In April, Earth Promise posted a blog on various Earth Day activities that some schools conducted. Del Prado Elementary in Boca Raton, Florida had a variety of effortless activities going on. One day was dedicated to making Earth Promises and posting them as they wish on their classrooms doors or bulletin boards. Below are some of the fabulous ideas. (To view individual pictures click on the specific photo. To zoom in click on the photo again or hit back to return to the Earth Promise blog page):
Posts Tagged ‘earth day’ |
Happy Earth Day!Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 Everyone at Earth Promise wishes you a Happy Earth Day! Enjoy the day and celebrate our planet. Most importantly continue to care for her. Today, I will not use my words but those of others. Found a few quotes that I thought would be enlightening on this special day. “Earth Day is the first completely international and universal holiday that the world has ever known. Every other holiday was tied to one place, or some political or special event. This day is tied to Earth itself, and to the place of Earth in the whole solar system.” “Let every individual and institution now think and act as a responsible trustee of Earth, seeking choices in ecology, economics and ethics that will provide a sustainable future, eliminate pollution, poverty and violence, awaken the wonder of life and foster peaceful progress in the human adventure.” “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, “Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.” “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” |
Earth Day 2010: Disneynature’s OCEANS – Donations Made to Save Coral ReefsTuesday, April 20th, 2010 Last year at this time, Disneynature, celebrated Earth Day 2009 with the incredible debut of their movie EARTH. This was an adaptation from the award winning series “Planet Earth” series from The BBC and Discovery Channel. This year, they are releasing OCEANS, a second installment of the series to ring in Earth Day 2010.
The film comes out this Thursday, April 22nd. Not that you need an added incentive to see this film, but during the opening week, Disneynature will make a donation to save coral reefs for every person who attends Oceans. They did a similar deed last year when EARTH was release by planting a tree for each ticket sold. Millions of trees were planted during that week and continue to be planted ever since.
Please forward this link on to others who might be interested. Every ticket sold will have a positive impact in the efforts to help save coral reef around the world. |
Earth Day Activities – Teach Your Children WellWednesday, April 14th, 2010 There are many ways we can make changes, whether small or large, that can have a positive influence on the environment. From simply recycling to putting solar panels on the roof of your home….it all makes a difference. All steps you take help. Earth Promise was developed with the idea of tracking one’s changes but also as a tool to both learn from other members as well as teach others. As we make these changes individually, it is important to teach, inform and inspire others. What better way then in our schools. Whether a student is in kindergarten or in college, they can each learn about changes they can make for the environment and which have an impact on helping our earth. With the 40th anniversary of Earth Day coming up next week, we ask that parents, teachers and everyone involved with schools, help teach and promote the importance and awareness of Earth Day. Below are programs that two schools are doing over the next week which are inspiring examples of teaching students about the issues and helping the cause. Promote change among students. Come up with a plan to help the environment. Make Earth Day 2010 special for our students.
Del Prado Elementary School – Boca Raton, Florida
The celebration of Earth Dayis right around the corner. It is a time when people around the world hold events to honor our planet and to remind everyone to love and care for the Earth. At Del Prado Elementary, what better way to honor Mother Earth than to celebrate the days leading up to the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Starting Monday, April 19th through Thursday April 22nd, there will be activities that promote environmental awareness. These will provide the students with the idea that “Every day is Earth Day”. Monday, April 19th—Write the change you will make on the Earth Promise wall located on your classroom door. There are many little things we can do to make a big difference, so make sure your promise is something you haven’t done yet. Most of us recycle by now, so talk about some new ideas with your family and share them with us. Then the top 5 classes, based on content, visual and uniqueness will get posted on the Earth Promise website! (http://www.earthpromise.com) Tuesday, April 20th—If you bring your lunch, let’s make it a waste-free lunch day by using only reusable containers, thermoses, reusable water bottles and cloth napkins. Say NO to the single-serving packaged foods or juice boxes/pouches on Tuesday! (Check out www.kidskonserve.com) Wednesday, April 21st– Pick up at least one piece of trash from the school grounds and put it in the garbage or recycling bin. Thursday, April 22nd– Wear an Earth related t-shirt to school (i.e. a recycling logo/environmental slogan on it). Together, we will be a caring and positive voice for the environment.
