I have but a singular childhood memory of Earth Day. Our entire class was rewarded a field trip to a park, where a local TV station was interviewing children and asking what part they were playing in saving the planet. I didn’t understand recycling, but I was sure excited about being on TV.
Dallas has not been the greenest of cities in my opinion, and has anything really changed? Even personal recycling is a hassle. I discovered recently that the city is already charging homes a sanitation fee, which includes costs for removing recycled items. But upon examination, I discovered almost none of the houses on my street had a recycling bin. I had to call the center to have them deliver one. I felt pretty good about myself. I turn off lights when I leave a room, most of the time. I definitely try not to litter. I try to enforce these habits with my family members, but the change is happening ever so slowly.
What will it take to instill green living among Dallas citizens? We could start with a healthy dose of Earth Day festivities that are both family and environmentally friendly. Here are a few I found for Earth Day. Get your green on, Dallas!
Oak Cliff Earth Day (April 19, 2009 11am-5pm)
Keep Grapevine Beautiful – Chili’s Night Out (May 4, 2009 5pm-10pm)
Earthfest (April 17, 2009 10am-2pm)
Live Green Expo (April 18, 2009 9am-5pm)
Frisco Events (April 16, 2009 7pm) (April 25, 2009 8am-12pm) (April 25 9am-1pm)
Dallas Zoo’s Party for the Planet (April 25 – 26, 2009 12pm-5pm)
And of course, don’t miss out on Disneynature’s Earth!
Let us know if you are aware of any other Earth Day events.
We have the same problem in Houston – most communities do not have curbside recycling pickup, but those do either have to request a recycling bin or just don’t participate in it because of the “hassle.” Remember, though, the most important “R” is “Reduce!”
YES!! Most people forget the most important R is reduce. I have a huge problem with the lack of recycling incentives and efforts in Texas alone. The resources used in attempting to recycle seems more wasteful than if we didn’t do it at all. In addition to that, a lot of the older generations are so set in their habits, passing them on to their children and their children. It’s going to be very difficult to tweak our psychological habits as a community.