April 22, 1970 was a remarkable day.
From the West Coast to the East, people of all ages stepped out of their comfort zones and participated in rallies and protests bringing environmental degradation center stage. Americans tired of polluting factories, untreated sewage flowing into water bodies, oil spills, uncontrolled usage of pesticides, toxic dumps, garbage patches, shrinking green spaces, extinction of wildlife and a whole other bunch of issues decided to do something about it. That day saw an unusual coming together of people - of all ages, hues, political beliefs, backgrounds - and this resulted in the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. In 1990 this movement went global as 200 million people participated world wide!
From the West Coast to the East, people of all ages stepped out of their comfort zones and participated in rallies and protests bringing environmental degradation center stage. Americans tired of polluting factories, untreated sewage flowing into water bodies, oil spills, uncontrolled usage of pesticides, toxic dumps, garbage patches, shrinking green spaces, extinction of wildlife and a whole other bunch of issues decided to do something about it. That day saw an unusual coming together of people - of all ages, hues, political beliefs, backgrounds - and this resulted in the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. In 1990 this movement went global as 200 million people participated world wide!
Ideally everyday ought to be Earth Day, but the way our lives are structured, we do not live lives which are environmentally friendly. The goal is to live a sustainable life on earth. The need of the hour is to educate our kids about living a sustainable life. Towards this end, here are three activities for kids:
1. Encourage them to spread the message
With schools having a strong curriculum which includes environmental education, kids are ideal spokespeople to go out into the community to spread the message of living a sustainable life. People need to know the consequences of their actions. If kids are the kind to play kid games, encourage them to play more games built around the environment. This will help them learn about the environment in a fun way.
2. Ask them to adopt a simple habit
Sit together as a family and see if you can change something small which will make your life more environmentally friendly. Perhaps kids can carry a bag when they help out in the shopping or maybe, they will switch off lights as they exit their rooms. Alternatively they could decline the plastic cutlery and tissue sent with home delivered food.
3. Make recyclable gifts
A good way for kids to understand recycling is to make something out of recycled material. Just a few decades ago this was not uncommon. But today it has to be taught because our lifestyles have changed drastically. You could use old beads to make a new neckpiece, use old paper to make a papier mache mask, use old plastic containers as pots for gifting plants or make new things out of old clothes.
This Earth Day try to make a difference. It's easy and simple. Our planet sustains us, let us help by living a sustainable life. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