Linden Avenue Elementary School – Glen Ridge, New Jersey CELEBRATE WATER DAY! The Community Service Committee is proud to announce Water Day on Earth Day, April 22nd and the Linden Avenue Dime Collection In honor of Earth Day we will be focusing on the importance of water, one of our most precious resources. We will be talking about ways in which we can help conserve and protect our sources of water and how we can help children around the world who do not have access to clean drinking water. This week, Linden Avenue children will be introduced to the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program and the PUR Packet®. One packet can turn 10 liters (or approximately 2.5 gallons) of dirty water into safe, clean drinking water. And each packet is only 10¢. Go to www.csdw.org for details about the program and to see the demonstration your children will see at school. Help us provide children around the globe with clean, safe drinking water by donating to the LINDEN AVENUE DIME COLLECTION (yes, we only want dimes!) So, clean out those sofa cushions, check the car seats and shake down those piggy banks!
Dimes will be collected Thursday, April 22nd – Friday, April 30th.
Caring Together
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Our Future Green VisionariesThursday, March 25th, 2010 It is definitely debatable as to when and what started the environmental movement. Some may say May 28, 1892, when the Sierra Club met for the first time to discuss the potential boundary reduction of Yosemite National Park. Others may believe it was in 1962 when Senator Gaylord Nelson, Founder of Earth Day, planted the “seed” for Earth Day, in President Kennedy’s head. Others may suggest it was the publication of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. Today, it really does not matter when it started, who started it and what they did. What does matter is that it is significant enough that the idea that our environment is valuable and needs to be cared for. We can undoubtedly say that over the years, environmentalism has become a powerful force in American culture. There have been ongoing efforts to educate the public in terms of how to use our natural resources without depleting them. It used to be that terms such as “hippie,” or “tree hugger” were used to describe only those interested in respecting the environment. A cultural shift has been happening: a new generation of environmentalists is being born, creating a shift in thinking and practice. Many of today’s youth have embraced environmental protection as a priority, and they are no longer dubbed hippies. And the hippies who did start this, are now thought of as visionaries.
Earth Promise: Tell me about Tap In; how and when it was started and who is involved in its growth. Tap In: Tap In was first created in the fall of 2009 when our teacher, Mrs. Gates, ask if we wanted to start an environmental program. All of us go to Loggers Run Middle School and are in 7th grade. We are very close friends and loved the idea of starting an eco-friendly program together. We brainstormed several ideas, but we wanted something that kids our age could relate to. We were all guilty of grabbing a water bottle and heading for school or sports activities. We knew that all this plastic waste could not be good for the environment. We developed a program that promoted the use of TAP water IN reusable water bottles. EP: Is this an after-school club or do you work on this on your own free time? TI: We do Tap In on our own free time. We have meetings at our houses after school and on weekends. We are constantly thinking of new ways to share Project Tap In with others. We are always adding and making changes to our website. We thought this would be a “little” project that would take a “little time”. However, we are becoming more and more active promoting our program and spreading the word about the dangers of disposable water bottles. We have visited Eco-fairs, met with politicians and educators, been interviewed by radio stations and magazines. We love what Tap In has become! EP: I see you have developed a fabulous website, TapinBottle.com. Who designed it and keeps it current? TI: TapInBottle.com was created as a group effort with all members contributing their special talents. We started by conducting an education experiment in 5 classrooms. After recording great success, we felt the need to share our work with other schools. We couldn’t afford to distribute the information by mail or in person. So, we started with a free web site called Yola (we learned about it last year in Girl Scouts). This was met with great success. As our program grew, we decided to buy a domain name that was easier to market. Now, we have www.TapInBottle.com which is a work in progress. We are continually making improvements to our site. We have added more educational tools, music videos, interviews, pictures, special graphics, and a visitor counter to name a few. EP: Tap In offers “Instructions” so that others can implement your project at their schools. Can you elaborate on this? TI: The instructions tab on our website has everything you need to start Tap In. Tap In is comprised of many teaching techniques. We used videos, speeches, displays, competitions, raffles, and even surveys. All these tools are available for free at www.TapInBottle.com . We hope that kids around the world will use our program in their classrooms. EP: Do you go to other schools or venues to talk about Tap In? TI: We are in the process of scheduling a meeting with the school board. We want to receive their support in distributing Tap In throughout Palm Beach County Schools. Due to the website, we can have a school start a Tap In program anywhere in the world, without us going there ourselves. However, we are offering assistance via our comments page and email address at info@TapInBottle.com . EP: What changes, or Earth Promises as we call them, have all of you made in your lives to be greener? Changes in home, travel, school, and your community… TI: We have all strived to make environmentally friendly changes. We now understand the difference an easy change can make on our environment. We have all made different types of changes – depending on lifestyle and budget. Some of the changes are: EP: What was your first, “aha!” Green moment? TI: All of us have different experiences regarding our first “aha!” green moment! Our list includes: realizing how much water is wasted with just a small leak, taking reusable grocery bags shopping, and the importance of reusing and maximize every product we buy. We have a reanalyzed our habits and have decided to avoid garbage pile up whenever possible. EP: Sometimes if a message is played over too much, people will tend to ignore it after a while or tune it out or turn against it. How can “green” leaders, like yourselves, be more effective in making sure we are relevant but not overbearing? TI: We believe that our website is a great solution to a large problem. If visitors want to be a part of the solution, they can participate privately or actively (by incorporating the program at their school). However, we understand that not everyone is willing to change their behavior and be environmentally friendly. Green leaders need to change their goals with the times. Recycle, recycle, recycle was the slogan of the 80’s and 90’s. But, the best solution is not buying unnecessary disposable items that will pile-up in our landfills. TI: Everyone has their own environmental pet peeves. Our groups’ main peeve is seeing people buy and drink expensive water in harmful disposable bottles. Another environmental pet peeve of ours is when people litter. It seems like a lazy and disrespectful action that says “I don’t care about the environment”. It’s really frustrating that people don’t take care of the only planet we have.
