Trees and Trash

At some time during college I became a tree hugger. Not a run-around-barefoot-with-a-Frisbee-in-hand tree hugger, but I suppose I could get there. The other day I was reading an online discussion about global warming and whether it was a real threat to our planet or a media-sparked plot to make money. I won't get into that debate because I'm not entirely sure where I stand on the issue yet, but I do want to comment on the negligence of some of the contributors to the discussion...those who tout their plans to lead wasteful lives just because they believe it has no grave effect.

Just because one believes (and may well be correct) that global warming is not occurring doesn't make it right to continue to increasingly pollute the environment. Gosh, when did our nation become so apathetic? Don't we have an internal desire to do right, and don't we feel good when we do something good? If we still have that innate sense of satisfaction driven by doing a universally good act, why do so many of us take shortcuts?

I find it really hard to believe that people haven't learned the basics of preserving the environment. Like recycling. I've actually heard people tell me that they've tried recycling, but found it too difficult, and therefore they just throw everything in the garbage. I'm not sure what part of recycling is difficult. Where I live, it's about as hard as taking out the trash.

More on this later. I'm too tired to write any more.