““Community and kids Community and kids working together to create working together to create habits of the heart.”habits of the heart.”

SustainabilitySustainabilityHow we can continue as a society without How we can continue as a society without

depleting our natural resourcesdepleting our natural resourcesOld Way:Natural Resources Production Consumption Waste

Sustainable Way:

Reuse Reduce Recycle

Let’s talk about you: Why Let’s talk about you: Why we as individuals don’t do we as individuals don’t do more?more?

One person can not make a differenceOne person can not make a difference InconvenientInconvenient Time consuming Time consuming Global warming is not realGlobal warming is not real Wasteful habitsWasteful habits Cost Cost Lack of informationLack of information

Some Scary Facts…Some Scary Facts…““It’s not just about recycling”It’s not just about recycling”

ConsumptionConsumption:: “Summer 2008 - the southeastern “Summer 2008 - the southeastern United States, including Georgia, Alabama, United States, including Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida experienced a severe Tennessee and Florida experienced a severe drought leading to restrictions on water use, drought leading to restrictions on water use, caused reservoir levels to drop dangerously, caused reservoir levels to drop dangerously, damaged crops and opened up conflicts inside damaged crops and opened up conflicts inside and between states on access and use of and between states on access and use of declining water resources.” The Earth Institute of declining water resources.” The Earth Institute of Columbia UniversityColumbia University

CO2 EmissionsCO2 Emissions:: ““Change a light, and you help change the Change a light, and you help change the

world. Replace the conventional bulbs in world. Replace the conventional bulbs in your 5 most frequently used light your 5 most frequently used light fixtures with bulbs that have the ENERGY fixtures with bulbs that have the ENERGY STAR and you will help the environment STAR and you will help the environment while saving money on energy bills. If every while saving money on energy bills. If every household in the U.S. took this one simple household in the U.S. took this one simple action we would prevent greenhouse gases action we would prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 million cars.” www.epa.govmillion cars.” www.epa.gov

OverdevelopmentOverdevelopment:: Katrina “With a unique Katrina “With a unique confluence of geography, expansive lowlands confluence of geography, expansive lowlands (particularly in the New Orleans area), wetland (particularly in the New Orleans area), wetland loss, deforestation, rapid development, large loss, deforestation, rapid development, large populations of the poor, and a heavy populations of the poor, and a heavy concentration of industry, the Gulf Coast is concentration of industry, the Gulf Coast is extremely vulnerable to hurricanes” Pew extremely vulnerable to hurricanes” Pew Center on Global Climate ChangeCenter on Global Climate Change

Eating HabitsEating Habits: : “ “70% of all antibiotics are given to farm 70% of all antibiotics are given to farm

animals”animals” over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are

used each year in the U.S.”used each year in the U.S.” Food, IncFood, Inc. a Robert Kenner film. a Robert Kenner film

Health HabitsHealth Habits:: “The millions of doses of “The millions of doses of prescription drugs that Americans swallow prescription drugs that Americans swallow annually to combat cancer, pain, depression annually to combat cancer, pain, depression and other ailments do not disappear and other ailments do not disappear harmlessly into their digestive systems, harmlessly into their digestive systems, researchers have determined, but instead researchers have determined, but instead make their way back into the environment make their way back into the environment where they may contaminate drinking water where they may contaminate drinking water and pose a threat to aquatic wildlife.” John and pose a threat to aquatic wildlife.” John Hopkins UniversityHopkins University

Waste:Waste: Garbage Island Garbage Island ““An enormous island of trash twice the size of An enormous island of trash twice the size of

Texas is floating in the Pacific Ocean Texas is floating in the Pacific Ocean somewhere between San Francisco and somewhere between San Francisco and Hawaii.”Hawaii.” Chris Parry with the California Coastal Chris Parry with the California Coastal Commission in San FranciscoCommission in San Francisco

Though the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the most Though the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the most widely publicized of the so-called trash islands, the widely publicized of the so-called trash islands, the Atlantic Ocean has one as well in its Sargasso Sea. Atlantic Ocean has one as well in its Sargasso Sea. www.geography.about.comwww.geography.about.com

  

What is your Ecological What is your Ecological Footprint?Footprint?

My Ecological Footprintwww.myfootprint.org

Isn’t this a problem for the Isn’t this a problem for the science community and science community and government?government?

Education + Ideas = Industrial RevolutionEducation + Ideas = Industrial Revolution

Education + Ideas = SustainabilityEducation + Ideas = Sustainability

“We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

--Albert Einstein

JULY 29, 2009In a Savings Shocker, the Government Discovers That Paper Has Two SidesFront-and-Back Copies, Other Wonders Help Agencies Save $102 Million -- .006% of DeficitBy JONATHAN WEISMANWASHINGTON -- With the budget deficit soaring toward $2 trillion, the Department of Justice has figured out how to play its part: double-sided photocopying….."I mean, emailing around the daily press clips instead of printing them out and distributing them? That should not have been necessitated by a presidential order."…The Justice Department estimates it can save $573,000 through fiscal 2010 by setting up its printers and copiers to use both sides of the paper. By emailing some documents instead of printing them out, the Department of Homeland Security will save $318,000.

Does it take a presidential order??

The Board and Central AdministrationThe Board and Central Administration Priority on sustainability in future building and Priority on sustainability in future building and

remodeling projects. (LEED is a third-party remodeling projects. (LEED is a third-party certification program and the nationally accepted certification program and the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.)of high-performance green buildings.)