EP: I hear Tap In won an environmental award. That sounds exciting, tell me about it . TI: We are currently entering a national eco-competition. We have lots of ideas for our schools winnings. For example, our current water fountains are original to the school and not very appealing. We hope to win money so the school can purchase new filtered water fountains and reusable water bottles for all the students. We think new filtered-water fountains will further promote the use the reusable water bottles. The teachers would also like to have smart-boards to reduce the use of handouts and paper in the classrooms. EP: While we are being hurt by the climate crisis right now, your generation is in big trouble if we don’t take action. How can educators, like yourselves, inspire others to be involved and help the environment? TI: The best way to spread the word about helping the environment is through education. If we can change a student’s mind about an environmental cause they will go home and educate their family. This domino effect has been proven to work for Tap In. We also try to lead by example and through social websites like Facebook. If logical and simple solutions are offered people will change their wasteful behavior. And if they can save money, even better! EP: What message would you give others who want to spread their eco-ideas? TI: The best way to spread eco-ideas is to be positive and persistent. Show your friends and family how easy it is to go green. Gather a group of people with similar interests and try different approaches. Set yourself as a role model to emulate. We always bring our reusable water bottles to school and have them with us on the weekends. Never give up! EP: Who do you believe are the influential “green leaders” today? TI: There are so many green leaders today. A few of our favorites are: – author Chris Baskind, (read our interview on our website), Al Gore, Leonardo Dicaprio- DiCaprio Foundation to promote environmental issues and producing “11th Hour” about global warming, Ed Begley Jr. and his “Living with Ed” show, Dave Matthews Band –involved with tree plantings and wind turbine construction to offset the CO2 emissions from their tour bus and Brad Pitt-co –creator of environmentally friendly homes. There are many green celebrities such as Coldplay, Pink, Rihanna,Chris Rock, Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne, Jay Leno and John Mayer. Anybody could be a green leader, from the youngest children to the oldest adults. EP: What is the one Earth Promise you are going to make in the future that you have not done yet? TI:We have a list of Earth Promises which include not sleeping with the TV on, activating the sleep mode on the computer and letting the natural light in and the light bulbs off, using reusable food containers instead of disposable plastic baggies. EP: Thank you, and the best of luck! |
A group of middle school girls from Boca Raton, Florida recognized the need for student involvement in environmental affairs. They witnessed the apathy among their peers as well as their parents’ generation regarding the mindless purchasing and disposal of plastic water bottles. As a result, they have taken the initiative to spread the word through a program cleverly coined, 
Lights Out on March 27, 2010Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 Just imagine: everyone globally taking part in an effortless task that makes a noble statement. Simply turning out the lights for one hour. This bold gesture sheds light on the draconian effects of climate change: rising global temperatures, more frequent droughts and flooding, rising sea levels, glacier meltings, change of ecosystems, etc . Everywhere around our big blue marble on March 27th, from 8:30 to 9:30pm, make a stand and take part in Earth Hour and flip the switch. • Empire State Building So mark it on your calendar: March 27th, 8:30pm. Enjoy the darkness knowing you are part of the global effort to raise awareness about climate change. For more detailed information on how you can get your city involved in Earth Hour, visit, My Earth Hour. Also let your children in on the global action. Earth Hour Kids invites children and teens to participate in this climate changing event as well. |
Earth Hour began three years ago capturing the world’s attention
FLOW:For Love of WaterTuesday, February 2nd, 2010 “This notion that we will have water forever is wrong” “It’s not a democratic issue; it’s not a republican issue; it’s a people issue…” “CAN ANYONE REALLY OWN WATER?”
Irena Salina, a French native and documentary filmmaker, builds a case against the growing privatization of the world’s dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.
