pollution is bad

My younger cousins spent some time with us this weekend, and as we were driving around Indianapolis, Brandon commented on the factories -- and how they were polluting and they shouldn't.

I remember going through a green phase myself, probably when I was his age. I don't remember being concerned about the big city factories, so much as I was with the plastic six-pack coke holders that eventually made their way into the ocean, strangling dolphins. So, I'd grab them as soon as we finished a pack, or worse, I'd go through the trash, and I'd snip those plastic holders so that dolphins wouldn't choke.

Okay, so, that's more of a PETA phase than a recycling phase. But whatever. Point is: we recycled.

But back to the discussion in the car. It made me think -- What are our schools teaching our kids? Are they teaching them just that pollution is bad? Are they training them to plant trees, to recycle, to use CFL bulbs, and to use those reusable bags to carry their groceries? Great. But are they teaching them about alternative energy and what would actually work here in Indiana? Clean coal? Ethanol, as unpopular as it is right now? Wind energy, maybe? (The wind is only strong enough in spots in Indiana. DAD -- It's not too late to invest in my future!)

I'm not what you'd call a tree hugger. By far. We don't recycle, mostly because it's a hassle. I've been told by friends who do recycle that whenever they take their cans, newspapers, and cardboard to be recycled, the bins are always full, and then what do you do? I drive a jeep, which doesn't exactly get the best gas mileage.

I do drink out of reusable plastic water bottles at work. That's mostly because those bottles hold a lot of water, limiting my trips to refill. We use CFL bulbs, but I secretly despise those. They're never quite bright enough. The best I probably do is carry those reusable grocery bags. But if I'm being honest, I do that more because they're darn convenient, not because I truly believe I'm saving the environment one plastic grocery bag at a time.

And then here's this conundrum: Do my anti-green practices align with my beliefs as a Christian? Didn't God create this earth to be a beautiful place, and didn't He entrust it to our care? And I here I go, grumbling about our education system and throwing our plastic six-pack coke holders into the oceans for dolphins to choke on...