Save the World: Recycle

There is so much going on in the world today including the War in Iraq, global warming, an upcoming presidential election, not to mention all the daily trials and tribulations of typical American life. With all this, it's hard not to get overwhelmed. But small actions do make a difference and can help to better the planet- even if you're just helping out locally.

Recycling is super important to saving the precious natural resources that cannot be replenished as quickly as they are being used. In an effort to make recycling less time consuming, College Station as implemented a curbside recycling program, which provides not only weekly pickup, but also trash bags and recycling pamphlets. If the curbside collection isn't provided where you live, the Wal-Mart in Bryan, Texas has a superb recycling facility.

Participating in a Keep Brazos Beautiful event is another wonderful way to have fun, volunteer, and well... save the world! This group has an event for almost every month on the year including the Memorial Tree Planting in March, Don't Mess with Texas Trash-Off in April, and the Illegal Dumping Workshop in May. The Keep Brazos Beautiful Awards Banquet in the winter is a fun and exciting event to go to. At the last one I attended, there were sculptures made from recycled goods and even a fashion show composed of evening gowns made from recycled supplies (and the gowns were actually pretty neat)!

Supporting local farmers is another way to help the environment. Local farmers don't use near the energy and resources necessary to move produce from one end of the country to another so when you shop at local markets such as The Farm Patch in Bryan, Texas you are practically getting food straight from the farmer. Sometimes, eating locally grown produce can be beneficial in multiple ways- it supports local farms, it cuts down on packaging and energy needed to transport the goods, and in many cases buying locally grown foods can benefit your health. Did you know that if you eat locally grown honey that's produced in close proximity to where you live, it can actually help fight off allergies and local colds!

We all inhabit this earth together so why not work together for a better tomorrow? These are just a few things we can do to help out in our communities. To help out more try volunteering, donating blood or plasma, or even just starting a garden. The possibilities are endless and you can make a difference!