Kids and Climate Change for Blog Action Day ’09C

Today is Blog Action Day ’09 – Climate Change

We are all trying to “Go Green” these days and take steps to reduce our Carbon Footprint on this earth. and the greenhouse gasses in the air that are heating our planet   If we didn’t believe it before, after seeing “An Inconvenient Truth” my family was fully convinced.  I want this world to be a beautiful place for my children to grow up in.  If they are able, I want them to be able to see some of the many World Monuments that are now threatened by global warming.  I want them to feel safe and secure on this planet.  I want them to know that I took seriously the condition of the earth we are leaving to them.

There are so many things that we enjoy that are at risk.  Some you may not believe.  Like your glass of Pinot Noir on a fall day or Gewurztraminer in the summer as much as I do?  Both grapes require very specific climate environments that have already changed dramatically.  Love scuba diving and snorkeling?  With your kids or without this magical activity is threatened as our world’s coral is disappearing.  Here is a list of 100 Effects of Global Warming.  Prepare to be shocked.

I am always amazed at how much we can do, no matter how old we are, to help, rather than hurt our earth.  I am incredibly impressed with a young man named Alec Loorz, who founded Kids vs. Global Warming when he was just 12 years old.

We are a group of kids that Educate other kids about the science of global warming and Empower them to take action.

Through educational presentations, community activism projects, multi-media, and leadership training, we empower youth to use their voice, and remind kids that WE MATTER! and there really is  something we do something about global warming.

This young man is an inspiration to the kids ages k-12 that he educates and inspires.  I encourage you to check out his site and his message and help get your kids involved!

Here are his 9 suggestions for things kids can do to help fight global warming!  Pick one or all of them and teach your kids what they are doing and how they are making an impact.  It will be a lesson they will not forget and a great experience for the whole family!  I have added some of my thoughts as it relates to doing some of these things with my very small children.  If you have older children, I think it would be great if they could get involved!

1.  Ride your bike! I guess I would add to this use public transportation, find activities that are closer rather than further from your home, carpool when you can!  Basically the less you use your car the better and kids can get this message from an early age!

2.  Look at your power sources. As a parent you can talk to your kids about how energy is made and about our efforts to find alternative sources for the power that fuels so much of our lives.

3.  Recycle. We are already talking to Sophia about this and she is starting to understand where things go when they are done, if they are done. We are also trying to start the conversation around  REDUCE / RE-USE / RECYCLE.  It is like my mother said, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”.  Pre-schoolers can start to understand not needing things just as well as school age kids or teenagers can.  This is something in a materialistic society that we will be learning our whole lives.

4.  Quit!  Using plastic bottles. Have you seen some of the great sippy cups and water bottles out there?  Get a couple and kick the plastic bottle habit.  When you do need a 2 liter of Diet Coke to survive as I do, use the empty to make a craft like a bird feeder or a cave for your action figures.  2 liters are really great fort crafts or G.I. Joe forts.

5.  Hang to Dry. We are not great at this with the little kids as so many things get pulled to the ground from the racks but we do hang dry our towels and rugs and jeans and such heavy things and then just throw them in for a couple minutes at the end for softness.  We should be better.

6.  Plant. Kids as young as, well, sitting up, love dirt and getting their hands in it.  From the youngest age bring them into the garden and give them a love of plants!  Try planting some of your own herbs and veggies!  You can get very small gardens from many garden centers or you can build your own.  I will have a DIY on this one soon!  The closer you can get your food – the better.

7.  Reduce. Energy here.  Replace your light bulbs.  Talk to your kids about what you are doing.  Unplug your appliances when they are not in use.  Obviously little ones should not be plugging or unplugging but you can still tell them why you are doing certain things.

8.  Restore. When you can, plant a tree or contribute to planting a tree.  Almost all communities have tree plantings or ways you can contribute to restoring our greenways and forests.  Teach your kids to be tree huggers.  They naturally love trees so just keep encouraging them to understand how much we really get from these awesome climbing gyms and fort creators!

9.  Pledge. Alex has a pledge where kids are asked to declare that they will take action.  I think you can do this in your own house!

I think it awesome to teach our kids about our planet from a young age and teach them responsibility for it as we would responsibility for their rooms or their teeth.  They are all important right?  It is also just wonderful to let kids know that they CAN make a difference on this planet.  Oh by the way, we can too!  Let’s do what we can as families to fight global warming!

Thanks to Holli at Holli’s Ramblings for letting me know about BAD!

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