Healthier Environment [School]?

Question

I need to write a 2 page paper about how I can contribute to a healthier environment, but well... the only two things I can think of are Recycling and Driving less... can y'all help me with some things I can do to help make the environment healthier?

Answer 1

Schools are fantastic places for raising environmental issues. They are busy and consume a lot of resources. Knowledge of Environmental issues is important to us all.

Here are some ideas:

* Get the Art Department to produce Art from recycled materials with an Environmental theme. Use this to advertise your environmental initiatives.

* Campaign within your school against large corporate sponsors such as Pepsi Co installing vending machines to sell/promote their products in exchange for sponsorship of school equipment etc. Ensure your school only gains sponsorship from Corporations that contribute to a healthier environment. So Fair Trade snack bar, organic fruit/juice bar.

*Walk or cycle to school or use public transport

*Grow food at school, sell to students at breaks

*Recycle, join the Schools Waste Action Club www.wastewatch.org.uk

http://www.wastewatch.org.uk/Education-a...

*Save Energy at School UK schools account for 25% of public sector energy costs spending around £350 million on energy and releasing 8 million tonnes of CO2 each year.

Answer 2

1.  Reduce consumption:  of all things including food.

2. Increasing reusing capability instead of throwing away

How will this help?

-Less clutter,

-Lower credit bills - means less stress,

-By reusing we learn to be sensitive,

-By reusing  we learn to share,  instead of throwing things away

-Eating less junk - means better health, reduces excess production.... just imagine if 100% of Americans show how to reduce eating junk.. the world will follow and what will be the result>>>

-Fewer visits to hospitals

-Healthier people

-Less use of paper (packaging etc)

it is all just a cycle and a ripple effect.  We just need the courage to start somewhere

Answer 3

Recycling also consumes energy in terms of cleaning the waste by using water, then putting it in an electrolyte solution which takes electricity, which means more dependance on water or coal which means more pollution in another place. Similarly, driving less means you would be walking or pedalling to school or work which means more food for you which means more energy again...

Are you sure these are healthy for the environment?

Why dont you try something like planting trees or using trash to make a solar distiller.

Answer 4

try to solar panel some electronics in your school.

also have a walk-to-school day

bring in cans

water

make projects out of recyclebals

plant trees

=)

Answer 5

For a two page paper, consider writing about carbon emissions reduction, and energy consumption reduction. Buying products that have less packaging and are less processed is an aspect of both.

Two school-specific ideas for your community:

1. Biodiesel for school buses. We have one of the few farmer co-op biodiesel networks here in Montana. While biodiesel may not be a permanent solution (nothing is), it may be a reasonable one in some parts of the world, for now. http://www.sustainablesystemsllc.com/sit...

2. Healthful school lunches. Lunch at school is beginning to be recognized as a contributor to our national weight and health problems. (http://www.healthiergeneration.org/defau... There are alternatives to the usual low-bid food service, without breaking the bank. Google "healthful school lunches" for lots of sites. (Is this an environmental question? You betcha! Healthier food is less processed, and associated with more earth-friendly production practices. Not to mention that healthier people are happier people and happier people are more conscientious, but you'll have to evaluate that claim, too).

Information to the people who pay for things is the most important environmental contribution tool. Often the higher-ups are older, more conservative, and too busy making decisions to keep up with either the cutting edge or the popular sentiment. Bottom line: they don't consider environmental concerns to be in line with their fiscal responsibilities. Showing them how they are in line is crucial.

Answer 6

Here's a great one:  NASA's Clean Air Plant Study".

"Common indoor plants may provide a valuable weapon in the fight against rising levels of indoor air pollution. Those plants in your office or home are not only decorative, but NASA scientists are finding them to be surprisingly useful in absorbing potentially harmful gases and cleaning the air inside modern buildings.

NASA research has consistently shown that living, green and flowering plants can remove several toxic chemicals from the air in building interiors. You can use plants in your home or office to improve the quality of the air to make it a more pleasant place to live and work - where people feel better, perform better, any enjoy life more."