Courage – Citizens Organizing Unified Responsibility for Actively Giving to the Environment

The Sustainable Endowments Institute has issued the 2008 College Sustainability Report Card, a review of the sustainability activities at the colleges with the 200 largest endowments in the country. You may be asking why this is important when discussing college admissions. The “green” movement has been increasing in this country particularly in the past 10 years and with good reason. The colleges listed in this report card are educating many of the future leaders of this country and having a background in sustainability is critical. As importantly, many students are interested in becoming personally involved in sustainability issues either on a personal level or related to future employment.

The level at which a college is concerned about sustainability is one of the issues that may be important to a particular student in finding the right college for their needs. While such issues as size and location of a college are more obvious, it is the little issues like this that often make the difference between a student finding the best college for their needs and finding an OK college.

Post from: College Admissions Counseling

Source: College Admissions Counseling

While recycling itself is a worthwhile endeavor, when intertwined with charitable organizations, its power for good is taken to far greater heights.

A perfect example has been under way in St. Petersburg, Fla., for several years now. By picking up used paper donated by various companies and eventually hauling it to a local paper company, a developmental training program is helping build better lives for its mentally handicapped trainees.

“It’s really been exciting — much more far-reaching than we ever expected,” said Kathy Roegiers, manager of the local Goodwill Industries’ program. “It has allowed our trainees to be more a part of the community, rather than a burden, which is the ultimate goal for our program.”

When the recycling idea was first conceived, most paper companies told Goodwill that the amount of paper was too small for them to deal with, Roegiers said. However, one local paper company said it would start referring all its smaller customers to Goodwill.

This simple effort made the project happen. Soon company after company was calling to donate used paper to the training program. Today, more than 100 companies take part in the project.

Between the Goodwill’s transportation department and the trainees, all the paper is picked up at the participating companies and brought back for sorting. Goodwill drivers coordinate paper pick-ups on their regular routes to collect used items, Roegiers said, while the trainees travel in their own bus to pick up the rest of the paper.

The training program provides mentally handicapped individuals with paid work experience in preparation for eventual community jobs. The recycling project has been a perfect addition because it teaches trainees social skills when they go out to pick up the paper, Roegiers said. It also has provided them with plenty of physical activity due to the continual and substantial flow of paper.

“The need out there for someone to pick this paper up is tremendous,” Roegiers said. “A lot of people are interested in donating if it will just get picked up. It’s done us a lot of good.”

In another example, a group of Ohio grocery stores recently held an aluminum can drive, with all proceeds going to benefit the Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland.

At the Square to Square street festival, which attracts upwards of 300,000 people to downtown Cleveland each year, Stop-N-Shop grocery stores set up a collection site with ALCOA, and awarded a $1,000 gift certificate to the person who brought in the most cans.

Held in conjunction with the national Children’s Miracle Network Telethon, the event was an Ohio approach to raise money for its local children’s hospital, said Harry Graham, executive director of Stop-N-Shop.

“Our intent was to help clean up area neighborhoods, sponsor a recycling effort and raise funds for a worthwhile cause,” he said.

With similar activities being developed and undertaken in other parts of the country, recycling and charity will continue to be a powerful union — benefiting both the environment and society.

(Tip/Stat) Recycling one ton of office paper will save 17 trees.

Technorati Tags: recycling, environment, charity, charitable programs, earth news, environmental issues, earth news media

Source: Charitable Programs

American children today face many problems that could cripple them for life. Drugs, education and the environment — just to name a few.

But in these times of limited finances, where will our society put its priorities? Unfortunately, the government’s solutions are not always prompt or effective. And while the problems worsen, the remedies become more and more costly.

Parents, however, can take charge of the situation. By giving their children an environmental education, parents can mold a pro-active force to face the challenges that lie ahead.

Teaching your children to be environmentally sensitive can accomplish several things:

–It can instill in them a sense of wonder and honor for the environment, something that will benefit them the rest of their lives. The sooner children get an environmental education the better.

– It means quality time together. Whether you are planning activities or actually studying, the process can bring your family closer together.

