THE ENVIRONMENT

Easy Options:

Energy Saving Tips:

  • Turn off the lights when you leave a room to help save energy and reduce global warming.
  • Turn off the computer when you are done using it or when you are taking a break from using it.
  • Encourage your family to buy Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs.  However, make sure to recycle them properly.  If not recycled properly they can leak a little bit of Mercury, which is BAD for the environment.
  • Use your bike or walk instead of driving whenever you can.

Water Saving Tips:

  • Do not leave the water on while you brush your teeth.  Only use it when you spit at the end.
  • A shower uses less water than a bath.
  • Ask for water in a restaurant only if you’re going to drink it.

Buy Eco-friendly products

  • Encourage your family to buy USDA organic food.
  • Encourage your family to use non-chemical cleaners.

Advocate for Environmental Friendly Laws:

Write letters to Congress to pass laws that are eco-friendly.  Several organizations provide sample letters.

Issue:  The Environment

Human development has often come at the price of ecological stability.  Now, human impact is causing more drastic changes than ever to our environment.  But our modern age also brings new ways of protecting the environment, and many opportunities for you to help!  The state of our environment affects the lives of every human and animal on the planet.  Global Warming, or Climate Change, is a recent phenomenon caused mostly by man-made pollution.  It is causing flooding in coastal areas, which often has fatal results.  Heat waves and droughts, which can cause human death and suffering, result from global warming.  Global Warming related heat waves in both Europe and the United States have individually caused hundreds of deaths.  A warmer climate also makes deadly diseases spread more quickly.  Droughts caused by the presence of greenhouse gasses are another negative effect of global warming on humans.  The extent of drought-ridden areas has doubled in the last forty years.  Some estimate that 150,000 people die every year from global warming related causes.  In addition, it is causing countless species of animals to become endangered or extinct.  However, the future can hold brighter and greener days, and the change can begin with you!

Organizations and More Information:

Sample letter sites:

In-depth Projects:

  • Start a recycling project in your school lunchroom.  Set up containers and a central collection center.  Organize transporting the materials to a recycling center.
  • Start a program at your school where teams of kids go to the homes of seniors to help them make their houses more environmentally friendly.  You could set up recycling bins, switch their light bulbs to the Compact Fluorescent ones, or otherwise help them to make their home greener.
  • Community Service:  Many communities have community clean-up programs where you can help clean up trash and sort it into the appropriate recycling containers.  Also, some communities have programs where you can plant trees, help clear out invasive weeds, and do other things to help make your local environment healthier.  For more information, contact your city council, community center, or your school administration members.
  • Go on a Sierra Club National outing, week-long trips to various parts of North America where you can help clean up trails, save whales, and do other green activities.  Sierra Outings
  • Go on an Earthwatch expedition to a rainforest, a coral reef, or a variety of other natural habitats to participate in environmental projects. Earthwatch Expedition
  • Go on a World Wildlife Fund Service trip (about one to two weeks long) to help keep the endangered species of our planet alive .  WWF Service 
  • Go on a United Planet Environmental Service trip.  They go all over the world and take anywhere from a week up to a number of weeks:  United Planet Service