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 ‘green changes’ |
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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Challenge Idea: Find News Online Or Swap Paper EditorialsFriday, February 26th, 2010 It’s nice to be on the email lists of various bloggers. Reduce Footprints, which I have mentioned in previous posts, is one of my favorites. Many of the “green” sites today can have a pompous air, but Reduce Footprints is humbled in its approach. It provides its readers with a doable weekly challenge cleverly dubbed, Change The World Wednesdays.
This week’s challenge was suggested by our bloggy friend Heather, from Earth Promise, after reading Monday’s post on books. I think it’s a fantastic idea! Here’s her challenge: Think of all that we read on a daily basis, whether it be magazines, newspapers, books, etc. I propose that for one week we do not purchase a newspaper, magazine, book, but rather swap with someone or find your news online…… It’s a wonderful challenge! Thanks, Reduce Footprints! Here are just a smattering of the responses received: • Maurie Kirschner accepted the challenge but then, the current issue of Vegetarian Times came out … and well … she caved! However, she did a few other Eco-friendly activities that day which you can read about HERE. Maurie says she failed and succeeded, all in less than an hour. I think the successes won! • EcoGrrl joined us. Once she realized that it took her 10 minutes to get through a $5.00 magazine, she decided to stop buying them. She’s also tired of receiving those unwanted news supplements so she’s calling the Oregonian and asking them to stop delivering them. • Ange found a blog that swaps magazines. She received two vintage Martha Stewart’s in exchange for a couple of French magazines … and she is offering to swap French magazines with anyone who is interested. How cool is that! She also suggested putting up a sign in a local café to start a book swap club … members swap books and hold occasional meetings to discuss what is being read. Great idea … and sounds like fun! To read all of the fabulous comments and ideas received on Reduce Footprints, click here. Here is a peek at the next Challenge: Let’s jump right into this week’s challenge! We’re going to do one more paper-reducing challenge and then, we’ll move onto something else next week (I can hear you cheering … lol). Here you are: Receiving and paying paper bills is a lot of paper and a lot of waste … not to mention resources getting the bill to and from one’s home. So, this week sign up to receive at least one paperless bill and pay it online. If you’re not sure how to do this, contact the biller for instructions. Or … If this is something you already do, please write a post about all the benefits of paying bills online. Are you willing to give it a go? |
Last week, I came up with a Challenge idea based on one of Reduce Footprints’ interesting posts. They liked it so much, they took advantage of it:
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
Special Interview with Nathan Winters – Riding Across AmericaTuesday, February 23rd, 2010 Around Earth Day 2009, Earth Promise conducted a series of interviews asking people from a number of areas questions about the environment, what they are doing to help, their thoughts on the direction government, business and organizations are going in. For all the Earth Day 2009 interviews along with others since then, click here and enjoy.
Ten months after our first interview and since he has completed his ride, we were able to interview him again and see how the experience was.
Earth Promise: So 4,300 miles later…. First off, it is an amazing accomplishment. My wife, who is an avid rider, is very jealous! As a recap, can you tell the readers again about the ride and why you did it? Nathan Winters: During the spring and summer of 2009 I took the notion of riding my bicycle across America. I would travel 4,300 miles over the course of 5 months. It was done with a very nomadic spirit and documented through social media and a very personal journal. Throughout this journey I carried a piqued curiosity into agriculture, food systems and environmental issues as I conducted a research project. I would stay, meet with and interview a very diverse group of individuals, experts and organizations from various regions across our nation. I engaged with and captured the opinions and thoughts of as many people as possible through in-depth conversations. EP: Tell me about the ride? What states did you go through? NW: I decided on the northern route in an effort to visit a few states I had not visited prior to this trek. All in all I would touch 14 states including ME,NH, VT, NY, PA, OH, MI, WI, MN, SD, ND , MT , ID, WA EP: On average, how many miles would you ride a day? NW: It varied greatly depending on who and what was in the area. For instance, when I was in the north east I found many of the communities to be fairly close to one another and often rode less than 30 miles in a day. When I was in the plains towns were often 60 miles apart and I had no choice but to ride that distance. For me a great day on the bike was 50 miles followed by good conversation and a cold beer. It is also important to note that given my nomadic spirit I would often times stay within a community for several days. So there were also plenty of times in which I would not be on the bike but rather conducting my research. EP: Tell us about some of the highlights. NW: There are honestly so many of them. I stayed and met with endless types of individuals, families and organizations. For me the biggest highlights were the times I spent on the farm. I stayed on a variety of types of farming and practices that truly allowed me to get a strong understanding for what was going on with agriculture, food and how politics, science and marketing were shaping the food chain. I can hardly describe to you how vastly different having lunch with an Amish family in comparison to doing shots of crown royal in a honky tonk with a cattle rancher. EP: See some odd things along the way? NW: There was certainly more than enough interesting encounters with people along the way. I think most of the “odd” things I had witnessed were the homemade signs that people made and planted in their front lawn. You would be surprised what people are willing to share and illustrate with a piece of plywood and a can of spray paint. EP: You did this to raise money and awareness for the Nature Conservancy. Was this a success? NW: It was a success. All of the donations were very much appreciated, collected through First Giving and went directly to the nature