One day my mother and I went grocery shopping. We had bought so much food and several cases of bottled water .As we put the groceries away my mom handed me the plastic store bags and told me to throw them away. I thought nothing of this and quickly followed her direction and went on with my daily life. This example of ignorance is exactly what is going on in today’s society. So many people don’t know the long- term effects of our ignorance and laziness. Everyone complains about the bad economy and having no money but no one’s doing anything about it, so whose fault is it? It’s our fault. The more waste products, such as paper, plastic, and glass we throw away the more space we take up in landfills, and the more money the tax- payers have to give to make more landfills. The more landfills we have the more polluted our air becomes. This is a chain reaction that very few think about. But we can’t continue to go on not thinking about it. Your children and grandchildren’s future is at stake. Ignorance can’t be bliss for us anymore. I think we should live by the saying “Knowledge is power.” If we all know the facts then we will be powerful and prosper. The major ways to be knowledgeable is to do your research. I’ve done mine and now it’s your turn. Sure, you can recycle; but just know that recycling is more than just dropping off used paper and plastic to a recycling center. It is re-using already used items for their energy to make new products so we can reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, and reduce other kinds of pollution from production. If you really want to do something then unplug all your electronics when they’re not in use. Some appliances use more energy when they’re not in use. When you do this it also saves you money. Who wouldn’t want that deal? Another way to recycle that I strongly believe in and is so simple, is using both sides of the paper and putting it in a recycling bin afterwards. By doing this you can prevent the unnecessary cutting of trees which provide oxygen for us. For every ton of paper that is recycled you save 7,000 gallons of fresh water, 380 gallons of oil, and enough electricity to power an average house for six months. I think the most important place to start the habit of recycling is in schools. Schools that model and teach principles of environmentally responsible behaviors to students have a long-term effect on the community. If schools start to invest in using environmentally friendly products and embrace environmentally responsible behaviors it will benefit them in the long-run. So you see, it’s so important that you do something now before it’s too late.