To Whom It May Concern:

Did you know that not only is it your right but your duty to write to your government representatives? Senators and Congresspeople are elected by the American people to represent their interests when writing and voting on laws. So let them know how you feel about protecting the environment, and that you are holding them accountable for the future of the planet!

Your letter does not have to be long or have big fancy words. Just speak from your heart and let them know how you feel. If you can get your friends and classmates to write letters, all the better!

Here are a few topics you could write about:

Global warming
Renewable, clean energy
Protecting endangered species
Preserving wildlife habitat
Protecting our waterways and oceans
Keeping toxic chemicals out of the air and the products we buy

And don’t be afraid to go straight to the boss:

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Email: president@whitehouse.gov

A nobel speech...

I want to share with you Al Gore's inspirational speech he gave while accepting the Nobel Peace prize two months ago. It is a bit long, but well worth reading. This would be great to read aloud with your parents. Here's a quick excerpt:

SPEECH BY AL GORE ON THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE DECEMBER 10, 2007 OSLO, NORWAY

"...We must quickly mobilize our civilization with the urgency and resolve that has previously been seen only when nations mobilized for war. These prior struggles for survival were won when leaders found words at the 11th hour that released a mighty surge of courage, hope and readiness to sacrifice for a protracted and mortal challenge.

These were not comforting and misleading assurances that the threat was not real or imminent; that it would affect others but not ourselves; that ordinary life might be lived even in the presence of extraordinary threat; that Providence could be trusted to do for us what we would not do for ourselves..."

Click here to read the full article.

Eco Moms in the NYTimes

Here's an interesting article from the New York Times about EcoMoms, a new movement of mothers across the country who are striving to create a healthier home and planet for their children. The article links to two great blog,Eco Chick and Green & Clean Mom. Their blogs have great resources for moms!

The Nature Journal

A nature journal is a notebook or sketchbook that you record your observations and thoughts in when you are in nature. Find a natural place outside to explore. Sit quietly and let all your senses awaken to the world around you. Imagine that you are experiencing this environment for the first time and record in words and pictures what you see, hear, smell and feel. You can write a poem or describe in detail a single plant. If questions pop into your head write them down, too. Notice the similarities and the differences between things. Imagine how all the living things around you, from the worm deep beneath the ground to the tree that reaches many feet into the sky, are connected. Think about how each one affects you, and how you affect them.

Make your own Nature Journal from recycled items from around the house!

You’ll need:

– Scrap paper that is all the same size
– A piece of colored paper or any paper you would like to use as a cover
– A stick about 7 or 8 inches long
– A rubber band that is long enough to stretch the length of the stick
– A hole punch

1) Place one piece of paper blank side up on top of another piece with the blank side facing down

2) Glue, staple or tape the two pieces together. Repeat this a few more times until you have a nice stack of paper.


3) Gather all the paper together in a pile with the colored cover piece on top. Fold the papers in half.

4) Use the hole punch to punch two holes 1/4” from the folded edge and 1 1/2” from the top and bottom.

5) Through the back of the book, thread one end of the rubber band through the top hole and insert the stick into the loop.

6) Thread the other end of the rubber band through the bottom hole and insert the stick into the loop.

Tip: You can attach a plastic ziplock bag to the back of your journal to collect things you find while exploring.

B.Y.O.B. (bring your own bag)

If I were to tell you that 1,000 miles off the coast of California there is a swirling mass of plastic trash that’s twice the size of the state of Texas, would you think twice the next time you were offered a plastic bag at the store? And if you think that choosing paper over plastic is a good choice, think again. 14 million trees are cut down to produce the 10 billion paper grocery bags used by Americans every year.

Did you know?

–Americans alone throw away 100 billion plastic bags every year. That’s over a million bags every minute!
– Plastic bags, which are made from petroleum and natural gas, use up 12 million barrels of oil every year in the US.
–Less than 1% of plastic bags are recycled. The rest will sit in landfills and clog the ocean for many centuries to come.
–There are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of ocean.
–Each year, more than 100,000 marine mammals and turtles die from eating or becoming entangled in plastic.
–Inks and colorants used on plastic bags contain toxic chemicals like lead that pollute our soil and water.

Here’s what you can do:

Bring your own bag every time you go to the store and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Make them their own hand painted bag and they’ll never forget it at home.

And here’s how you do it:

–Buy blank canvas bags at any craft store. If you plan to make one for everyone you know, you can buy them in bulk from many different places on the internet.
–Gather arts and crafts materials you wish to use to decorate your bags. You can paint, color with markers, embroider, sew or glue any number of decorations on your bags.
–Go to town!

Shop your way to greener pastures

Check out climatecounts.org to see how different companies rate in their efforts to lighten their carbon footprint. Climate Counts gives major companies a scorecard, rating them "Stuck", "Starting" or "Striding". You may be too young to vote, but where you spend your money sends a powerful message to companies that you are holding them accountable for their actions and inactions.