGS) is working with the city to designate some future greenway segments that need to be built. There's the South Tar River Greenway, and there's a boardwalk coming from between Charles and Evans streets across from the stadium. We (FROGGS) have been awarded a $1,057 Kodak Conservation Fund grant, which (along with matching funds and labor donated by the city) will go toward construction of two informational kiosks with maps to display the South Tar River Greenway.

GREEN WAYS:

Use a handkerchief and cloth napkins instead of paper products.

Put a bucket in the sink, catch excess water, use it for plants.

Install a rain barrel for lawn and shrub irrigation.

Invest in energy-efficient appliances.