It’s one thing to be a good guy; individually reducing, reusing, recycling, cutting carbon, saving water….yadda yadda yadda. But it is quite another to inspire the same kind of conscientiousness in others especially in kids. There is so much about having kids that is just so unenvironmental…like diapers for example. But what can we do to raise environmentally aware kiddos?
USAWeekend offers the following seven tips:
Read your children books with Earth-friendly topics.
Good for the environment: Early lessons teach kids to act conscientiously as adults. “There’s always the classic ‘The Lorax’ by Dr. Seuss, which is about saving the trees,” says Jen Boulden, co-founder of eco-lifestyle site IdealBite.com. Two more good ones: “Our Tree Named Steve” by Alan Zweibel and “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein.
Bring your kids to the farmers market.
Good for the environment: Kids who appreciate what the Earth can provide will take better care of it.
Good for you: Free knowledge. “Farmers markets are places to learn. They’re the new public squares,” says Michael Pollan, author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” who often takes his 15-year-old son to them. “I want him to know farmers and understand that carrots are a root and not a glossy orange bullet that comes in a bag. And I want to teach him not to waste food, because he sees where it comes from and how much work goes into producing it.”
Stock up on green school supplies.
Good for the environment: According to the Environmental Protection Agency, recycled paper produces 74% less pollution and uses 64% less energy and 50% less water. Other smart items: recycled or reusable pencils, pens and notebooks.
Good for you: Save money with refillable pencils and pens. Try the Woody Pen, for example, which is made of non-toxic wood on the outside — ideal for pen chewers. The Corn Pen is biodegradable.
Use flushable diapers.
Good for the environment: Each year, 3.5 million tons of disposable diapers are put in landfills. The EPA found cloth diapers to be less expensive (even considering all the washings), but they aren’t a convenient option for most parents. The new solution? gDiapers’ flushable diapers, which are safely reabsorbed into the ecosystem (gdiapers.com).
Good for you: No buildup of stinky disposable diapers in the trash can. And no loads and loads of wash from cloth diapers.
Don’t brown-bag it.
Good for the environment: Pack a reusable insulated bag with lunches instead of a paper bag that will get thrown away (more trash!).
Good for you: “Insulated bags can be rolled up and tucked away,” Boulden says. And because they’re insulated, they’ll keep that yogurt chilled.
Take pictures of the kids with a digital camera.
Good for the environment: “We recommend going digital,” Boulden says. “Making a photo from a digital image uses fewer chemicals than making a photo from film.” Using fewer chemicals is better for the Earth.
Good for you: “With film, you’re getting all your photos printed,” she adds. “With digital, you get only the ones you want.” Plus, you can share albums with friends and family through sites such as KodakGallery.com and Snapfish.com.
Make gardening a family activity.
Good for the environment: Eating locally (i.e., from your backyard) means no gas is required to ship those blue-ribbon tomatoes (or squash, beans or lettuce).
Good for you: “Kids with exposure to gardening programs do better on science tests, do better socially and develop a sense of responsibility,” says Charlie Nardozzi, senior horticulturist with the National Gardening Association. “And they develop better eating habits.”
Here are some other good resources:
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Reusing materials to make art and crafts is a fun way to teach kids about saving money. I’m an artist and educator who backed into the reuse and recycle thing when I was teaching elementary art. My principal cut my budget from $1,000 to $250 per semester, so I resorted to using trash or solid waste as art materials. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it made me more resourceful and it stretched the kids’ imaginations, too.
In 1996, I launched The Imagination Factory, and since then, millions of people have visited, looking for inexpensive art ideas or ways to encourage kids to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Some of the activities include drawing, painting, sculpture, collage, paper mache, marbling, and crafts.
A Trash Matcher links visitors with appropriate art activities that use the solid waste they have available, and a feature called the Badge Matcher allows Brownies, Girl Scouts and their leaders to quickly locate projects that help satisfy badge requirements. Visit The Imagination Factory at http://www.kid-at-art.com/.
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