Conservancy. I didn’t have to handle any of the monetary responsibilities. In my eyes, giving a few thousand dollars to an organization that does wonderful work protecting the worlds ecosystems was a huge success. EP: What were some of the key concerns that people discussed as it relates to the environment? NW: I think that the major concern at this point is finding ways to go beyond the things we do in our daily life such as recycling and composting. While these small steps are helping us move forward in our daily lives the reality is that we need to change an entire paradigm in terms of the way we operate on a global scale. Many of the experts that I met with were not afraid to speak of a small window of just a few short decades before we start dealing with the consequences. That to me is alarming. EP: Any conversations really stand out? NW: So many of them touched, and influenced me. My greatest inspiration came from a man by the name of Greg David in Jefferson, Wisconsin who spoke about things I had never considered prior such as restorative agriculture and social capital. I left that visit knowing and believing that we need to put the ethics back into capitalism, create ecological capital, perform honest accounting in regards to the cost of production of goods and get involved as a community to build social capital. These are the things I now hold true to my values and hope to see become a reality as our nation and world moves forward. EP: Thinking of the environment and how people care about it, did you see differences as you went across the country? Where were some of the most environmentally conscious people you encountered? NW: Naturally, you are going to see a wide variation in the mindsets as you move across America. One thing that I found to be consistent was the influence of academia surrounding these communities. It was very interesting to see the influence in how these places developed socially, politically and economically. I witnessed a lot more compassion for mother earth and a desire for local and sustainable agriculture. These areas are places such as Burlington, VT, Ithaca, NY, Ann Arbor, MI and Missoula MT to name a few. These folks are what I would consider to be on the “tip of the antenna”. Please don’t get me wrong however. I found many hidden gems in all of the communities I visited from coast to coast. EP: I loved following your progress as you did it and the TwitPics you posted. Is there a place where all of these can be viewed? NW: The majority of the content is online at http://www.follownathan.org While I have a plethora of content that I need to add to my current platform there is more than enough on my website to keep one busy. EP: Now that the ride is over, any next steps relating to this ride? NW: I have decided to write all of this down and compile a book. I started my manuscript and I am well over halfway. This is an excellent way for me to not only share my experiences and what I learned but also a tremendous way for me to relive my journey every day. I am currently working diligently to seek out a potential publisher that would be willing to share this Endeavour with me. I am also looking into creating an innovative digital book format that would incorporate all of my video, photos and audio, giving readers the full experience from the convenience of their own home. Lately I have been participating in various press opportunities and engaging online through social media in an effort to bridge gaps between those with a difference in opinions or outlooks. EP: I asked you this before your ride and definitely interested in the answer. How did you get home? Assuming it was a little quicker than the trip out west! NW: I did in fact take an emotionally draining flight back from Seattle where I was greeted by amazing friends and followers alike. It was odd to think that I could bike for 5 months from one end of the country to the other only to fly home in 5 hours. EP: Any future rides planned? Europe? NW: I would always be on the lookout for another @follownathan journey. EP: What is the one key message that you wanted to pass along to the people you encountered on this trip as well as moving forward? NW: This is an amazing country with wonderful people who want to make this planet a better place. Please remember that it is not about you and it is not about me. It is about all of us and the tide is turning. EP: Thank you very much. Please keep us posted on your future plans. |
One of the people we had the privilege to interview was Nathan Winters. Not an actor, a politician, musician or movie director. All he did was ride his bicycle across the United States to raise for the Nature Conservancy and increase awareness regarding our environment and the importance of protecting it and caring for it. To read more about Nathan and his amazing journey, visit his site at
A Question For YouThursday, February 11th, 2010 Earth Promise would like to hear from you: “What do you do on a daily basis to help eliminate waste and to protect your environment?” |
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 |
Coffee: Not Just For A Jolt AnymoreWednesday, January 27th, 2010
• Eco exfoliant • Because you’re worth it • Slugs and snails • Furniture care To read the blog in its entirety, click here. If your daily pot of coffee doesn’t produce enough grounds to fill your garden to your liking, stop by your local Whole Foods where they (may) offer free bagged coffee grounds to take! “You can make brown dye for clothing, paper, or even eggs for Easter by steeping grounds in hot water. To find out how to dye your clothing, read this” Essortment.com suggests:
Eureka Alert wrote back in 2008, “Researchers in Nevada are reporting that waste coffee grounds can provide a cheap, abundant, and environmentally friendly source of biodiesel fuel for powering cars and trucks.” |
There is nothing more satisfying than finding new ways to use everyday products. I try to think about the items I use on a daily basis that are then tossed away. We need change our ways of thinking about what is truly waste, and what doesn’t need to be deemed as such. I’ll start with my early morning routine: after my pre-sunrise workout, I head home for my morning jolt of caffeine. Ahhhh, coffee. Nothing like the feeling of that first sip of hot coffee being fed into my bloodstream! But what to do with the remains? Now there is a product that can have many lives. Daily, I take my coffee grounds and dump them into my bushes and flower pots. ( I used to attempt to throw my grounds into the trash, but much of it would end up on the floor.) As I was looking for other coffee grounds uses, I came across, 
