The Kids Go Green

The kids go green and suddenly, you are a planet hater.

A few months ago, my 12-year-old niece witnessed me toss a perfectly recyclable beverage container in the trash.

"YOU don't recycle?" I tried to justify my actions. "Yes, I do recycle, but the host of the party doesn't."

In that moment, my carbon footprint grew at the speed of Pinocchio's nose, quickly out-sizing that of the coal burning plant two counties over.

I never know what to do when I'm in this situation. Sometimes, I carry the containers with me and toss them in the recycle bin at home.

The beverage of choice on this particular day was a cold beer. I was not going to toss the bottle on the floorboard of my car and forget about it. Weeks from now I'd find myself pulled over, explaining to an officer why it looks like my son traded in his sippy cup for a cold brew.

When I'm a guest in someone else's home, I play by their rules.

Thanks to my niece and other children of her generation, those rules are changing. Kids everywhere are going green and teaching us how important things like recycling are. Many schools are going green; as are zoos, museums, and other favorite hang-outs for kids.

If you question the facts on global warming, or just don't care about saving fuzzy animals 1000 miles away, then consider going green for the kids. After all, it is their planet too.

If you want to take your chances, here's fair warning: You just might get called out by a passionate kid on a mission.