McAllen festival promotes a greener Valley

McALLEN - Many residents of South Texas don't really think about the Rio Grande's watershed system, Laura Munguia explained during Saturday's Green Living Festival at the McAllen Convention Center.

They don't consider the long, winding path it takes before it even reaches the Lone Star State - or how the river's water supply could be affected by droughts or pollution in Colorado or New Mexico.

"It's easy to take it for granted, but so many other places share the river with us," Munguia said. " We need to stop and think about this stuff sometimes."

The festival, hosted by the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, was aimed at promoting eco-friendly habits and featured seminars ranging from energy conservation to home construction to alternative transportation.

Munguia, a student at the University of Texas-Pan American, volunteered for the event with other members of her sorority, Delta Xi Nu, chatting and sharing tidbits of environmental knowledge with people strolling among the booths.

"This is a big step ahead for the (Rio Grande) Valley," she said. "We tend to lag behind on other things, but this event is great to raise (environmental) awareness."

Chamber vice president Nancy Millar, the event's principal coordinator, said the timing couldn't be better for McAllen to host the "green" event.

"(Environmental awareness) is just about all you hear in some communities," she said. "There is a big concern right now about the economy and high gas prices, and a lot of things we're showing people today can save them money."

And that's exactly why Noé Barrera, of McAllen, came to the event with his family.

"I'm trying to see if installing some of these products in my home will really save me electricity," he said.

Millar anticipated attendance would be about 1,000, but some 2,500 people showed up at the event, she said. The greater-than-expected turnout suggests Valley residents are eager to embrace greener lifestyles.

"We baby boomers have always been all about saving the world," she said. "Now that younger people have really embraced it, too, we're rediscovering that idea and we're all working together for one common goal."