Thanksgiving talk

This assignment was the hardest assignment throughout the semester for me. I believe that I never had conversation on environmental issue with my family or friends, so I do not know what to expect during or after the conversation. I do not even know how to start the conversation or in what manner I should do it. I feel like it is somewhat wrong or uncomfortable to talk about such a serious or negative subject during holiday when everything is overly plenty and happy.
Instead of going back to Korea, I went to Atlantic City with my friends. I think this is little more environmental friendly than going all the way back to Korea. I shared a suite room with three other girl friends. I tried to find best timing to bring up the topic, but it was not easy. I was scared that I might ruin their holiday.
One morning when we all took a shower, I ask my friends to reuse towel rather than throwing on the floor of the bathroom. My request fired the conversation on the environmental issue. I explain to my friends how much we could save the environment by just simply reusing the towels. I also added that the environmental problems we currently face are real, serious and need reaction. One of my friends agreed to me and gladly reused the towel. However, my two other disagreed. First, they started by saying how much they pay to use the room which includes all the other supplements such a towels, bed sheets, toilet paper, water, electricity and many more luxurious items. They said that this holiday is only few days they could enjoy some luxury and really treat themselves nicely. In addition, they argued that they are paying more than they should if they do not use everything that is offered to them. I agree that they should get what they paid for and should enjoy their holiday. However, they could do it much eco-friendly way. We do not have to use new towel every single time we take a shower. The towels that hotel provided us were so big and thick that I did not even use half section of the towel to dry my body.
Then my friends said to me “since when you become a green person?” I do not consider myself green person at all. I still do many things that are environmentally harmful. I am just a same person with slightly more awareness of environmental issue than before taking this class. Then, my friends went on saying that we are over reacting to the environmentally issue. They believed that the media over emphasize the environmental issues. Since media only focus on the extreme cases such as Tsunami or hurricane Katrina, people are over reacting to the problem.
I was tempted to interrupt my friends, but I tried to be a good listener as professor Nicholson told us to do. I was very surprise what a big gap my friends and I had. It was very disappointing for me to see how people consider themselves apart from the environment. They are so num about the current environmental issue like they do not belong in this environment. I realized how this course has changed me. If I did not take this course I could be spending more wasteful holiday than my friends.