How I Became An Environmentalist

When I was in elementary school, I always looked forward to the book catalogs that were passed out a couple of times a year. I don't quite remember the purpose of them but I think they offered books by Scholastic Publishers and the like at lower costs to schools. I've always loved books and was excited to pick out some really cool ones. I would always pick out a bunch of books and my mom would tell me I could only order two so I had to judiciously narrow down my list. One of my favorite books I picked out (and I still have) was 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth. Having always loved the outdoors and nature, I was excited to crack open this book and get started!

When I first read the book, I picked out a couple of things to do. I thought, "Hey, this stuff is pretty easy!" That is when I became an environmentalist. From that point on, I became conscious of my consumption patterns. I turned out the lights when I left the room. I turned of the tap while I brushed my teeth. Instead of dumping half full glasses of water from dinner down the drain, I would dump the water in a watering can for our household plants. I learned about the county's recycling plan and recycled anything that could be. I even got my parents on board and they still recycle to this day. We filled milk jugs and put them in the toilet tank (these were the days before low-flow toilets). My parents even bought the flow-restrictor discs for our showerheads. These are a few of the things I did when I was 8 years old...and still do to this day (among many other things!) My question is if an 8-year-old can do it, why can't an adult?

From that day forward I have been doing my part to reduce, reuse, and recycle. It's become part of my life and most of the time I don't realize I'm doing something different than others unless I see someone else leaving lights on, throwing away a soda can, or letting the tap run while washing dishes. I know that most of the time they are doing it unconsciously because it's just habit. I believe that if people are educated on the hows and whys of simple things they can do to become more environmentally conscious, they are more likely to integrate those things into their lifestyle and change their habits. There's always something more you can do, but as long as you are conscious of your actions and try to do something to benefit our planet, you'll be making a difference!