By Jay R. Calkins
The earth's resources are being stressed by human activities. Nearly every news publication we read describes seemingly insurmountable environmental problems. Many of these problems are global issues, which appear to be beyond our personal control or responsibility. Environmental issues, such as depletion of the ozone layer, greenhouse warming, sea-level rise, habitat destruction, water and air pollution, and the plight of endangered species, are a few of the problems filling the news.
Many adults and students who are concerned about the future of the planet seem to despair. What can we do as individuals to make a difference? The Earth Day motto "think globally; act locally" gives educators a model for teaching students how each person can help to slow the degradation of the earth. Teachers are among the greatest "multipliers" we have in our society. Teachers can help their students develop behaviors and activities which will help save the environment. Here are a few activities plus a list of other sources and environmental groups to contact for further information.
RECYCLING
Teachers can help students get involved with recycling at school, and students
can help their parents start recycling at home. Glass, aluminum, paper and
plastic can be separated and returned to recycling centers in many communities.
If your community doesn't have a recycling center, start one. Curb-side
pick-up is also available in some communities. Your class can use recycling
as a fund-raising activity. Most recycling centers pay for recyclable material
by the pound.
How does recycling help the earth? Recycling keeps cans, bottles, paper and plastic out of our already full landfills. Recycling saves energy reducing our dependence on fossil fuels such as coal and oil. By burning less fossil fuels, which are non-renewable resources, we will have less air pollution. If materials are recycled, they do not foul our beaches, waterways and forests.
STOP LITTERING
Many kinds of litter are not only eyesores but dangers to wildlife. Discarded
plastics end up in the water and are responsible for the deaths of fish,
sea birds, sea turtles and marine mammals.
- Sponsor an art contest depicting the hazards of litter to marine life.
- Organize a trip to the coast to help with Beachsweep, a national program
to clean litter from coastal beaches. For information on Beachsweep in your
state contact: The Center for Marine Conservation, 1725 DeSales Street N.W.,
Washington, DC 20036.
REDUCE POLLUTION
- Walk or ride bikes.
- Carpool with friends to school functions.
BUY WISELY
- Avoid buying prepackaged articles whenever possible. Packaging makes up
1/3 of the garbage sent to landfills.
- Ask for paper bags instead of plastic. Paper comes from trees, which are
a renewable resource. Reuse your paper bags and bring canvas bags to carry
groceries.
- Avoid Styrofoam packaging. Styrofoam is not biodegradable and the production
process contributes to the loss of our ozone layer.
- Rather than discarding old toys, books and magazines, share them with
a friend or have a yard sale. Also many household goods can be donated to
Goodwill, Salvation Army, homeless shelters and other charitable organizations
in your community.
CONSERVATION RESOURCES
Many organizations - state, federal and non-profit - are involved with conservation
of coastal resources. A number of these organizations have newsletters,
magazines and other publications which are good materials for the classroom.
Here are some suggested resources for marine conservation information:
* Sea Grant College Programs are good sources of marine environmental education materials. Here are the addresses of some of the southeastern Sea Grant Programs as well as the National Sea Grant depository:
National Sea Grant Depository
Pell Library Bldg/Bay Campus
University of Rhode Island
Narraganset, Rl 02882
Georgia Sea Grant College Program
Ecology Building University of GA
Athens, GA 30602
Florida Sea Grant College Program
University of Florida Building 803
Gainesville, FL 32611
South Carolina Sea Grant College
287 Meeting Street
Charleston, SC 29401
North Carolina Sea Grant College
Box 8605 NC State University
Releigh, NC 27695-8605
Mississipp/Alabama Sea Grant College
P.O. Box 7000
Ocean Springs, MS 39564
Florida Sea Grant College Program
University of Florida Building 803
Gainesville, FL 32611
North Carolina Sea Grant College
Box 8605 NC State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-8605
The National Marine Educators Association publishes CURRENT a quarterly education journal. CURRENT, Vol. 10 No.4, 1991, pp 25-28 lists the names and addresses of twenty environmental groups, their areas of interest and their publications. NMEA, Kure Beach, NC 28449.
Here are the addresses of five environmental organizations which emphasize coastal protection:
Clear Water Action
1 3201 8th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036
National Wildlife Federation
1 4001 6th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036-2266
Center for Marine Conservation
1725 DeSales St. NW
Washington, DC 20036
Natural Resources Defense Council
40 W. 20th Street
NewYork, NY 10168
Defenders of Wildlife
1 2441 1 th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20036
Federal Agencies have many publications about the environment:
The National Marine Sanctuary Programs
The National Estuarine Research Reserves
Sanctuaries & Reserves Division, NOAA
1825 Connecticut Ave. N. W.
Washington, DC 20235
U.S. Geological Survey
Federal Center, Box 25425
Denver, CO 80225
Publications Requests
Office of Policy, Planning & Evaluation
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street S. W.
Washington, D C 20460
National Agricultural Library
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Beltsville, MD 20705
Be as specific as possible when requesting information from large federal agencies.
* Your State Department of Natural Resources may be a good source of
information and materials. (See your telephone book under State of...)
*The Cooperative Extension Service in your state, including 4-H clubs, is
a good source of environmental education materials.
* Newspaper and news magazines are loaded with environmental issues and
articles. Ask your class to collect these articles for several weeks and
make a file of them.
* An interesting book is 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth,
written by the Earthworks Group, Andrews and McNeal publisher.s, 4900 Main
Street, Kansas City, MO 6411 2 with many activities designed for elementary
students.
* Most large public aquariums have education departments, which produce
good educational materials about marine animals. Here are some aquarium
addresses:
Education Department/ National Aquarium in Baltimore
Pier 3, 501 E. Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
Education Department
Sea World of Florida
7007 Sea World Drive
Orlando, FL 32819
Education Department
New England Aquarium
Central Wharf
Boston, MA 02110-3309
Education Department
Monterey Bay Aquarium
886 Cannery Row
Monterey, CA 93940
* A collection of marine educational materials is kept on microfiche that can be searched by subject areas. Marine Education Materials System (MEMS) is located at two addresses:
Librarian
Skidaway Institute of Oceanography
P.O. Box 13687
Savannah, GA 31416
MEMS
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
The College of William & Mary
Gloucester Point, VA 23062