Youth Venture

September 13, 2007 - 5:25pm — JJ Express

YV Blog Contest: Solving the Environmental Problem

There is a surge of interest in the environmental problem that has been festering for years. With attentions whetted by Al Gore's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, the environmental problem has been addressed by many people, including celebrities who have tried to use their star status for good; London, which has several green districts; ecovillages that have sprouted around the nation; research into an environmentally friendly fuel; and much more.

And yet, there with all the enthusiasm for helping out our world for us and for our children, there is still much hemming and hawwing. And why? Because it is very difficult for us to change our lifestyle. Almost everything we have lived by before has been harmful to the environment. A lot people feel that it is too burdensome to seperate trash into recyclable material, or love of style that makes it hard for us to control our impulse for shopping for things we don't need.

So its impossible to solve the environmental problem, right? Not enough people will join in the effort - only those who have the will-power to make a concerted effort to be environmentally friendly.

Wrong. I was reading Gazette Community Newspapers one day, and I read an interesting article about a German School in Washington D.C that is completely green. Along with reading, writing, math, and other conventional subjects, the students are educated about recycling. They know more than some adults about what can be recycled and what can't be. They use reusable eating utensils and are taught the principles of reuse, reduce, and recycle. They even have a garden on their roof - the dirt and the grass keeps the school warm in the winter, and cool in the summer! As an added bonus, they get lots of clean air, and learn the wholesome art of gardening.

After I read that article, I thought to myself - those kids will grow up to make this world a better place. I think that we need instill habits of love of the earth and of our community while kids are young. These habits will stay with them, and they will never think twice about recycling, watching what they buy, and being good custodians of our Earth. I know this, because I have been raised to be relatively Earth friendly and I always recycle paper, plastic bags, and plastic jars without thinking. I feel awful when I don't, and I don't understand what is like just to throw everything into a trash can.

My venture idea is to fundraise money to gradually convert elementary schools and daycares into environmentally friendly functions. This may sound ambitious, but it can be done. The concern for the environment is very high right now, and I am sure that you will be able to find donors willing to help. I am also sure that you will be able to find professionals who would be willing to donate their time and explain what is needed to convert a school into an environmentally friendly place.

In addition, those students who are educated in those schools can educate the community on how important it is to take care of the world in a pay-it-forward method. Many people don't know what can be recycled.

Global warming isn't the only environmental concern. Landfills are filling up quickly (as many people know, the only thing astronauts can see from space is the Fresh Kills Landfill in New York), pollution is very serious in some cities, and our lakes and drinking water are being polluted.

The only way we can reverse this alarming trend is to take children when they are young and form earth-saving habits. Maybe 20 years from now, they will be better off than we are.