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YS STUDENT NEWSLETTER #332
March 10, 2008
Contents
1. Something for Your Heart
2. Surf Report
3. Forgettable Fact
4. Potent Quotables
5. Parting Shot
SERVE GOD BY SAVING THE PLANET
Our planet is no longer the paradise God created. In "It's Easy Being Green" you'll learn how to honor God in the choices you make and you'll begin to understand the impact those choices have on the environment. Sixteen-year-old Emma Sleeth will help you see how you can make a difference at school, around the house, and all over the world.
Learn more about "It's Easy Being Green" here.
https://shop.youthspecialties.com/store/product.php?productid=584
Also available in your local Christian bookstore.
Find a Christian bookstore near you:
http://www.youthspecialties.com/store/dealers/
1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART
TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL
This morning, my dad talked to a class full of fourth graders about the environment. He spoke with the class by speakerphone--one of my younger friends from our faith group in the last place we lived had set it all up. Erin was excited about sharing one of her favorite adults with her friends. And that adult was really excited about talking to the kids.
Now you have to understand: My dad speaks about the environment all the time. He has meetings with the head of the Sierra Club, preaches in churches with 10,000 members, and rubs shoulders with some of the most knowledgeable and influential scientists who are researching climate change. He's been followed by camera crews and interviewed on national radio programs. So you might not think he'd be all that excited about speaking by phone to a classroom of elementary school kids.
But when I came into the kitchen a few hours after everyone else had gotten up (I'm a teen, okay?), Dad was practically bouncing off the walls, waiting for the class to call. He didn't even want to toast his English muffin, because it might take too long and he wanted to be done eating when the phone rang.
When dad got off the phone, he said the class was awesome. He always says that if you talk to kids like adults, they'll respond. Nobody likes being talked down to, no matter how old they are. Kids always want to know, "What can I do? What can I do?" instead of wanting to change other people. My dad is convinced that this desire to work on our own personal habits before trying to get other people to change is what's really going to help the ecosystem. And he loved that the kids were all happy to comply with his request to give his young friend Erin a hug for him because he lives too far away now.
Obviously, it's been a while since most of us were in fourth grade. But as I think about Dad talking to Erin's class, I believe there are a few ideas we can learn that apply not only to our younger friends but also to us "big kids" in high school or junior high.
The first is that most adults really love interacting with kids--and vice versa. There is something exciting about youth. We might not be famous, we might not have all the answers, but young people have an energy and passion that is contagious. And when it comes to saving the earth, that energy can help get others excited about joining in.
Dad's talk with the fourth graders also reminds me that there needs to be respect and cooperation across generations in order for us to have a greener planet. Dad didn't talk down to the kids, and when it comes to serious issues like the environment, we teenagers don't need--or want--some oversimplified "environmentalism for dummies" version. When we are enthusiastic and mature about environmental responsibility, we'll learn more and get more respect.
Those fourth graders are also a reminder that so much of caring about the environment is taking personal action. There's a reason why "Be the change you wish to see in the world" is such a popular saying--it's because it works. If we want things to be different, the best place to start is with our very behavior.
Finally, the hugs those kids were glad to offer my friend Erin are a reminder that everybody loves (and sometimes even needs) a little encouragement. The environment is a big issue, but it's not a depressing one. It's so important to encourage each other and to focus on positive changes we can make. And like the fourth graders my dad spoke with, one of the places where we can join together to make a big difference is at our schools.
TEN STEPS TOWARD A GREENER EDUCATION
There are some very simple things you can do to make your school education kinder to God's creation. Some are purely personal changes, whereas others may take more organization, approval, and support from friends and faculty. Here are just a few:
1. Always write on both sides of your paper. If you use composition paper, make sure to use college-ruled. That one change alone can save hundreds of pieces of paper each year.
Because I'm a lefty, I hate to write on the right-hand sides of notebooks--the binding, wire, or rings get in the way. But that doesn't mean I can't use both sides of the paper. A class usually doesn't take up a whole notebook worth of paper. I can take notes for one subject on the left hand side of each page in the notebook, and then flip the notebook over for another subject, where I can again write on the left side. It works out great. Also: If you have teachers who give handouts with writing only on one side, save them when the class is over and use them in your computer printer or for scrap paper. Most teachers don't mind if an essay is turned in on the other side of a crossed-out science article. (All paper from binders should be recycled at the end of the year.) You can also use both sides of posters. When teachers take down student posters at the end of the year, they'll usually let you snag the ones with information on only one side so you can use them next year.
2. Walk or ride the bus to school. If neither of these is an option, carpool.
3. If your school isn't already recycling paper and soda cans, you can help get it started. You just need to get permission to put a cardboard box next to the trash can in each classroom to collect paper. Organize a few friends to help you collect the boxes on a regular basis--preferably friends who have driver's licenses so you can take the paper down to the local recycling center. You should research before starting anything that involves recycling refundable bottles--there are often rules about what kind of collection receptacles can be used for that. At our school, we were only allowed to put barrels inside if they were metal ones specifically made for recycling cans--but even just having plastic barrels outside makes a difference.
4. Encourage your school to buy two-sided printers for the library or any other place where the printer is used a lot. When it was time to replace the printer in our school library, the head librarian decided to take the leap and get a double-sided printer as well as a converter kit for the other printer in the library. Together they cost less than $1,400, but the library saved more than three times that in paper costs in the first year alone! Numbers talk: $1,400 invested; $4,500 saved. That printer paid for itself in less than four months, and it'll continue to save money (and trees) for as long as it lasts. If you do a little research and present the numbers to your principal or someone else who has responsibility for making the decision, you're much more likely to get approval.
