Guest Editor Steu Mann - Students Motivate Themselves in Environmental Education

K-12 students in Kenya, Paris, or San Diego all have one significant commonality: the environment. What Inconvenient Truth did for raising the bar on environmental education is, without a doubt, “global awareness?” I think whoever watches it, even if they don’t agree with the message, gets a clear picture of how different aspects of the environment are directly connected to our life styles.

Every class of my high school students watching that movie have concluded with the question, “What can I do?” Young people today do care about what happens with the environment; yet many feel overwhelmed or powerless in dealing with environmental issues. My experience leads me to believe that the time has arrived to capture their interest with learning experiences to discover appropriate care of tomorrow’s healthy environment, which means providing environmental education that is academically focused and civically pointed.

Service learning contributes to student education, along with building social skills: character building. Service-learning is considered a constructivist approach to teaching and learning. Constructivists (e.g., Brooks & Brooks, 1999) propose that students actively create their own knowledge using real world situations to examine essential concepts in a context that is personally meaningful. Service-learning has been around since for almost 100 years as a method to enhance education. Since the early 1990’s there have been more and more legislative efforts and comprehensive national programs to emphasize and support this learning. Today, there’s a growing interest on the part of educators as more studies point out the cross- curriculum benefits.

Producing projects that combine service learning and environmental education is easily accomplished to fulfill lesson objectives and it can be molded to fit class characteristics. Here are two examples of projects for grades 5-12: A) students in a middle school science class studying the environment help preserve the species of birch trees, local to their area, by raising money to purchase some small birch trees and then plant them at a local park or forested area; B) students concerned with the quality of the environment organize a recycling effort at school by establishing and carrying-out a schedule of regularly picking up recyclable materials from classes and offices; then depositing that material in a campus bin that is picked up by a recycle vendor. There are volumes of benefits for students participating in a project.

Educators have to take the lead in class environmental projects. The teacher has to get them pointed in the right direction, assist them in getting organized, and keep them on track. When I hear my students asking about what they can do, I take their interest down to our local level. We begin talking about ideas to clean up the campus, teaching other students about the environment, or doing some work in the neighborhood. We begin with brainstorming on ideas as a class. The next step is alignment, making a commitment as a class to take some action on at least one project we have discussed. The last step is the most comprehensive because it involves the actual project work. The pivotal point is the students taking control and running the project work, which happens when the teacher becomes a resource or Subject Matter Expert. If you want a copy of my Environmental Project Packet, which helps the students and I stay organized. Receive my Environmental Project Packet for free by clicking here.

There’s a multitude of projects that integrate environmental stewardship with academic success. This project type is totally complaint with current Standards. From a teacher point of view, as much as I want to deny it, the fact remains: I must teach to the test to have my students succeed. Below are two of the National Science Education Standards whose scope is deep enough to encompass most environmental service learning projects for grades 5-12:

- Content Standard B: The program of study in science for all students should be developmentally appropriate, interesting, and relevant to students’ lives; emphasize student understanding through inquiry; and be connected with other school subjects.

- Content Standard C: Teachers of science engage in ongoing assessment of their teaching and of student learning.

I guarantee all teachers this: if you have the time and sincere motivation, the students will gladly partner with you on completing an environmental project. It’s a win-win situation: the students win in academics and in skill building, the teacher wins as the students learn while practicing responsibility, and the environment is nurtured. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want to receive support in getting an environmental education project started with your class(es).

Resources

North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Education

National Service Learning Clearinghouse

National Student Service-Learning and Community Service Survey

References

Brooks, Jacqueline Grennon, Martin Brooks. In search of understanding: The case for constructivist classrooms. Alexandria, VA; Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development,1999.

About the Author: Steu Mann is a high school biology teacher as a second career. He established Education Reporting, Inc. in his effort to provide a resource for improving K-12 education. Any questions or comments can be sent to him at smann@educationreporting.com.

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Guest Editor Gareth Jones - Waste : Power to the consumer!

If you are anything like me, you’ll have read a plethora of books about the impending climatic catastrophe were facing, and will have worked out the difference with this disaster story, is that is all backed up by science. Joy!

It comes as no surprise then, that as consumers we’re getting angrier at those companies that talk green, but fail to live up to our expectations. My latest annoyance is the industry of excess packaging. Cling wrapped vegetables, biscuits that come in several wrappers, box after box, after box… Does the consumer really want so much waste?

The Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment argues that ‘Just because we can recycle most materials doesn’t mean we should. Some packaging is simply not worth recycling because it takes a disproportionate amount of energy to collect, clean and transport the materials’(1) . This argument can be turned around, what about all the energy and materials it takes to produce packaging in the first place? More plastic (which comes from oil), more paper, more ink. It’s a rather basic point of view but I personally believe that more packaging not only means a greater cost to the environment, but a greater financial cost to the consumer. The Recycling Consortium estimates that packaging waste constitutes approximately 24– 30% of household waste in the UK and represents £6.50 for each £50 spent (13% of the average shopping bill) (2).

At this point if you don’t really care too much about this issue, let me remind you about all those extra journeys forcing you to take this extra rubbish out to the bin. Not only are you paying more financially, but it’s also costing you more time as well.

I’ll tell you what else makes me angry - people that don’t pay the correct postage (stick with me on this, it will make sense in a moment). The day arrives when it looks like something interesting has arrived through the post (apart from further rubbish). You go to the post office to pay, and your hopes are dashed. They’ve got you again. More stuff you never wanted and you’ve paid for it again.

I hate excess packaging and recently I found a way to channel all my annoyances into something constructive. I’ve found a way to turn those coy consumer woes into costs for the industry.

Conveniently many companies put their address on produce packaging so you can complain if you are dissatisfied. Save up your junk mail envelopes, get yourself a nice batch of penny stamps, and the next time you get something from the shop that has more layers of packaging than the skin of an onion, place it in that used envelope, and send it back to the company with a penny stamp on the front. Personally I like to write something on the front like ‘We want less waste’. The resulting factor? The company has to pay to get their waste back and you feel satisfied that you’ve stuck your two fingers up at a system we never wanted in the first place. Most important of all, hopefully the company gets the message.

I know it’s not the most pressing environmental issue, and I know that there are a whole swathe of other things much more constructive to reduce your impact on the environment, but it sure does make me feel good.

Just remember, consumers are the masters in any consumption society.

(1) INCPEN, The Industry Council for Packaging and the Environment Waste Management Factsheet, http://www.incpen.org/pages/userdata/incp/wastemanFS.pdf 16 Jan 2008

(2)The Recycling Consortium,  www.recyclingconsortium.org.uk

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Recycling your Computer(s)

Looking forward or wanting to get rid of one of your old computers? There are several ways you can do go get rid of your old computer(s) First you should know that everything electronic contains harmful chemicals and materials that can be recycled like glass, plastic, gold, copper, aluminum. Now to properly dispose of your computer you will need to bring it to many places that will recycle recyclable parts and dispose of the harmful chemicals carefully. There are many ways to properly dispose of your computer.

One way you can recycle your computer is to ask where you had bought your computer and see if they have a recycling program and sometimes they may only take your old computer when you buy a new computer from them.

Next see if a company like Dell or HP has a free recycling program or see if you can recycle your computer with them when you buy a new computer. Also I know Apple has a recycling program when you buy a new computer from them and you can recycle your old computer and when you buy a new ipod you can recycle all of your old ipods and cell phones for free.

Next you can try going to your local recycling center and ask if they have a recycling program for computers and or other electronics most of the time they should have a recycling program but it varies in different towns or see if there is a recycling program in a nearby city that would take it.

If the first few didn’t work or if your computer is still usable you can do one of these two. You can advertise your computer/electronics in the buy and sell/newspaper. Or you can donate it to a local school, shelter, organization and you will know your computer will be used for a good cause and a lot of the time you may even get a tax deduction for donating your computer.

There may be many other ways to recycle your computer but when you do recycle your computer you may have to pay a small free or sometimes it may cost you nothing.

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6 Myths About Solar Energy At Home

Living in Southern California we get plenty of sunshine (though admittedly it is currently raining). It’s therefore usually an ideal spot for home solar panels, however speaking with various people about it there are some common misconceptions, some conflicting, that people have.

1. It takes 30 years to get your money back. Of course it depends where you live, what type of system you have and how much energy you use. Here in California, 6-8 years is more the norm. Plus, don’t think of it as getting your money back, think of it as an upfront cost that then provides you something for free.

2. If there’s a main power cut in your street, you will still have electricity. No, this isn’t normally correct, almost all systems are “grid-tie” systems. This means you receive power from the national grid as normal, and your solar panels send any electricity generated to this grid, essentially using the grid as a battery. If there’s a power cut then you will not be able to receive any power from the grid or your solar installation.

3. The electricity company will pay you for any extra energy you produce. This isn’t usually true. Your solar installation will, at times, be generating more electricity than you are using so your electricity meter will start going backwards. Over a 12 month period, if you have generated more electricity than you have used, you will NOT get any money for this, therefore it is very important to size the system you have to the amount of electricity that you use. Else you will be paying to build a bigger system than you can benefit from.

4. The government will give you massive rebates. Once again this depends on where you live and what current rebate program is in effect. It’s not uncommon to get 50% or more back in rebates and tax credits, however you should investigate this and apply before you order anything. It’s usually calculated on a per watt basis.

