Going Back to School Green

If you are a parent who cautiously monitors the lifestyle habits of your family by implementing eco-friendly items and ideas into your household, you are setting the groundwork to instill positive green habits into your child’s life. Your child spends a great deal of their early life in school and it is difficult for them to make green lifestyle choices while they are away from home each day.

There are simple ways in which you can easily implement green living habits into your child’s school year and help the environment without making huge changes to your family’s lifestyle.

Pack a Green Lunch

Cold lunches help protect the environment because they cut down on plastic waste from the cafeteria that needs to be discarded and chemicals in soaps used to wash lunch trays. Purchase an eco-friendly lunch box or bag that holds containers for sandwiches and snacks. A lunch box can be re-used rather than buying paper or plastic bags that have to be disposed of in the environment.

Try to keep the lunch wrapper-free by adding fresh veggies and fruits or using containers made of cloth or metal. The standard juicebox is coated with plastic and has a plastic straw; however, it can be easily eliminated by using a small metal bottle or other container. It may be hard to get your child to eat a cold lunch every day, so try setting an initial goal of two or three times a week.

Eco-friendly School Supplies

Another small way to help the environment is to outfit your child with green school supplies. Binders, pens, pencils, pencil boxes, and notebooks that are made from recycled materials are a great way to help your child do their best while helping Mother Nature at the same time. There is no need for embarrassment with eco-friendly school supplies as they come in a variety of hip and fashionable designs.

Toss the vinyl backpack for a more eco-friendly hemp backpack or 100% post-consumer recycled rubber pack. When dressing your child, make sure you buy from a company that makes PVC-free shoes and select clothing produced from untreated, uncolored, and pesticide-free organic cotton.

Carpool After-School Activities

 After-school sports and activities are in full force the day the first school bell rings. Running around for football practice, band, or other activities is not only time consuming but is also hard on the environment. Transportation and gas costs typically double in the fall for most parents when school starts up for their kids. Setting up a car pool system with other parents limits the amount of gas you use and the emissions you put in the air.

Organize Gatherings With Other Parents

Organize a green-living group with other parents to share eco-friendly tips and ideas. A green-living group is a great time to ask others about car pooling and alternating pick-up days from school. Host a clothes swap so that items children no longer use can be traded with others; this is a great way to get to know other parents and help cut back on environmental waste in landfills. Get together a group of parents and kids to pick-up litter, help with recycling, or plant some trees.

By implementing small ways to go green in your life, you are one step closer to leading an eco-friendly lifestyle. You are a role-model and reflection of your child, so when you show you care about Mother Nature, your child will too.

Endangered Species

What is an endangered species? It is a group of individual organisms, known as a species, that are at risk of becoming extinct or are threatened by changing habitat parameters. Organisms include vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. Impact to the species can come through environmental or human influence. Almost 100 species become extinct every day according to the United Nations. The World Conservation Union estimates that 40 percent of all organisms are “endangered”. Research estimates that extinction rates over the last 150 years exceed the average background rate of the planet by 100 to 1000 times.

Legislation passed in 1973, called the Endangered Species Act, was designed to protect species of plants and animals from becoming extinct. The major species of endangered animals you typically hear conservationists discuss include giant pandas, elephants, gorillas, whales, and tigers. It is estimated only 800 giant pandas exist and less than 650 gorillas remain worldwide.

Animal species become endangered primarily due to human influences. Conservation groups, such as the World Wildlife Fund, work diligently to protect threatened animals and their habitats.

Primary reasons for endangerment include:

1. Habitat Loss – This is the primary cause of endangerment to a species. Each habitat goes through natural change, however, rapid change is hard for a species to endure. Humans are the main cause of rapid change and examples include rainforest deforestation, urbanization, land development, pollution, and climate change due to the release of greenhouse gases.

2. Exotic Species Introduction – Humans may accidentally, or in some cases, intentionally introduce foreign species into a sensitive habitat. New species compete for food, become new predators in the food chain, or bring disease.

3. Overexploitation – This category includes increased activities such as hunting, fishing, and gathering that may threaten a species. Examples include unrestricted whaling, hunting for rhino horns and tiger bones, and gathering of materials for medicines in parts of the world.

What can you do to help endangered species? The primary goal must be to protect the natural habitats where these plants and animals live.

Primary ways you can help include:

1. Protect – Help preserve natural habitats in parks, reserves, and the wilderness. Follow the rules when visiting government parks and be careful not to disturb sensitive areas in the wilderness. Educate people about endangered habitats and plant native species when possible.

2. Recycle – Reduce waste, reuse items, and use public transportation whenever possible to help reduce stress on threatened species and habitats.

3. Conservation Groups – Join a group to help promote the protection of endangered species. You will find others who are passionate about the subject that can provide guidance and resources that will help in your protection efforts.

4. Control Exotic Species – Obey laws regarding the transport of plants and animals as they are usually in place to help protect endangered species or human health. The introduction of exotic species should also be cared for in other situations as well; one example includes the movement of noxious weeds from one locale to another.

5. Be Heard! – Most important of all is to let your voice be heard. Contact your legislators and let them know your opinions regarding endangerment laws and protection, especially with the rapid, present-day increase of urbanization and land development.

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