Archive for eco education
Oregon adds an ‘Environmental Literacy Plan’ to state curriculum
Posted by: | CommentsWhile enviromental matters for the public are so often a case of ‘do some research and see what you can find out’ there is probably a better approach for the long term and that might begin with environmental education for the kids who are going to inherit the long term legacy we leave behind. The state of Oregon has become the first governing body to put such a plan into action with the introduction of a statewide ‘environmental literacy plan’ for all students all the way through high school. The plan will involve integrating an array of ‘outdoor learning 
opportunities’ to mesh within the existing school curriculum. The plan has been on the drawing table since January and the launch makes Oregon just the third state to create such a program joining Maryland and Nebraska in this new approach.
Traci Price of who is behind the Environmental Literacy Task Force added:
“As the third state to draft an environmental literacy plan, I was honored to work on behalf of the State of Oregon, a longtime leader in environmental and sustainability practices. The task force really came together around this issue and remains committed to seeing it through.”
State Representative Peter Buckley, co-sponsor of the No Oregon Child Left Inside Act shared his thoughts:
“I would like to thank the task force for its dedication to the development of Oregon’s first environmental literacy plan. Your success has paved the way for an Oregon in which every child possesses a knowledge of and respect for our shared environment”
Statistics prove that the youth of today spend less time outdoors than any previous generation and backers of the program cite the importance of engaging students with the world outside and understanding more about the environment and resource management, across the board.
Because today’s youth are spending less time outside than any other time in this nation’s history, proponents of environmental education have long voiced the importance of connecting students to the natural world, as they will be charged with addressing decisions regarding natural resources. They state that including these fundamentals in the process of ones education will better equip our youth with not just the desire to face environmental matter but the tools with which to do so. The plan states that upon graduation students with show a proficiency in each of these areas:
- Understand the physical and biological world and our interdependent relationship with it
- Understand and apply systems thinking concepts and tools
- Understand one’s relationship to the local, regional, national and global community
- Investigate options for, plan and create a sustainable future
- Understand and achieve personal and civic responsibility
In theory it sounds like a logical and worthy approach, I’m sure we will see it become the standard educational practice in the years ahead. The full details of Oregon’s environmental literacy plan make for some really uplifting reading and I encourage you to have a look at the pdf link provided here and let me know what you think.
Tags: eco education, enviromental literacy program, environmental issues, Environmental Literacy Task Force, environmental practices, freshwater trust, freshwater trust.org, green education, No Oregon Child Left Inside Act, planet forward, sustainable choicesKids Today Schooled On Green Living
Posted by: | Comments
Planet Forward recently delivered a green living workshop on waste-free lunches to school kids in the local community. What amazed me most was just how much they already knew – for 11-year-olds, they were more educated on the environment than most of my neighbors. I find it very encouraging that today’s youth is concerned with the protection of the planet and more importantly, that they recognize that knowledge is power and they were there to learn.
The workshop was part of the Eco-league Youth Forum and Learning for a Sustainable Future – a non-profit organization created to integrate sustainability education into the classroom . Our job was to educate and hopefully inspire kids to change their own habits as well as those of their parents and families, at school and at home.
When we asked the students how many of their families recycled, all kids proudly raised their hands. When we asked who knew what a waste-free lunch was – all the hands shot up again. These kids were eager and their responses were not only correct, but well-informed. I was surprised at the level of participation from the class – when I was their age, truthfully, I kind of hid at the back of the classroom and avoided participating in classroom discussion whenever possible. These kids were intelligent and attentive. Some of the kids even showed up with reusable bottles, one girl had a SIGG bottle which I examined in case she had the version lined with trace BPA, fortunately, she had the new one.
Our workshop focused on zero waste lunches. We brought Planet Forward sustainable stainless steel bottles and reusable lunch bags, added a reusable cloth napkin, real cutlery and a reusable container to demonstrate how easy it was to pack a waste-free lunch. It literally is seconds of effort with zero packaging and zero waste – a true waste-free lunch. The numbers speak for themselves, so to help educate, we relied on some of the details featured in my previous blog called ‘10 Disturbing facts on how much we waste‘.
