This is a guest post by Peggy Smith.
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), climate change is the biggest crisis that the world faces in this generation. They point out that by protecting the environment, public health is improved, air is cleaner and water is safer.
In order to draw more attention to a safer and cleaner environment, it’s important to teach good tips to young people and show them how the benefits of being green are better for everyone.
Top Ways of Teaching Green Tips to the Next Generation
- Taking kids to a farmers market is a good way to expose them to the life of a farmer. Let your child interact with local growers. Have them ask questions about the ways the food is grown and how the farmer takes steps to protect the environment from harmful chemicals and runoff.
- Respecting our environment must be done all the time, not just when it’s convenient. “Procrastination is the thief of time”—a quote from Ed Young—sums this point up nicely. By teaching young people to be proactive with the environment, they are learning to recycle now and not wait any longer.
- Show your child how to recycle by helping them think of creative ways to reuse empty containers. Demonstrate how items like egg cartons, milk containers, popsicle sticks, bottles and shoe box containers can be repurposed for other things. A shoe box becomes a small toy box while an egg carton can separate hair ties in the bathroom. Have you child decorate the recycled item to personalize it.
- Reduce the amount of waste by using glass or plastic containers that can be washed and used again.
- Give your child the experience to learn about being green by visiting the website of the Northeast Recycling Council (NERC). You will both learn about current and completed recycling projects that are going on throughout the region and how the entire process really works.
- Show kids ways that pop culture goes green like this video about the National Basketball Association (NBA) partnering with NRDC.
How a Greener Environment is Better for Everyone
- Public health should be a concern for everyone and each company. Companies that enlist the services of vehicles to serve the public put off harmful emissions. Fleet companies can reduce air pollutants by driving vehicles powered by different power sources.
- Clean air can be had by reducing the amount of smog that goes into the atmosphere. Anyone can make clean air a reality by car pooling, investing in renewable energy and finding more ways to be energy efficient.
- According to UNICEF, nearly 768 million people do not have access to clean water and 2.5 billion people do not have property sanitation facilities. Contaminated water can cause vomiting and stomach illness. Show your kids how to recycle water and ways to keep chemicals from entering the waterways.
About the Author: Peggy Smith is a sustainability specialist from Arizona who writes about solar energy and green living.