5. My condo owner or Home Owners Association won’t allow it. In California it’s against the law to restrict the installation of solar panels. They can make demands on how it looks, position etc, but nothing that will add more than 15% to the cost. It’s likely to be similar wherever you live - the government want you to pay to create your own energy!

6. It’s difficult to install, and looks ugly. No, it’s actually relatively quick and simple (less than a week depending on the size), but there are hundreds of companies that are licensed and will do it for you. As to whether it looks ugly, well, that’s in the eye of the beholder!

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In Case You Missed It

The best piece of environmental marketing communications to date (IMHO…)

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Guest Editor: Matt Feldman - Choosing a Carbon Offset Provider

Picking a good carbon offset provider can be very tricky and usually can take some work. There are some generally accepted key principles that you want to keep in mind while picking an offset provider. Most large offset providers have third party verification, which is when an outside company verifies that the offset provider says they are doing what they are actually doing. Another important principle is permanence; the carbon that is offset is truly permanently not created. The last principle is additionally; the offset can not be business as usual.

You also then have to think about what kind of project you want to be involved in since there are many projects out there. Tree planting is by far the most popular and the most controversial. The key issue is that trees can die from drought, fire, or disease before they offset the promised amount of carbon. When trees are burned in a fire they will release carbon into the air, the exact opposite of what you want them to do. If you follow the news closely, there is new research out almost every week saying trees absorb more carbon than originally thought and a week later the news is that trees absorb less carbon then originally thought. I suggest that you stay away from trees as an offset project.

There are many other great offset projects like; renewable energy certificates, methane capture, and energy reductions. Each renewable energy certificate (RECs, Green Tags) is the creation of 1 megawatt of power usually from a wind turbine. Wind turbine construction is EXTREMELY expensive and selling RECs is a way to pay for it.

Cow dung historically was collected into big pools and allowed to just biodegrade, a byproduct of the biodegradation is methane. Methane is 10 times more potent a green house gas as carbon. One common offset project is to cover the dung fields capture the methane and use it to generate power.

Energy reductions is another important and under rated project. Companies can do many things to reduce the carbon foot print of existing buildings and new construction. There can be such a large reduction in carbon production that you can sell them as an offset project.

There are a few things that I think are important when evaluating a carbon offset provider. I hate when the provider pools your money and can not specify the project. The provider offers more then just tree planting, because it is not the best offset project. Most people tell you third party verification is king, a small provider that is doing a really great project can’t necessary afford to pay for outside verification.

With all those criteria in mind NativeEnergy is the only large scale provider that meets all of them. Some other really great large providers are TerraPass, and Carbonfund.org

Matt Feldman - Carbon Neutral Digest
carbonneutraldigest.com

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Applied Green by Russell Davies

A must read for everyone interested in green marketing is Russell Davies’ presentation at Applied Green that took place last year. Russell is the big daddy of planners and communications strategists in the UK as well as globally. He brilliantly discusses potential routes to reinvent consumer capitalism, a cultural and economic phenomena/reality that has such a devastating effects on the environment yet it is fairly naive to hope to eliminate it all together.

Fantastic read.

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Labels are confusing and can be misleading…

A few days a go I had found a article in Good Housekeeping which talked about what are these fancy names we put on products in the store like “natural” and “no CFC’s” and what they really mean to the consumer. I had read this article and knew about most of the labels and learned some about these labels but there was one that I was curious what it really means when it is labeled so I thought I would do some some research on this label. The label I was curious and done some research on was “organic” the information I had found online was kinda interesting. So heres what I had found out about organic labels.

Organic is a agriculture product made without pesticide, harmful chemicals, hormones. You can find “organic” on most anything but most of the time it is not completely organic unless you see one of many logo’s like these.

These logo’s on products found in groceries stores are quite hard to get placed and certified on a product because they test just about everything from fertilizers to what the wood was treated with on fences and if one thing that is tested as “modified” the produce won’t be certified to sell as organic. Only 100% organic products may use the organic seal. if a product is 95% is organic they can’t put the organic seal but they can say it is a organic substance. If the product is at least 70% they only can label up to three items that are organic. finally if a item has less than 70% organic they can’t say its organic anywhere on the item. for more information visit this site http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/FactSheets/Backgrounder.htm Heres the actual chart that was in the magazine Good Housekeeping. In other words your best bet will be finding a product that has a certified seal that states that it is certified “organic” on the product you want to buy.

Before you buy something try to remember what the correct labels for a item should be and what labels you should not buy into on a certain product.

I’m not sure any of this information applies to people in the U.K. but it certain it does apply to the people in U.S.A.

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