One person can make a difference for the entire planet — Marketplace

Global warming. Yes the entire world is now concerned with global warming and the pollution that is spewing into the atmosphere. Everything we do seems to add up on the worldwide global warming frenzy. And, yes, I too am concerned with the cleanliness of our planet.

What would happen if everyone did one act of kindness to the Earth? Just take a moment and think about something that you, as an individual, could do to make the Earth a little better.
It may be just a simple act.
Walking back from the Centre on the Grove the other day, the wind was sweeping the streets like some giant leaf blower. Debris was whipping around my feet when suddenly a newspaper got caught on my pant leg. I shook it off, but then bent down and picked it up, crumpled it and carried it back to be recycled.
One act, one gesture.
Certainly, I could have shaken the paper off and let it blow on down the street to the next person.
But I made a commitment to myself several years ago that when I see trash on the ground I would not ignore or pass it by. I often pick up cans, bottles or old tires – even when I’m out with my horses. On hikes, my children often chide me about the number of empty, smashed beer cans I have stashed in my back pockets.
I recently heard from a reader about someone else who has taken up the “one person can make a difference” creed.
Sarah Warnock has a franchise for Cartridge World. This is a recycling company that promotes recycling copier and printer ink cartridges. A discarded printer cartridge thrown into a landfill can take up to 450 years to decompose. With more than 350 million cartridges thrown out every year, a pile is steadily growing.
Sarah, while owning a franchise, has acted to give back to the community. Yes, I know the company urges its owners to be eco-minded, but she’s trying to pass it along to younger, like-minded people.
Sarah collects empty cartridges with the help of 100 schools and nonprofit groups in the Boise area. Students collect empty cartridges and put them in bins; she picks up the bins and takes the cartridges to be recycled – for cash. She donates the money to the schools for extracurricular programs, supplies, etc. To date she has already given $35,000 back to the community, and the environment wins, too.    
She’s just one example of what one person can do to make a difference.
Gas prices rising over $3.45 a gallon are forcing some people to change; ridership on commuter buses is up.
Why do we have to wait until critical mass to take action? One person can make a difference in even the simplest of ways.