You're Never Too Old To Have A Green Childhod

I was recently in a meeting where a new recycling program was about to be unveiled. As excitement stirred among my peers, our group leader admitted she was not that interested in recycling. "All I care about is how it will save us money," she said. "Going green is for the young people."

She explained that she was too old to change her ways, because she was (gasp!)53.

For real? I was completely bummed. This woman has young children. Was she that unwilling to set an example for them, let alone help make the earth a better place to live?

And then I started worrying. Was I going to turn out like her when I turned 53? Would I stop caring and just dump everything on the young 'uns?

That couldn't be true. I was already in my 30's when I decided to go green. When Al Gore started the work that led to An Inconvenient Truth, he was 56 -- three years older than my ancient group leader.

What was the problem? Was she too old to throw a bottle into a blue bin instead of a black one? Why did she use her age as an excuse for not caring about the planet? The earth is older than she is (at least I think it is).

My husband told me that in the town where he grew up, every year there was a huge number of senior citizens who tried to vote the school budget down. As long as they got to their early bird specials, they didn't care if the next generation got an education. They thought it was someone else's problem.

I admit, I've gone down that road. How many times have I gone to get a drink at the water cooler only to find the jug is empty? I've thought, "I'll just leave it . . . someone else will change it." But then when no one does, I realize that water is important, I need it, others need it, and if I want it, I have to be the one to make the change.

My guess is that that my elderly leader has never changed a water jug.

But who am I to judge? If she has early bird specials to get to at the age of 53, it's not my place to prevent her from getting behind the wheel of her Winnebago and driving five miles an hour to get there.

However, I am determined not to end up like her. My responsibility as a human being doesn't end because I turn a certain age. Or any age.

Recycling is renewal, and nothing makes you feel younger than making something old, new again. In this case the planet.

Besides, being over 50 does not mean you have to be over the environment. Laurie David, Paul McCartney, Ralph Nader and Pete Seeger all prove . . . going green is for the old people!