I used to...

Actually, when I was a kid (I mean…2 years ago) I was really worried about the environment. I used to watch all the Nat Geo and Discovery Channel’s programs related to this topic. I was truly concern because of my children and the future that they will have because of our fault.

Even I was determinate to study Engineering in Conservation of Renewable Natural Resources because I wanted to feel that I was doing something and in some way, say to them that it wasn’t MY fault.

I used to separate all the rubbish, especially papers and cartons waiting months for any recycle campaign in my school.

The most heroic feat that I did was to stop the buying of a “Bosca” in my house.

But that was all, because I starting to feel weird; I didn’t know anyone else who cared about it; I was vegetarian and my mom still forced me to eat meat and also the government created an Environmental Ministry which doesn´t create legal proposals or at least campaigns to solve the problem.

I get really tired about the whole thing, because I felt that everyone was against me, so I quitted and now I´m a horrible person.

Now the only thing that I do is to try to take a shorter shower and my dad collects all the glass bottles and then he put them into the Coaniquem container (which is the most common thing, I guess), but that’s all.

Some few months ago I heard the story of man and his team that asked their neighbors in Coquimbo to give them all their rubbish, then they sell it and with that money they repairs some things and make others that they give back to the community, and everyone were happy. And I thought: What a fabulous idea!

The thing is that with this example, I learnt that actually rubbish is money, but nobody seems to notice that, some municipalities did, but definitely our government and society not.

(UPASOL: http://www.cepal.org/dds/innovacionsocial/e/docs/Proyecto-UPASOL-final-es.pdf)