Eco-Friendly Living – Activities for Kids

Brainstorming Eco-Friendly Ideas on How to Save the Earth

Mar 20, 2010
Carol Wells

Help Save the Earth - Apollo 17 Crew and NASA

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Helping children find ways to make every day an Earth Day can have far-reaching benefits for the planet.

The first Earth Day observed in the United States was on April 22, 1970. Millions of concerned Americans raised their voices in communities across the nation, making clear their passion for a cleaner, healthier, more sustainable environment.

Today, World Earth Day is observed globally, with an estimated billion people taking on worldwide environmental issues.

Children of the World Saving Their Global Environment

Children, with their youthful enthusiasm, love to meet a challenge. With a little guidance and some interesting Earth Day activities for kids, they are sure to brainstorm many creative ideas for dealing with the burdens being placed on the environment. By focusing on finding positive local solutions, children can have an important impact on the future of their planet.

What Can The Children of the United States Do to Help The Environment?

The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers offers a wealth of information on "saving the planet one simple step at a time." Following are some interesting (and amazing) statistics and ideas that should get a lively discussion going. Encourage children to think of unique ways to solve the environmental issues of paper waste, plastic and packaging waste, and water waste that are harming the American eco-system.

Paper Waste – Finding Ways for Recycling Paper and Reducing Paper Use

Paper is the most common form of waste in the United States. For every 100 pounds of trash Americans throw away, a whopping 39 pounds is paper.

What can kids do?

Recycling paper would be a big help to the environment. The average school throws away 38 tons of paper per year. Every ton of paper (about 220,000 sheets) that is recycled saves about 17 trees. Trees are important to the health of the planet because they prevent soil erosion and absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen.
Using less paper is as good or even better than recycling. Recycling requires energy for reprocessing the paper. Using less paper means saving the trees, water, and energy used in the manufacturing process.
If every American used just one less paper napkin every day, more than a billion pounds of paper could be saved from entering the landfills each year – enough to fill the entire Empire State Building.

Plastic and Packaging Waste – Finding Ways to Keep Plastics and Packaging out of the Landfills

If every household in America eliminated about 50 pounds of waste per year by looking for minimal or no packaging in just one out of ten products purchased, there would be 5.5 billion fewer pounds of trash entering the landfills. That's enough garbage to completely cover Central Park in New York City to a depth of 27 feet.

What can kids do?

If every person in America used refillable water containers, it would mean a savings of billions of dollars, not to mention preventing huge plastic waste. Sixty million plastic (which is derived from petroleum) water bottles are thrown away every day in the United States. The demand for bottled water requires about 1.5 million barrels of oil a year.
Millions of plastic bags end up as litter every year, damaging the environment and harming marine life. If every American household used just two fewer plastic bags every week, it would add up to enough plastic bags every year to tie together handle to handle into a rope long enough to wrap around the planet more than 126 times.
About three billion toys are purchased every year in the United States. Many toys come with more packaging volume than the size of the toy itself. Combining all of the packaging that's included with action figures sold each year would create one giant package that could hold an action figure that was more than 4,700 miles tall!

Water Waste – Finding Ways to Conserve Water a Little Bit at a Time

Only 3% of the Earth's water is fresh; all the rest is salt water. Fresh water is becoming increasingly scarce, and more than one billion people worldwide do not have access to clean drinking water.

What can kids do?

Every two minutes saved on a shower can conserve more than 10 gallons of water. If every person in the United States used just one gallon less during their daily shower, it would add up to a yearly savings of twice the amount of fresh water that is withdrawn daily from the Great Lakes, the largest source of fresh water on the planet.
Plugging the tub drain before turning on the water for a bath can add up to a savings of more than one hundred billion gallons of water per year.
If all the people in the United States turned off the water while brushing their teeth, the savings per day could add up to 1.5 billion gallons of water – more than is consumed in all of New York City in an entire day.

Observing Earth Day Every Day is a Big Step Toward Finding Ways to Save the Planet

Earth Day reminds all the children of the world that they can make a difference. Much has been done in the efforts to lighten the burden being placed on the planet, but there is still much to do. With gentle guidance and increased awareness, every child can become a thoughtful consumer of the Earth's precious resources.

References: