It is not well known among Fort Collins citizens that when they throw their Starbucks coffee cups in the recycling that they are not going to be recycled at all. Starbucks makes their cups out of paper and plastic which causes a major problem for the recycling company. In Fort Collins they do not have the technology to provide recycling of these coffee cups. With Starbucks located all over town, thousands of people drink their coffee every day. The coffee cups cannot be recycled or composed, so they are beginning to pile up in the landfill causing more pollution. Starbucks is part of some people’s everyday life and it is not likely for people to stop enjoy their morning coffee, so solutions for this problem will have to be made. The Larimer country is responsible for what gets recycled and how. The community would have to show a concern for this pollution problem and that the people are willing to put in the effort to get the machines that are able to recycle these types of cups. Another solution that would be harder to achieve would be to get Starbucks themselves to change what they make their cups out of, so that recycling facilities, specifically the one in Larimer county would have an easier time recycling these frequently used cups. It all comes down to being responsible for our actions and making sure that the environment is healthy is up to the community.

Me and my group have been getting petitions from my school.

 All Aboard Animal Rescue (AAAR) is a foster based rescue. These foster homes are mostly located in the Fort Collins and Denver area. Fosters allow “the opportunity to save lives beyond the measure of a shelter's square footage alone. They provide compassion and love for our furry passengers, rehabilitate extreme cases to put them on the right path, and allow us to minimize limits on intake capacity.” (All Aboard Animal Rescue) They can only save as many dogs as they have the room for in foster homes. Their mission is “to enhance the quality of life for both pets and people through the process of matching adoptable animals with their forever homes.”

 AAAR is out to try to help stop the problem faced by so many dogs. There are seven puppies born for every one human and more than twelve million dogs (and cats) are euthanized in pounds and shelters across the country every year. Many millions more are abandoned in rural and urban areas. This is where many people would say “we just need more shelters, that will help these numbers”, but in reality 61% of dogs that entering shelters across the country will be euthanized. (State of New Jersey Department of Health Office of Animal Welfare) AAAR prides itself in making sure that “what we do is paired with a responsibility to ensure we contribute in ways that educate our adopting families and the communities in which we operate to reduce the extreme euthanasia rates in our country. This begins with mandatory spay and neuter laws for all rescue animals, encourages potential adopters to familiarize themselves with the breeds in which they're interested, and expects responsibility in pet training following adoption.” This is a problem with animals being euthanized and there are ways out there that we can help.

 There are many ways to help with this bold problem of pets being euthanized. AAAR is one organization that is working to combat this problem. Some ways to help this movement forward is to increase the number of foster homes, to educate the community about who they are and what they do, to help increase their supplies and donations can always help. Anything will help, no matter how small. 

During a typical weekend, an average of one teenager between the ages of 15-20, dies each hour in a car crash. More than forty- five percent of those crashes involve alcohol. Teenage drinking and driving is a huge issue that needs to be controlled before another precious life is lost. This issue has been going on for years and it still doesn't seem to be controlled. Although the drinking age is still 21, teenagers below that age always find a way to get alcohol. Everyone knows it is illegal to drink under the age of 21 but there are so many teens that do anyway for multiple reasons. For example, it is a social thing, high school is all about the parties, and in some cases teens drink to drown away pain, and if they need to get somewhere they get behind the wheel and endanger their life, and everyone else on the road. I want to set up a small organization that allows teens to ask for designated drivers if they know they will be drinking on a certain night. Even though I don’t drink, I know of many people who do, and of those more than half admit to drinking and driving. The reason for this issue is because everyone wants to go out and “party” but after that first party is put to an end by police officers, and people aren't done partying they look for another one which causes them to drink while intoxicated. This might seem ridiculous because it is illegal to drink under the age of 21 but, we need to face the facts and put an end to teen drinking and driving. Starting small, for example opening a Facebook page for designated drivers or putting flyers up with phone numbers of people that would be willing to drive anyone who is intoxicated. Also, making stickers, posters or advertisement that will get people to take action immediately. This issue is effecting the lives of many, and this is step one of many more to stopping teen drinking and driving.