By Philippe Cousteau & Cathryn Berger Kaye, authors of Going Blue: A Teen Guide to Saving Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers & Wetlands.
Heading back to school? You may have a checklist for supplies, from calculators to notebooks and lined paper. Heading back to school is also ideal for another checklist, one for going green and blue at school, at home, and in your community.
We all know the importance of going green. Being eco-aware is a must to reduce, reuse, and recycle, all toward protecting and preserving our environment and increasingly fragile ecosystems. Why add “blue?”
Consider how water is required for all that is green in our world. Water appears plentiful on planet earth; 71% of the earth’s surface is water. Remembering only 1% of this H2O combo is fit for human consumption can be a wake up call. As water becomes polluted beyond repair, going blue—caring for the resources of this water planet—becomes an imperative. Of course we all must still reduce and reuse. Perhaps the third “r” needs to be “rethink”: rethink how we use the water resources we depend upon by Going Blue!
Read Labels: There are many recycled products on the market, but not all are made from previously used merchandise. The words “post consumer waste” tell you the product you are holding, pencils or paper, is made from products already used once. Discuss with school officials in your school and district. Raise awareness and show purchasing power.
Have Purchasing Power: In the market for a new backpack or notebook binder? Buy one made of Skittle wrappers and Capri Sun Drink Pouches and other old stuff. TerraCycle upcycles and recycles traditionally non-recyclable waste into common items. How about their picnic tables for your schoolyard? Start a collection of waste products at your school! TerraCycle can help you initiate an easy Waste Collection Campaign.
Use Anti-Bottles: Bring the Anti-Bottle Campaign to your school and replace single-use bottles with one that can be used again and again. Visit RandomKid.org to see how teens in 22 states and three countries have launched this initiative with a bottle that flattens when empty and fits in your pocket. Selling these can raise funds for water filtering stations at school, or help a local water issue, or provide clean water to kids in distant places. Reduce waste to landfills and cut back on plastic consumption. Use Out the Tap from the Water Planet Challenge as your action guide.
Reuse T-Shirts: Have a cause? Instead of purchasing new t-shirts and adding more “stuff” to the world, turn a gently used white t-shirt inside out, and decorate with your message. For more on the need to reduce reduce reduce, watch Annie Leonard’s The Story of Stuff.
Be Cosmetic Aware: Female teens use an average of 12 cosmetics per day, male teens uses 6. Lotions, hair gels and deodorants wash off our bodies into the water system. Fortunately, the Environmental Working Group has a Cosmetics Database with an analysis of 65,000 products letting you know which are eco-safe and which to avoid. Start a school movement! Download Down the Drain from the Water Planet Challenge website with information and ideas on taking action.
Get Energized: Power generation accounts for more than 35% of freshwater withdrawals in the U.S. Switch off that light! Unplug your cell phone charger! And take this to the next level. Conduct an energy audit at school. Use the You Have the Power Action Guide from the Water Planet Challenge, for an easy-to-follow audit for school and home and save $$$. Be power-ful.
Go Meatless Monday: If one day a week everyone avoided eating any meat products, would this help our ecology? By cutting out meat once a week, we can improve our health, reduce our carbon footprint and lead the world in the race to reduce climate change. Spread this from school to homes to local restaurants. Find resources and recipes at Meatless Monday.
Read Read Read: Introduce your teachers to green and blue books. Start with these great reads: Empty, The Water Wars , and Going Blue: A Teen Guide to Saving Our Oceans, Lakes Rivers, & Wetlands. Each will inspire you to think and to act.
Stop E-Waste: Did you know that more than 150 million cell phones are “retired” every year and many end up in landfills where they can leach dangerous toxins into groundwater? Don’t drink your cell phone—recycle it! If you (or your friends, family or neighbors) have old cell phones or accessories (like gaming gear or other small electronics) lying around, send them to Wirefly to be refurbished and a donation will be made to EarthEcho International on your behalf.
Conduct a Water Audit: Any water dripping from the faucet? Any leaks under the sink? Are toilets as efficient as possible? Get some friends, a camera, and use the Water Planet Challenge Know Your Flow Action Guide to stop the waste. Show that every drop counts!
Explorer Philippe Cousteau is grandson of the legendary Jacques Cousteau, and CEO of EarthEcho International, a nonprofit that engages young people to take action and protect our water-based planet. Philippe is also special correspondent for CNN International.
this is awesome! go blue ppls