Tags: Bottled Water, carbon emissions, eco awareness, eco education, environmental awareness, Evian, Fossil Fuels, Green Living, lunch bag, Neoprene lunch bag, planet forward, preserve fossil fuels, reduce waste, reusable bags, reusable bottles, reusable lunch bag, reusable lunch tote, reusable water bottles, stainless steel bottles, sustainability, sustainable bags, sustainable bottles, sustainable education, sustainable products, sustainable stainless steel bottles, waste-free lunch, zero-waste lunch
Green Gazette (Issue 6) choices, diapers, green pizza and parking
Posted by: | CommentsGood Evening, I hope this post finds you in the middle of a very enjoyable weekend wherever you may be. The Green Gazette rolls on as I become Peter Pan in my youthful quest for news of a green variety. (not sure about the Peter Pan reference but he wore green and never got old…or climbed a beanstalk…or something). There are some good tales to share tonight so please read on.
Being eco-friendly has (usually) received positive press and almost all 
efforts are appreciated. Even if your neighbour doesn’t cheer on your daily decisions you can be safe in the knowledge that the planet will benefit and the generations to come will do the same. But (and there’s always a but) you have to be careful not to overdo things. Being eco-active has to stay within the laws of the land or you might end up in a situation like Jeffrey Luers. Remember his name? Back in 2001 he went to jail for being an ‘eco-sabateur’ more specifically he was an arsonist who lit various vehicles and a petroleum tanker on fire to protest on behalf of green issues. Needless to say that resulted in a stiff sentence of 22 years. Anyway, he is back in the news for being released from prison but then going straight back into confinement. An interesting story that’s worth a read. Moral of the story – be green, but not naive! Purchasing a stainless steel bottle is just as worthy and has no risk of jail time for you!
When I was recently in Southern California I was impressed with the number
of hybrid cars, eco-initiatives and a general awareness of the environment. There’s a lot to be said for taking a stand and I see it now comes from more and more unlikely places. For example in gorgeous Santa Monica a pizza parlour is taking a stance that even the classic pizza shop can be green. Pizza Fusion is the restaurant and if your slogan is:
“Saving The Earth One Pizza at a Time”
You had best be able to back it up….and they do. I’d love to see other pizza houses do this. All deliveries in hybrid vehicles, discounts for customers who return pizza boxes for recycling, LEED certified, providing employees with 100% organic clothing, an eco-class for children once a month and much much more (the list on the site is really impressive). Best of all the company is winning awards for the most important aspect, the pizza tastes brilliant. Better still they are opening franchises all over the USA.
From delicious food I have to make an uncomfortable transition to nappies, or as they are probably known to most reading the blog – diapers. Can diapers be green? (I don’t mean the contents). The answer is of course yes, they used to be back in the old days. Prior to 1961 (I did my homework) there was no such thing as disposable diapers and the waste (pun intended) that goes with them. In the UK a local government district is offering a free two week introduction and full supplies to get you started as well with a method that goes back many years – washable diapers. Eco-friendly fully organic cotton diapers are becoming very popular in the UK it seems and I wonder if this will spread? Read this and ask yourself if you would? (assuming you’ve a baby nearby)
A spokesman said: “Washable nappies are better for your baby, better for your finances and better for the environment.
“They are now even easier to use than ever and they don’t need safety pins.” (I need to understand this….*addendum Velcro, of course!!)
Finally here is a radical idea but I can see it taking shape in Europe though I’m not sure how well it would be greeted elsewhere. Richmond (in London)
has introduced a parking charge that is directly linked to the emissions rating of your vehicle. The greener your car the lower your parking rates. Cynics will cite it as just another way to increase revenue streams (many countries already determine road tax based your road tax on engine size) but I applaud it. Considering fuel efficiency in North American has barely changed in 25 years although the technology is in place more needs to be done. So many engine improvements and efficiencies are offset by vehicles being 25-40% heavier than they were a generation ago. Some people won’t mind paying the extra taxes and surcharges but the true goal is reduction in emissions – and that has to be a good thing. Europe is also offering an advanced rebate program (similar to the US) to get vehicles more than 10 years old off of the roads entirely.
That’s all for now.
Tags: carbon emissions, eco activisim, eco decisions, eco diapers, eco education, eco nappies, eco pizza, Eco-friendly organic cotton, eco-sabateur, green diapers, green pizza, jeffrey luers, LEED, LEED certification, organic clothing, pizza fusion, planet forward, recyling, reusable diapers, stainless steel bottle, stainless steel water bottles, sustainable product, vehicle emissions
