ANY material that is disposed of in-correctly is litter. Whether dropped onthe ground, thrown out of a car windowor dumped on the side of the road, delib-erately or accidentally, litter is a visiblesign of pollution. Not only is it ugly, littercan be dangerous and has significantenvironmental, social and economicimpacts on communities. It can spreadgerms and disease, contaminate water,kill animal life and even injure people.Rubbish not disposed of correctly cangive the impression that no-one cares oris responsible. Our waterways, parks,beaches and streets in local communitiesare becoming increasingly polluted withdiscarded rubbish. It is important tochange our habits and attitudes to helpkeep our country clean.With an increase in the world pop-

ulation and its high consumption of pro-ducts there is a problem. We are generat-ing more waste than the environment can

absorb.We need to reduce our waste tolessen the impact it has on theenvironment.

The best way to reducewaste is to follow the5R’s – Refuse, Reduce,Reuse, Renew andRecycle. It helps us tomanage our waste and

dispose of it in betterways.

◗ REFUSE – Re-think the pro-ducts you purchase and avoid

those goods that produce excessiveamounts of waste.

◗ REDUCE – Minimise the amount ofwaste by reducing the number of dis-posable products you use.◗ REUSE – Instead of throwing items out,find another use for them.◗ RENEW – Whenpossible use itemsand resources thatare renewable.

◗ RECYCLE – Many products can berecycled at home or at recyclingcentres where they can be used tomake new products.

Litter-bugsHAVE you ever seenthese types of litter-ers?Wedgers: stuff orwedge their litter insmall places, such as agap between seats, so itwill not be seen.Undertakers: coveror bury their litterunder soil, sandor leaves.Foul-shoo-ters: aim forthe bin, missand leavethe object onthe ground.

“Effective waste management strategies contribute to the creationof a cleaner, less wasteful and more sustainable society.” – CSIRO

INTERESTING FACTSAccording to the 2010 clean Up Australiareport:The top ten rubbish items are:-1. Cigarette butts2. Small paper pieces3. Polystyrene pieces4. PET drink bottles5. Plastic chips and confectionary bags6. Plastic bottle caps7. Alcoholic beverage bottles8. Glass pieces9. Aluminium vans10. Metal bottle capsMOST RUBBISHED SITE TYPES:-1. Outdoor transport2. Shops and malls3. Beach and coastal4. Roadways5. River/creeks6. School grounds7. Parks8. Public bushlands

70 years onTHE reality of war hit home onFebruary 19, 1942 when 243 alliedservice personnel and civilians diedand hundreds of others werewounded as Japanese forceslaunched air raids on Darwin. 70years on since the attack, anair-raid siren sounded inDarwin to mark the specialanniversary.Commemorativeservices were heldto recognisethe people whofought to defendour northernborder, the men,women and childrenwho were forced toevacuate and those who livedthrough the nightmare. PrimeMinister Julia Gillard and GovernorGeneral Quentin Bryce were amongthe 5000 people who gathered toremember February 19 – a nationalday of observance.

Take apoll onlineMS Gillard said the bombing ofDarwin would be taught in schoolsas part of the new national historycurriculum. Do you agree that itshould be taught in schools?

Clean-upVideoCLEAN Up Australia is offering anew video competition for schoolsin 2012 as part of its Clean UpAustralia campaign. The Green KidsAward is proudly sponsored by the2012 release of Dr Seuss’ The Lorax.Entries for the award are now open,so if you think your school hasgreat environmental projectsenter the Green Kids Award.Visit the Clean Up Australiawebsite for details aboutthe award.www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au

WHAT’S NEWS

Compare advertisements frompast Clean Up Australiacampaigns. Go online to view theads and answer some simplequestions. Decide which is thebest advertisement and why.

What was the resultof the ballot for the

leadership of the AustralianLabor Party?

1

QUIZ TIMEEach week we willtest your knowledgeon what’s beenhappening in thenews. For theanswers visit

NiEonline.

QUIZ TIMEEach week we willtest your knowledgeon what’s beenhappening in thenews. For theanswers visit

NiEonline.

The Olyrooshave missed

out on playing inthe LondonOlympics. Whichsport do theyrepresent?

3

Which filmwon the

Oscar at this year’sAcademy Awards forBest Picture?

2

NiENewsletterComing in March is the new NiENewsletter. Sign up to receive aweekly update of great ideas for the

classroom. Go to your newspaper’s website.You should find the address on the front page.Look for the NiE logo in the menu bar andclick! Find the link to subscribe to ournew NiE newsletter and you’ll beable to find more informationabout APN’s Newspapers

in Educationprogram.

NiENewsletterComing in March is the new NiENewsletter. Sign up to receive aweekly update of great ideas for the

classroom. Go to your newspaper’s website.You should find the address on the front page.Look for the NiE logo in the menu bar andclick! Find the link to subscribe to ournew NiE newsletter and you’ll beable to find more informationabout APN’s Newspapers

in Educationprogram.

Be agood sport

and join the team toClean Up Australia onSunday March 4.

Schools Clean Up Day –Friday March 2

Business Clean UpDay – Tuesday 28February

Be agood sport

and join the team toClean Up Australia onSunday March 4.

Schools Clean Up Day –Friday March 2

Business Clean UpDay – Tuesday 28February

NEXTWEEK’STOPIC:Sea Splash

NEXTWEEK’STOPIC:Sea Splash

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