(I may be exaggerating just a little bit.) Even though Mary Anne and I are really different in many ways, there are a lot of things we agree on. Like helping the environment. I know if Mary Anne had been in Mrs. Gonzalez's class, she would have raised her hand and said, "I agree with Dawn. We can save the planet if we all pull together." Anyway, after I made my announcement in class, Mrs. Gonzalez folded her hands in front of her and smiled at me. "Dawn is right. You can help save this planet, even if you are young. And a good place to start is in your home, or school, or town." Mrs. Gonzalez, who is very cool and has long dark hair that she wears in a thick braid down the center of her back, pointed to the posters she had thumbtacked over the blackboard.

    "I've listed things that are going wrong with the environment at this very moment. Dawn, would you read them out loud?" All of the kids in the room turned to look at me, and Alan Gray, possibly the most disgusting, immature boy in the eighth grade, crossed his eyes. I tried to ignore him and read the headings to the rest of the class. "Acid Rain and Air Pollution." "Invisible gases are released by cars that burn gasoline, and power plants that burn coal," Mrs. Gonzalez explained. "These gases can mix with water and make it highly acidic. When these gases get into rain and snow clouds, the acid falls back to the earth, destroying trees and polluting the water in our lakes and rivers. Air pollution also makes it difficult for us to breathe." "Vanishing Animal Life," I continued reading.

    "As more and more people are born," Mrs. Gonzalez said, moving down the center aisle of the class, "more and more forests are cut down to make room for them. The areas where wild animals can live are replaced by homes and stores, and the animals become extinct." I wrinkled my nose as I read the next heading. "Too Much Garbage." "When people throw things away, the garbage gets buried in the ground or thrown in the ocean." Mrs. Gonzalez stopped by my desk and crossed her arms. "Pretty soon there won't be any more room for our garbage. So what can we do about it?" Once again I raised my hand. "Recycle." "That's right." Mrs. Gonzalez patted me on the shoulder and this time Alan stuck his tongue out at me. Sometimes I can't believe how immature he acts.