Doing my part to save the earth. No, I'm not some tree-hugging, electric car-driving, solar-panel pimping environmentalist like Ed Begley, Jr., so you won't have to worry about using a pit toilet when you come to my house, Jason. I do, however, try to reduce my carbon footprint by recycling pretty much every piece of paper, plastic and metal that crosses over the threshold of my condo, reusing everyday conveniences like food containers and shopping bags, and whittling away my consumer tendencies so that I only shop for what is absolutely necessary, like cool shoes and chocolate muffins from Costco. I haven't graduated to composting yet, mostly because I eat at home so rarely that it would take a year to collect enough food scraps to make it worthwhile, but both my mother and brother toss their leftovers into the yard waste bin, so I guess I compost by association. These are the sacrifices I am willing to make if it ensures Mother Nature will breathe a little easier and those super-cute polar bears will stop floating away on chunks of ice. I have actually been recycling since before the green craze swept the country. My parents used to drive us around the neighborhood on a regular basis so we could beg old newspapers and pop cans from our neighbors. We would drive everything we collected to a nearby recycling plant, fork it over, and squeal with delight when we were handed four bucks for our efforts. My mom still tosses her empty Pepsi cans into huge, black garbage bags instead of the giant recycling bin that the city provides in hopes of one day collecting enough cans to take to an aluminum company and exchange for enough money to buy a six-pack of Pepsi. So, Jason, if you ever need support in the earth-saving department just let me know and I will happily give you some pointers about sorting your garbage and send some reusable canvas sacks your way (they seem to be breeding in the backseat of my car). And if you happen to have any pop cans lying around feel free to ship them to my mother. It will make her year.Happy Earth Day, everyone!
My mother also reminded me that our family occasionaly pulled cans out of garbage bins at local parks. Apparently, my parents wanted me and my brother to be prepared in case we ever became homeless. No wonder I became such a weird adult.
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