earth

Everyone knows there has been much debate over the issue of global warming. Conservation and environmental groups such as Greenpeace and the Sierra Club have been leaders of this movement, by putting heavy pressure on elected officials and staging public demonstrations to take a firm stance.

This year, for the first time ever, the Environmental Protection Agency stated publically that global warming is a real threat to the planet. Soon there will be stringent penalties imposed to those who dump toxic chemicals into the environment.

I remember learning about global warming in elementary school. We had a little jingle about recycling that I recall today: “Recycle, reduce, reuse, and close the loop.” The analogy of a car with its windows rolled up during the summer, while heat was getting trapped inside of it was a good learning tool.

Young people today are more conscious of global warming than any generation ever before has been. Congress is acting quickly to curb damages, and with any luck, we could soon be a nation powered in part by renewable energy. Just like we are leaders in fields such as engineering, science and technology, the United States has a duty to the industrialized world to set pace for curbing climate change.

Earth Day is tomorrow and I want to urge everyone out there to do something to reduce their environmental footprint for the day.

Starting a recycling program at home is easy, and it can save you money! First, check with your local recycling program to see what they will take.

The first place to look for material to recycle is in your kitchen. Everything from aluminum and tin cans, plastic from product packaging, and that junk mail on your kitchen table are probably all recyclable! To be sure look for the logo on the bottom of the container or on the packaging.

Once you have determined what is recyclable, set up a small trash can with a plastic grocery bag in it as a liner. Make sure to rinse out cans and drain all liquids to prevent having a mess to clean up! Throw in everything you come across until the bag is full, tie it up and toss it in your bin outside. After replacing the bag for the second time in one week you will notice that you are significantly reducing your load in the garbage and saving money on trash bags. You may even want to look into a Pay-As-You-Throw program, where you will only be billed monthly for the amount of trash you consume.