Global Warming 2020

Global Warming Solutions : The Origins of Earth Day April 22   by EcoSMART

Every April there’s one day when we all try to come together for a greater good. No, it’s not Tax Day — it’s Earth Day on April 22nd. While most people know about Earth Day and its environmental significance, few of us know how Earth Day got started!

In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, there was growing concern over the state of the environment. Most notably seen across college campuses and grassroots organizations, this environmental focus also grew in importance within the political sphere. In 1969, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson suggested a demonstration to help gain attention for environmental causes. A year later on April 22nd, the first official Earth Day was held with over 20 million people participating — a giant step for the modern environmental movement!

Since the inception of Earth Day, the holiday has become an international effort to improve environmental sustainability from air quality and global warming to wildlife protection and recycling efforts. In 1992, the United Nations recognized the growing need to maintain environmental health with an Earth Summit in Rio de Jainero.

While Earth Day has changed a great deal from its original demonstration-based format, the goal remains the same. Now, there’s a greater emphasis on clean energy and the reduction of global warming, but one fact is undeniable: Earth Day is growing in importance across the world. Nearly a billion people across the world participated in last year’s Earth Day activities.

In addition to focusing on a very real and pressing issue, Earth Day also brings people of different cultures, nationalities, religions, and races together to strive for a common goal. Celebrated in over 175 countries, Earth Day is considered “the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by more than a half billion people every year,” according to Earth Day Network. This year, become a part of this exciting and important holiday — and spread the word to your friends and family!

What You Can Do: There are tons of ways you can celebrate Earth Day by yourself or with friends and family! Some of the things you can do to help the environment are:

*Plant a tree: Help keep the planet green one tree at a time! Trees help absorb carbon dioxide, thereby reducing your carbon footprint. For more information on planting, tree care, and what trees are best for your area and the environment, please visit the Arbor Day Foundation (http://www.arborday.org/).

*Make your home Earth friendly: While so many environmental efforts focus on the outdoors, there are an endless number of ways you can make your home more “green.” From compact florescent light bulbs and Energystar appliances (http://www.energystar.gov/) to organic, locally grown foods and natural pest control (http://www.ecosmart.com/), there are a growing number of products to help you keep your home Earth friendly. Visit www.healthychild.org for simple ways to keep your home healthy for your family and the planet.

*Donate to a worthy environmental cause: You don’t have to get down and dirty if you don’t want to; donations to well respected environmental organizations ensure that you’re helping the causes you find important. And don’t forget — sometimes these groups need the items you just have gathering dust in your garage! Visit www.charitynavigator.org or similar sites to find a reputable organization.

*Walk, bike, or carpool to reduce emissions: Sometimes, it’s the changes you make in your daily life that will have the greatest impact on the environment. Do something good for your health and the planet by walking or biking to work or to run errands. If you live too far away, consider carpooling or taking public transportation.

*Start a recycling program in your community: If your community doesn’t already have the resources for recycling, you can always take your items to a recycling center. However, if you make the extra effort to create a convenient recycling solution within your neighborhood, more people are likely to recycle as well. At http://earth911.org/recycling/ you can find what items can be recycled as well as how and where to recycle them.

*Know your carbon footprint: How do you measure up in terms of the amount of Carbon Dioxide you and your family produce? See where you stand compared to the national average by calculating your personal contribution to global warming at www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator/. You might be surprised enough to adopt cleaner forms of energy.

About the Author

This article is sponsored by EcoSMART organic pest control : Created with botanical oils, EcoSMART’s bug-killing formulas offer an unprecedented margin of safety by using organic materials. These specifically formulated, patented blends of plant oils only target insects and have no adverse effects on people, pets or the environment!

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=879404

Global Warming Solutions : Honor the Earth with These Inspiring Earth Day Activities   by Jolanda Garcia

Earth has a special day. It’s sort of like a birthday. It’s called Earth Day. It began on April 21, 1970. Earth Day is celebrated all over the world, usually on the first day of spring but sometimes on April 22nd. It is a special day to remind us to take care of our Earth, our environment, and to learn what we can do to help keep the Earth healthy–not just on Earth Day but every day! Help your children honor the Earth by sharing with them these inspiring and educational Earth Day activities

Trash Hike
Provide each child with a bag and gloves. Have them pick up trash. Talk about the items that they picked up. Ask children if they think any of the items they found are recyclable. If so, have them place the items in a container to be recycled later.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
First, explain to children what the following words mean: Reduce: This means you cut down or lessen the amount of materials you use. For example, if you use both sides of a piece of paper, you are reducing the number of pages you need. Reuse: This means you use the material over again, either for the same purpose, or for something else. For example, a coffee can could be reused as a container for crayons or pencils. Recycle: This means to use the materials over again to make a new product. For example, old newspapers are recycled when they are made into new paper products.

Next, create a 3-column chart. Label the columns Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Cut out pictures from a magazine of items like a tire, a Styrofoam cup, a plastic bottle, a glass jar, soda can, etc. and have children categorize them. Variation: Have bins in which children can sort the items.

Recyclables Game
Collect cans with lid remove, plastic bottles, and newspaper. Label 3 bins or trash cans: cans, bottles, and newspaper. Draw a line and place the containers about 3 to 5 feet away from the line. Have children stand behind the line and try to toss the recyclables into the appropriate container.

Field Trip
Have children collect plastic grocery bags and return them to their neighborhood grocery store.

Trash Collage
Use throw away paper, labels, scraps cut from junk mail, aluminum foil, pull tabs from soda cans–anything you can find that is typically thrown away–to make a collage.

Wind Sock
Earth day craft Cut the bottom of a cup or margarine tub. Cut streamers from crepe paper, ribbons and plastic bags. Attach other recycled items on a string. Arrange and glue them around the cup so that they hang down over the edge. Make two holes and attach a pipe cleaner or ribbon to make a hanger.

Dirt Cups
Have children make this fun snack by putting chocolate pudding in a paper cup. Have them top the pudding with crushed chocolate cookies and a gummy worm.

About the Author

Jolanda Garcia is a former teacher and educational content designer. Her goal is to provide parents and teachers with quality resources to promote their children’s development and creativity. Visit her websites at: Preschool activities and crafts , and www.eartwiggles.com

Source: http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=861921