Green Initivaties !!!!

The world has a fixed amount of natural resources - some of which are already depleted. So as population growth greatly strains our finite resources, there are fewer resources available. If we intend to leave our children and grandchildren with the same standard of living we have enjoyed, we must preserve the foundation of that standard of living. We save for college educations, orthodontia, and weddings, but what about saving clean air, water, fuel sources and soil for future generations?
Some of the greatest threats to future resources come from things we throw away every day. Household batteries and electronics often contain dangerous chemicals that may, if sent to a local landfill, leak through the bottom barrier and pollute the groundwater. This can contaminate everything from the soil in which our food grows, to the water which will eventually come out of aquifers and into our tap water. Many of these chemicals cannot be removed from the drinking water supply, or from the crops that are harvested from contaminated fields. The risks to human health are tremendous.
Throwing away items that could be recycled diminishes energy, water and natural resources that could be saved by recycling.
Did you know...?
• For every ton of paper that is recycled, the following is saved: 7,000 gallons of water; 380 gallons of oil; and enough electricity to power an average house for six months.
• You can run a TV for six hours on the amount of electricity that is saved by recycling one aluminum can.
• By recycling just one glass bottle, you save enough electricity to power a 100-watt bulb for four hours.
The more we throw away, the more space we take up in landfills. When a landfill becomes a “land full”, taxpayers have to build a new one. The less we throw away, the longer our landfills will last. The amount of taxpayer money we save by extending the longevity of our landfills is an important community benefit
Why start in Schools:
Schools that model and teach principles of environmentally responsible behaviors to students will have a long-term impact. Teachers and parents are working everyday to educate the next generation of business owners and government officials. We can equip them with the knowledge and skills they will need in the future to manage the complexities of the environmental impact inherent in all activities.
Schools will serve as a catalyst for the community at large. We call this the “spillover effect” of the Go Green Initiative. By involving parents, teachers, administrators, city government and local businesses in the Go Green Initiative, we find that the environmentally responsible behavior that is modeled at school is taken into the community at large. Parents who see recycling in the classrooms often report reinforcing that behavior at home, and working to institute recycling at work, as well. City governments who support the efforts of their Go Green schools often look for ways to expand recycling and waste reduction efforts citywide.
The Bottom Line:
None of us operate in a vacuum. Our choices and behaviors have a ripple effect that reaches across the world today, and on to future generations. What we buy, what we do or do not recycle, what we “throw away” has an impact on an ever more interconnected planet. If we want to maintain the standard of living we currently enjoy and pass it on to our posterity, it will take an all-hands effort to preserve the foundation of that standard of living – clean air, water and soil.
The Go Green Initiative is the beginning of an important new shift in the way we treat our world. This grassroots program promotes the very best character traits in children and adults: caring for you and caring for others. Through simple, responsible behavior shifts, together we can protect human health through environmental stewardship.