To learn more about Salina’s inspired, yet unsettling documentary, visit http://www.flowthefilm.com/ To watch the tailer, click here |
World Water CrisisThursday, January 21st, 2010
Let’s take something as indispensable as water, whether it be for drinking or bathing. I was listening to NPR early this morning and one company, Shelterbox.org, sponsored by service clubs such as Rotary Clubs, has been sending large sealed boxes containing various contents (depending on the disaster ) to Haiti. The Shelterboxes are providing Haitians with such items such as tents, blankets, mats and water purifying tablets. Although each item included in the Shelterbox is greatly appreciated and used, the water tablets are invaluable. “water purification tablets or a water purification kit; and one 5 gallon flat-pack water container (Each tablet will purify a full container of water providing 1,800 gallons of clean drinking water which should be sufficient for a family of ten for up to three months).” It is difficult to fathom that a first world countries’ water supply is waning. It is easy to push these gloomy thoughts to lesser developed countries, like Haiti, Africa, or India. Although we constantly hear that three quarters of the earth’s surface is covered by water, you would think the process of the water cycle would allow the balance of water on the earth to remain constant. The big problem is that we are consuming and utilizing water faster than Mother Nature can replenish for us. Over the past years, the environmental movement has focused more on the emissions of greenhouse gasses, air pollution, pesticides in our food, and trying to eliminate plastics from our daily routine compared to our dwindling water supply. But if you do some research, water is inextricably linked to all of the above. We need to stop using more water and take the time to figure out how to use less. Here are some water crisis activists that we admire. Some have even been featured on our Earth Promise blogs and interviews: Christopher Swain, who is creating a healthy ocean planet through education. Alexandra Cousteau “a globally recognized advocate on water quality and policy, continues the work of her renowned grandfather Jacques Yves and father Philippe Cousteau. At 32, she has already mastered the remarkable storytelling tradition handed down to her through the generations, and has the unique ability to draw audiences into the weighty issues of policy, politics, and action. Alexandra is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and a CNN International Principal Voice, a graduate of Georgetown University, and a lifelong explorer and activist. She established Blue Legacy in 2008, an organization dedicated to inspiring people around the world to take action on critical water issues.” A young student from Dubai International School travelled to the India-Bangladesh border to raise awareness about water conservation. He made a short video clip illustrating, via photos, the devastating effects of un-sanitized water. His goal is to make people empathize through his captivating photography. He states, “They bathe, they drink, they excrete and they urinate in the exact same pond or lake…” Unfortunately, the photos this young student took could have been in any one of the many poor countries in the world. It is time to truly look at how we use (or shall I say, waste?) water. How long are we in the shower? By now, it should be second nature to brush our teeth without the faucet running. What do we do with that half consumed water bottle? Are your sprinklers on a timer? Try to imagine your life without a clean water supply: how will you flush your toilets, bathe, wash dishes, water your plants? Earth Promise offers a plentitude of simple ideas on how you can reduce your water consumption. But more needs to be done. The disaster in Haiti has given a new focus to our water crisis. Time to do your research: not only make an effort to lessen your water consumption but see how you can participate in creating safe water supplies in developing countries. Below are some sites that offer such information: |
It is so easy to take everyday essentials for granted: I am fortunate to be able to wake up in my own bed, with a roof over my head; there is fresh food in my refrigerator and I have plenty of clean water to drink and bathe with. As of recently, we are reminded daily (hourly?!) of these necessities to live; especially following the shocking earthquake that has turned Haiti upside down. (The other day
Wrap-n-Mat Gets a Thumbs Up!Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 For as long as my girls have been in school, I (on occasion they, too) pack their lunches. Over the years, I have purchased diverse types of reusable containers and yes, I’ll admit, even used the Zip Lock baggies. The first of my reusable purchases was this fabulous cube-like contraption from the Container Store called the Klip Lunch cube . I bought mine over 4 years ago, which only came in a clear color. Now you can choose from a variety of colors and it touts that it is BPA free. It is a bit bulky, so finding the right lunch box can be a challenge. Also, with the worry regarding plastics, this may not be an option for you.
Clean up was easy! The few crumbs (and crust) left in the Wrap-n-Mat were tossed (into your compost if you have!) and then with a wet cloth wiped clean. Viola! My girls and I really love the Wrap-n-Mat. Not only is it perfect for school lunches, but also for the beach, picnics or wherever you bring your lunch or snacks. This dual purpose product (reusable food container–good for the earth and placemat—good to keep germ-free) is perfect. What a safe feeling knowing your child’s lunch is not sitting directly on his/her desk or lunch table! For more information, visit Wrap-n-Mat |
An Important Reminder About Mercury LevelsWednesday, September 16th, 2009
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Kudos to my blogging comrade, Stefani Newman, who now writes for Seventh Generation’s 