– It’s a perfect way to improve your child’s learning skills. By trying different teaching methods and motivators, such as hands-on experiments, reading assignments or contests, you’ll discover which are most effective. Who knows, your teaching skills may improve their performance at school.

– When your children are ready, put them in charge of the household ecology program. It can help teach them responsibility, and maybe even give you a break.

Along those same lines, starting a “family eco fund” through conservation and recycling efforts around the house will directly involve your children in environmental issues. You can teach them the rewards of an environmentally aware lifestyle with this special savings account for their college education or future needs.

Encourage the family to add to the fund with recycling revenue and conservation savings. For example, if the utility bill averages $100 per month, challenge the family to reduce it. Every time the bill is less than the old average, put the savings into the “eco fund.”

For more information on starting your family’s environmental education program, you can write to:

Kids for Saving Earth
P.O. Box 47247
Plymouth, MN 55447-0247

National Recycling Coalition
1101 30th St.
Washington, D.C. 20007
(202) 625-6406

Creative Printing and Publishing
712 N. Highway 17-92
Longwood, FL 32750
1 (800) 780-4447

Once you get started, your kids will probably come up with plenty of new ideas. And the whole process may end up continuing your environmental education as well.

(Tip/Stat) Carbon dioxide was discovered in 1755.

Technorati Tags: earth news, earth news media, eco-education, environmental education, ecology, environmental education, kids for saving earth, recycling, conservation, family eco fund

Source: Environmental Education

Learning about ways to help the environment is one thing. Turning that knowledge into action is another thing altogether.

David Gershon understands this and has developed a plan to move people on to this next step by turning their awareness into action.

Gershon’s Global Action Plan for the Earth (GAP) involves a six-month program to bring households into environmental balance. The plan also entails forming eco-teams among groups of 10 or 12 neighbors, friends or family members to work together in completing the program.

“Earth Day woke everyone up,” said Gershon. “But questions arose — ‘Where do I start and does what I do make a difference?’– so I built this program aimed at those questions.”

Gershon has written a workbook outlining various ways households can make a difference. The book is broken into six different sections, each describing a month’s worth of tasks to help the environment.

During the first month, an eco-team looks at reducing their garbage. Month two, homewoners consider water efficiency and delve into changing both plumbing fixtures and water-wasting habits. Other topics include boosting home energy efficiency, improving transportation practices, being an environmental consumer and, during the sixth and final month, empowering others.

During a pilot program, 500 U.S. households went through the program, Gershon said. Another 500 are in the middle of the GAP workbook now, and currently programs are being developed in Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the Soviet Union and Great Britain.

The final piece in GAP’s overall program involves feedback. Results from the actions of all eco-teams will be collected and compiled. To that end, Cray Research, a Minneapolis-based computer company, is building an environmental-feedback data system for GAP.

“With the feedback, we can know that our actions are actually helping,” Gershon said. “And that exposure will empower further action by demonstrating that progress toward global goals is possible — and that it is happening.”

Cray Research also has ordered 5,000 GAP workbooks for its employees. The company is the first major corporation to commit itself to the GAP program, Gershon said.

“Cray Research’s leadership in this area provides an exciting opportunity for us to again set standards for other corporations to follow,” said Rick Magyar, an engineering writer with the firm.

In another effort to spread the word about GAP, Whole Foods Markets, a natural foods supermarket chain based in Austin, Texas, has purchased 10,000 workbooks to distribute through its stores. Still more possibilities for distribution are in the works, Gershon added.

“The program is designed as a tool to move the wheel,” he said. “We want to make it available to all environmentally oriented groups. I see it expanding exponentially over the years.”

GAP is a non-profit organization, funded through grants, donations and sales of its workbooks. For more information, write the Global Action Plan, 57A Krumville Road, Olivebridge, NY, 12491. Or call (914) 657-8081.

(Tip/Stat) Recycled aluminum requires about 90 percent less energy to produce than when using virgin materials.

Technorati Tags: earth news, home energy, energy efficiency, environmental actions, earth news media, earth day, global action plans, eco-friendly, greenhouses, eco-team

Source: Earth News