5. Have your school get recycled paper for all its copiers and printers. Paper that's 100 percent recycled can cost more; if your school isn't willing to go all the way, 30 percent recycled paper costs no more than "regular" paper. Unlike the recycled paper of a decade ago, today's recycled paper will go through printers and copiers fine, and won't cause any more jams or problems than the paper your school is probably using now. Since 30 percent recycled paper costs no more than the paper your school is already buying, it's usually easy to convince your administration to make the switch. However, you might be able to go one step further and combine this project with the printers--using some of the money saved from double-sided printing to pay for the slightly more expensive 100 percent recycled paper.
6. Along the same lines, paper towels and toilet paper made from recycled paper can usually be bought in bulk at the same price as products made from unrecycled paper. Just a few years ago, this was not the case, but companies are changing their prices so it isn't more expensive to be environmentally friendly. Just get some numbers together, figure out who, you need to talk to, and propose a switch.
7. Schools can purchase other environmentally friendly devices that--like the two-sided printers--will easily pay for themselves over time. It's possible to purchase "energy misers" that can be installed on vending machines to save energy. These cost about $125, and make it so the machine goes into partial hibernation when it's left unused for a long time. (There's a similar device for water fountains that, for instance, can shut off the cooling device overnight.) Just figure out roughly how long it will take for the energy saved to pay for the device. If your school doesn't want to make the investment, but has vending machines where the food doesn't need to be kept cold, see if you can get permission to turn them off (unplug them) at a certain time after school so they won't be on all night. Maybe you or a friend who lives near the school can be in charge of walking over and unplugging the machines before the school gets locked up for the night, or maybe a custodian can do it as part of the evening routine.
Exit lights have to stay on at all times, but they don't have to use as much energy as they're probably using now. Replacing the lights in the signs with LED bulbs will pay for itself in no time and then just keep saving--both energy and money. The same is true of getting compact fluorescents for all the lights in your school.
8. Often, schools don't turn off computers each night. This seems like a simple thing, but computers that are always left on use a TON of energy. If your school doesn't already turn off all its computers, offer to spend 10 minutes each day turning on all the computers in the computer lab in the morning and turning them back off again after school. Contrary to urban legend, turning computers off once a day will not harm them; in fact, it will extend their life as well as greatly reduce the amount of energy they use.
9. Start a collection-and-exchange program at your school. Our school has a room devoted to a clothing exchange--students bring in gently worn clothes they don't wear and can pick up others they will wear. In the same room is a box of used three-ring binders that are still in good shape--students who can't afford binders or don't wish to purchase a new one can pick one up anytime. If this kind of permanent exchange program isn't possible at your school, at least see if you can do a prom-dress swap. There really aren't too many other occasions to which a prom dress can be worn, and, even if people go to more than one prom during high school, they often don't wear the same dress twice. So collect formal dresses near the end of the year and make them available to other girls to wear. Girls, what are you really going to do with a frilly dress in your closet other than let it hang there? Suits can also be collected, though my experience is that people are more likely to donate dresses. (The suits we did collect were snatched up immediately.) This is a great project for the National Honor Society or another service organization at your school to take on. Before collecting the dresses, make sure you've arranged for a place (a willing teacher's classroom will work) where you can store and display the dresses.
You can also collect used cell phones and printer cartridges. These can be recycled, usually with a refund. Money raised from these collections can be used toward other environmental projects, perhaps to provide the initial investment in things like energy misers or two-sided printers, or to buy trees to plant on the school grounds.
10. Cafeterias are another great place to make environmental changes, though it can be difficult because of regulations and costs. It's often possible to convince school cafeterias to serve vegetarian meals and purchase local food. Getting real plates instead of Styrofoam ones, metal utensils instead of plastic ones, and washable cups instead of disposable ones can be another goal. Some schools even compost their food waste. If you can't convince your school to make big changes, don't give up. You can bring your own lunch in a fabric bag or lunchbox filled with environmentally friendly food choices in washable containers. Although it's great to get other people to change, you can make a difference simply by walking the walk.
WRAPPING IT UP
Taking care of God's creation can begin with small steps at your school. Pick your projects, don't lose motivation or get bogged down in bureaucracy, and remember who is guiding your efforts. Everything you do to save the environment is really part of your witness, showing the world how much you love God by respecting the gift of his creation.
Remember, God is on your side. He will help you when you try your hardest to help the world he created. As long as you take advantage of all the resources you have, and work with all the people God provides (Christian and non-Christian), you'll do great.
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Taken from "It's Easy Being Green" by Emma Sleeth, copyright 2008, Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission. Order the book here.
https://shop.youthspecialties.com/store/product.php?productid=584
2. SURF REPORT
~ The 2008 Hip-Hop Songwriting Contest
http://www.essence.com/essence/takebackthemusic/index.html
~ Snow Drift: Get rid of those winter blues with this chill game
http://www.miniclip.com/games/snow-drift/en/
3. FORGETTABLE FACT
99% of people cannot lick their elbow.
4. POTENT QUOTABLES
"May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future."
~Irish Proverb
"Be kind to those that meet you as you rise, you may pass them again as you fall."
~Irish Proverb
5. UH, THAT'S FUNNY?
Never iron a four-leaf clover, because you don't want to press your luck.
*All outside Internet links are provided for informational purposes, and do not imply endorsement by Youth Specialties.
copyright 2008 :: Youth Specialties
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