Recycled Products Take Care Of Our Environment
One would be surprised to see how many things can be made from recycled materials such as wood, plastic, glass and paper. There are incredibly numerous companies that have even started promoting themselves online and boasting with the ingenious creations they have come up with.
Some companies that have made themselves known and appreciated on the market make recycled products that fall into the category of furnishing. The furniture they design and create may target schools and classrooms, so they manufacture desks, chairs, lockers, boards, and so on. Others make furniture for houses or public places. And if comparing furnishing recycled products to ones that are non-recycled there would be no difference to the eye at all. The quality is much the same and in addition it will give the buyer a feeling of contributing toward saving the environment. They might also be cheaper since the cost of using recycled material in manufacturing is lower than in acquiring the raw material or producing it.
Other companies have oriented toward the gift and souvenir market knowing that being trendy today also implies showing concern for nature. Many individuals today prefer buying small presents that carry meaning rather than financial value simply to show affection to friends or family members. Of course, they might check the market for recycled products that could be turned into small yet significant attentions intended for the celebrated ones. The advantage of these gifts is that they are cheaper than non-recycled material ones because they are cheap to manufacture.
As for souvenirs, we could say that with today’s extensive travelling, souvenirs represent of form of tourist hysteria. Let?s face it! When going to some far away places without family and friends we are most likely inclined to bring souvenirs from there just to show that we have thought of them. In time these souvenirs will end up filling the trash bin as more are received by the year. Tourism is increasing and the souvenir market is flourishing. That is why many souvenir manufacturers have oriented to using recycled materials to produce badges, brochures, magnets and many more. It is a very helpful method of dealing with consumerism in the tourism sector. Hopefully the trend will last and more and more companies will turn green and resort to manufacturing recycled products.
And last but not least, accessories and clothing can also turn out to be recycled products. The trend today is to protect endangered species; so, gone is the time when, for example, expensive leather handbags were must-haves among celebrities. Today, a chic recycled fabric or material handbag that carries some originality in terms of design is of much more value because celebrities feel the need to act as role models for the young. All it takes is someone famous to set the trend and there we go: we are willing to rescue our planet.
What Is Environmental Education?
Today, there is an all important global concern about how to preserve and protect the world’s environment and environmental education is a key component to achieving that preservation. Many governments, businesses and environmental activists spend a lot of time trying to undo damage that has already been done. However, as with many of the world’s difficult problems that require fundamental change, the answer to the environmental quandary likely rests with the children and that is why environmental education in primary and secondary schools is so important.
Environmental education teaches students about the natural environment and about how human beings can enjoy sustainable living and live in a way that respects the ecosystem and does not damage the environment, this is so important for the future. It is not a new concept, although it has certainly changed over the years. Decades ago when environmental conservation was not the important issue that it is today, schools still taught environmental education. In generations past, the goal was to instill an appreciation for and enjoyment of the outdoors and of nature.
Today, environmental education retains enjoyment of nature as a goal for students but it also includes teaching students about the importance of environmental protection including how to live sustainable lives and the political and legal aspects of environmental protection. Often, K-12 environmental education is included in the science curriculum. However, it is becoming more common for high schools to offer environmental science classes as elective courses.
Elementary School Environmental Education
Environmental Education often starts with teaching children what nature is and why it should be respected. This approach is based on the theory that if children have a genuine appreciation and respect for nature that they will naturally want to protect it as they get older.
Many schools choose to incorporate environmental education into the science curriculum by going on field trips to natural history museums, doing activities outside, learning about different plants and animals and participating in community service projects such as park cleaning, recycling projects or planting community gardens.
High School Environmental Education
Environmental education at the high school level can vary widely. Some schools offer highly scientific Earth Science classes where students learn bout the science of the environment and how human actions change it. Other classes may be more political or legal in nature and discuss different environmental laws and United Nations declarations and charters. Finally, some communities have established charter or magnet schools that primarily focus on environmental education.
North American Association for Environmental Education
The North American Association for Environmental Education has established a set of 6 “Guidelines for Excellence” in environmental education. Those guidelines include the principles that:
- Environmental educational materials should be fair and accurate in their description of environmental problems, issues and conditions;
- Environmental education should make students aware of the feelings, values and attitudes that guide opinions on environmental issues;
- Environmental education should build skills such as critical thinking to enable students to handle environmental issues as adults;
- Environmental education should promote civil responsibility and encourage students to make a change;
- Environmental education should be instructionally sound. This means that different learning styles should be accommodated and that there should be goals for and assessment of the students;
- Environmental education materials should be well designed and easy to use.
Why is Environmental Education Important?
On a global level, it is important so that we train the next generation of students to solve what some experts term our environmental crisis. It will raise a generation of students who understand the need to have humans live sustainable lives and who are well equipped to make that happen.
Similarly, environmentalists are likely to be in great demand as the current generation of students graduates and enters the work force. As the United States and many other countries become more concerned with being eco-friendly and with leading “green” lives, environmentalists will be necessary to put programs in place that promote those ideals and to teach others how to do it.
Environmental education is, therefore, important to individual students and to our society as a whole. As our schools prepare students for the world, it is important that they focus on all of the issues that are likely to effect students and the environment is certainly one of those issues.
How Pollution Contributes to Extinction Pressure
The spread of pollution as we all know, affects both humans and wildlife worldwide. However, unlike human beings who are capable of surviving just about anywhere, most species are reliant upon specific environments for their survival.
Climate change, for instance, has already been responsible for changing the distribution of species worldwide. Many of these organisms, whether on land, air or sea, are unable to simply pack up and follow where the conditions they are adapted to are moving. Animals that rely upon conditions at the poles, for instance, are finding that there is nowhere to go, even if they are relatively mobile.
More directly, chemical and radioactive pollution that is now found in every ecosystem on Earth is making these species less able to compete. Whether it’s fish and mammals that rely upon water at a specific temperature or a unique delivery of nutrition, reproductive health and overall fitness suffers as a result of these pollutants.
Migrating Through a Swarm of Battery Recycling Regulations
Everyone uses some sort of battery power. Where in a flashlight or radio or your automobile, there are specific recycling options for both alkaline and rechargeable batteries.
Car batteries are the type of recyclable battery most people are accustomed to. These very often contain a mixture of lead and acid which can be very dangerous if not handled correctly. Most municipalities require any store that sells batteries to take the old batteries back. This allows for a more centralized handling of these batteries which are recycled at over a 90% rate in the mid-’aughts.
Other batteries are more difficult to recycle. Some stores that sell rechargeable and alkaline batteries manage recycling programs. Otherwise, cities and counties may keep informational websites that instruct as to where they can be recycled. In many areas, they are handled as hazardous waste rather than actually being recycled. You may have to collect the batteries yourself and send them into a recycling program yourself in many areas.
Social Impacts of Pollution
It is well known that the majority of pollution is caused and emitted by the most developed nations. North America, in particular, is responsible for a large portion of both chemical and greenhouse gas emissions. This is partly due to the relatively high standard of living that is enjoyed here which includes transportation, heating and cooling, as well as the high rates of meat and dairy consumption.
By way of comparison, the majority of the world’s population lives in areas where the consequences of pollution are felt more keenly. This is partly due to a disproportionate distribution of wealth and living standards.
It is also partly due to the closer relationship that people living in Africa and Asia have to the natural environment. This situation is not likely to change anytime soon, given the global nature of pollution spread, that knows no boarders.