Monitor and chart energy usage in each building Monitor and chart energy usage in each building working towards a goal of saving waste and moneyworking towards a goal of saving waste and money

Develop district wide recycling programDevelop district wide recycling program Develop sustainability curriculumDevelop sustainability curriculum Identify a green team manager for each building Identify a green team manager for each building Model green behaviorModel green behavior

Building site green team managerBuilding site green team manager Start student teamsStart student teams Monitor recycling and energy efficiencyMonitor recycling and energy efficiency Encourage purchase of recycled and recyclable Encourage purchase of recycled and recyclable

materialsmaterials Implement paper saving practicesImplement paper saving practices Model green team practicesModel green team practices Work with cafeteria on student-run composting Work with cafeteria on student-run composting

sitesite Organize activities for National Green Week, Organize activities for National Green Week,

Environmental Awareness Week and Earth DayEnvironmental Awareness Week and Earth Day

TeachersTeachers Integrate provided sustainability lesson Integrate provided sustainability lesson

plans into curriculumplans into curriculum Model green practices (for example use Model green practices (for example use

only lights necessary and utilize outdoor only lights necessary and utilize outdoor lighting as much as possible, turn off lighting as much as possible, turn off lights, monitors, projectors, etc when not lights, monitors, projectors, etc when not in use, and control thermostat)in use, and control thermostat)

Cafeteria StaffCafeteria Staff

Offer v Serve-students choose items to Offer v Serve-students choose items to eliminate wasteeliminate waste

Refillable condiment dispensersRefillable condiment dispensers Eliminate disposables-styrofoam cups, Eliminate disposables-styrofoam cups,

plastic ware, etc. plastic ware, etc. Or Or Purchase Purchase biodegradable productsbiodegradable products

Recycle steel cans and other recyclablesRecycle steel cans and other recyclables Eliminate plastic drink bottlesEliminate plastic drink bottles

Custodial StaffCustodial Staff Monitor classroom energy (Monitor classroom energy (thermostats, thermostats,

etc.)etc.)

Monitor recycling Monitor recycling Recycle large items such as Recycle large items such as

cardboardcardboard Work with maintenance on Work with maintenance on

recycling and energy efficiencyrecycling and energy efficiency

Integrating Sustainability Integrating Sustainability into Curriculuminto CurriculumEnglish: Do you already teach a novel? For example: Call of the Wild.

Add an activity on sustainability such as climate change affect on the Iditarod.

Social Studies: Do you cover frameworks involving public policy? Have kids find out what our local council and legislature is doing.

Math: Do you teach graphs, percentages? Calculate and chart kids global footprints.

Health: Are your kids aware of waste in the water supply?

We have lot of resources and sample lesson plans for these and all other disciplines and grade levels. Let us hear from you:

Sheri Shilling and Tamme Adams

What is available now in What is available now in our community?our community?

New Focus (Neeley Street)New Focus (Neeley Street) Recycle bins - newspaper, steel cans, aluminum cans, cardboard – located at Recycle bins - newspaper, steel cans, aluminum cans, cardboard – located at

City HallCity Hall Drop off for aluminum cans for Habitat for Humanity locations (CADC offices Drop off for aluminum cans for Habitat for Humanity locations (CADC offices

and alley by Mazzios)and alley by Mazzios) Walmart bag recyclingWalmart bag recycling Home Depot – batteries and mercury light bulbsHome Depot – batteries and mercury light bulbs Shaw Recycling (Bauxite) – aluminum and metalShaw Recycling (Bauxite) – aluminum and metal Saline County LandfillSaline County Landfill Best Buy – electronicsBest Buy – electronics Office Depot – printer cartridges Office Depot – printer cartridges Benton Police Department - drop off for unused prescription drugsBenton Police Department - drop off for unused prescription drugs

What does Benton need?What does Benton need? Curbside recycling.Curbside recycling. Educating community about benefits and Educating community about benefits and

need for sustainable practices need for sustainable practices

What’s available now at What’s available now at Benton Public Schools?Benton Public Schools?

Paper pick up at all buildingsPaper pick up at all buildings Aluminum can and plastic cap recycling at Aluminum can and plastic cap recycling at

BJHBJH Aluminum tab collection for Ronald Aluminum tab collection for Ronald

McDonald HouseMcDonald House Announcements sent electronically at BJHAnnouncements sent electronically at BJH Two sided copying encouragedTwo sided copying encouraged Newly added Energy ManagerNewly added Energy Manager

What’s going on with What’s going on with Benton students now?Benton students now?

BJH Planet Savers organized March 2009BJH Planet Savers organized March 2009

BJH Planet Savers at BJH Planet Savers at Work …Work …

Cleaning up Tyndall Park

EARTH DAY

Tab Collection for Ronald McDonald House

TuesdayTuesdayDim the LightsDim the Lights

WednesdayWednesdayWWipe ipe OOut ut WWaste (plastic aste (plastic

bag recycling competitionbag recycling competition

ThursdayThursdayStomp Out Waste (can Stomp Out Waste (can

smashing competition?smashing competition?

FridayFridayWear greenWear green

Environmental Awareness Week at

BJH

Flag Football

Tournament

Recycling at our local U.S. Post

OfficeOur students at BJH worked with our local Post Master to set up recycling. Now there are recycle bins for people to drop their unwanted junk mail and magazines into.

Participation by Benton students at Participation by Benton students at the Grass Roots Youth Summit the Grass Roots Youth Summit

2010 2010 Sponsored by MetroplanSponsored by Metroplan

"Unless someone like "Unless someone like you cares a wholeyou cares a whole

awful lot, Nothing is awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. going to get better.

It's not.”It's not.” - - Dr. SeussDr. Seuss, from The , from The

LoraxLorax