reducing the human footprint - weebly

What do you think of when you see the symbol on the right? What three words do you associate with this symbol? What are you doing to reduce your human footprint? Does your family recycle glass, plastic, paper products, and cans? Have you found ways to reuse items to keep them out of our rapidly filling dumps? There are many different ways you can help to improve our environment. What can we do about littering?

You might be familiar with the slogan “Don’t Mess with Texas.” This slogan was part of a campaign by the Texas Department of Transportation to stop littering by motorists on Texas highways. The campaign focused on 18- to 35-year-old males, who are considered the most likely to litter. With the help of this campaign, the amount of litter on Texas highways has been reduced dramatically. For example, roadside litter decreased by 52% between1995 and 2001. Littering is a problem everywhere, not just along highways. Just look around you right now. Do you see items that qualify as litter and need to be picked up and disposed of correctly?

Littering actually seems very innocent. You have a little gum wrapper, so you might think it’s no big deal if you drop it. But every little bit adds up. Try a simple experiment in your classroom. Find a large glass or clear plastic container. An empty 2-liter plastic bottle will work. Place it in a central location in the classroom. Every time someone walks past it have them toss some litter in the container. Watch how quickly the litter adds up. Now multiply this by every person everywhere and you can see how such a little thing becomes a big problem.

Reducing the Human Footpr int

1

Think about getting your class to take the Ten on Tuesday pledge. Perhaps your class could encourage the entire school to take the Ten on Tuesday pledge. You could make posters to place around the school showing the website reverselitter.com. The website contains information about the effects of littering as well as the Ten on Tuesday pledge. Career Corner: Environmentalist An environmentalist works to make people aware of dangers to the environment and to get changes made, usually to policies and laws. Environmentalists do a lot of public speaking to inform citizens about different environmental issues. They can also work for businesses to improve the companies’ footprints.

There is a new campaign in North Texas to reduce the amount of litter everywhere. Called “Ten on Tuesday,” it is sponsored by reverselitter.com. People can go to the website and take a pledge to pick up 10 items of trash every Tuesday, disposing of them properly. That is much easier than picking up trash along a highway. Picking up litter does not just improve how the streets, yards, and floors look; it also helps decrease our next problem, water pollution.

You could be an environmentalist. Get on the meeting agenda at a school board, town council, or civic service group, like Rotary, and let them know about the Ten on Tuesday movement or other environmental issues specific to your community. Your school or local college might have a radio station where you could speak about environmental issues. Local access television stations frequently offer school districts time. You could have your own television show!

Speaking before a group of high school students.


2

What can we do about water pollution? Water pollution truly affects everyone. As you remember from your studies of the water cycle, the Earth’s water supply contains a finite or specific amount. While about 71% of the Earth is covered by water, 97% of that water is saltwater. The remaining 3% is freshwater, with 1.5–2% of that being frozen in ice, snow, and glaciers. Less than 1% of freshwater is in the soil or groundwater. The water cycle shows that all water returning to the Earth’s surface either moves into rivers and oceans, becoming runoff, or infiltrates the soil to become groundwater.

If you have ever watched rainwater rushing into storm drains, you know that more than just water is carried into the storm drain system. Leaves, sticks, mud, litter, soap suds from washing a car, runoff from a newly fertilized yard, engine oil, and leftover paint or paint remover are just a few of the materials that are washed along and end up in rivers, streams, bays, harbors, and oceans. None of this is good for humans or aquatic life. Many communities have started a system of labeling the storm drains to remind citizens where the water goes. Boston, Massachusetts has displayed brass plaques on buildings. They hope that making people aware with a simple message will cut down on foreign objects and materials being introduced into the water supply. Some communities have started stenciling storm drains with warning messages like “Don’t dump!” and a picture of a brightly colored fish as an eye-catching reminder to take care of the water supply.

Have you ever helped clean out the medicine chest to get rid of old or expired medications? What did you do with the pills and liquids? Did you throw them in the trash? Flush them down the toilet? Why are these not good disposal methods for the water supply? What is the correct way to dispose of medications? Talk to the school nurse or your family doctor to find out how to dispose of medications safely.

In Boston, MA, these plaques remind pedestrians and motorists that the water on the street drains into Boston Harbor.


3

The folks of northern Delaware organize a community event every spring to cleanup the Christina River. Consider your community. •  Where have you seen a pollution

problem? •  Does the community have a recycling

program? •  Who could organize a community event to

help eliminate the problem? •  Does your community need to stencil the

storm drains? •  Who and what would such a project

involve?

What can we do about air pollution? Air pollution is a problem around the world. As the amount of pollutants added to the atmosphere increases and forest areas decrease, the quality of our air becomes more endangered. After studying the carbon dioxide–oxygen cycle and the process of photosynthesis, you know that green plants are critical to replacing oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere.

The Amazon Rainforest in South America is responsible for 20% of the Earth’s oxygen.

A worldwide movement toward community gardens is a simple way to reduce the human footprint. Community gardens can supply fresh food, offer employment, beautify neighborhoods, and build community spirit, while replacing oxygen to the atmosphere. Community gardens can take different forms. The Clinton Community Garden stands in the middle of Manhattan in New York City. It grows fresh produce and beautifies the area.


4

What Do You Know? Reducing the human footprint, whether it is ground (litter), soil, air, noise, or water pollution, is everyone’s responsibility. The United States has made some improvements, but the job is not over. Which type of pollution do you find to be the worst? What do you think needs to be done about it? Design a poster to make others aware of a form of pollution you find particularly terrible. Be sure to include the causes of the pollution in words and images, as well as what can be done to reduce it.

Air pollution in the U.S. in 1973

In Frankfort, Kentucky, the Commonwealth Gardens organization is building community and school gardens to support eating locally grown foods. Jasper County, Indiana has a community garden run by churches, which donate the produce to local food centers. In Denver, Colorado, there are over 150 community gardens, many located at schools, community centers, parks, and churches. The REAL (Rainwater Environmental Alliance for Learning) School Gardens organization supports outdoor learning centers (gardens) in elementary schools for hands-on learning and a connection with nature.

If your town does not have a community garden, you can start right at home with a family garden. Tomatoes can be grown in pots. Lettuce and carrots can grow in small areas or raised beds. Planting a tree is a great family activity and you can watch the tree grow along with your family. Just planting flowers can make a beautiful addition and also help the environment.


5

Importance of “Reuse-Reduce-Recycle” Your child has been hearing about “reduce-reuse-recycle” since Kindergarten, but by fifth grade they can become a driving force in reducing the human footprint in the home. With your child, assess what is already being done in the home in this effort. What else could be done? Some questions to discuss with your child: •  What are we doing to reduce the family’s footprint? •  What items can we get at least one more use from? •  How are we decreasing water waste? •  What would be the most efficient way to recycle?


6

reducing the human footprint - weebly

Documents