Green Kids USA

Hopefully you and your family received some Holiday cards this year.  Instead of throwing them away, here’s a few creative ideas you should consider:

• Turn them into Holiday-themed postcards — Simply cut the writing off the back, then turn them into a Christmas post card with a friend’s address, stamp and short message.
• Donate them to the St. Jude’s Recycled Card Program
• Create gift tags out of them — Use scissors and begin cutting away.  Not only does this save the cards from going entirely into the trash, but also helps you save money next Holiday season

Trick or treat!  With Halloween almost here, let’s look at a few ideas that can help add some green to this fun holiday:

• Walk while trick or treating.  In most neighborhoods, there’s no need to drive.  By walking, you’ll help the environment and get some exercise too!
• Try reusable bags while trick or treating.  Pillowcases are perfect!
• If you’re giving candy out, try organic candies.  Organic candies can satisfy a sweet tooth without compromising health, and they are produced using methods that don’t hurt the environment.
• Make your own costume.  By using old clothes and other items that you already have, you help the planet and have a chance to be really creative

There’s a few ideas . . . what else can you think of?

Lumenhaus is a pretty funny name.  There’s nothing funny, however, with finding a sustainable, brighter way to live.

The Lumenhaus Project is Virginia Tech’s entry into the 2010 Solar Europe Competition.  The project focus on a house that offers tremendous energy savings, along with a beautifully modern floor plan. To learn more, watch the video, and then take a tour at the Lumenhaus Project Website.  You won’t be disappointed!

Here’s over 40 Free Recycling Resources that can be used in the classroom or at home.

Teachers, if you have access to a computer lab or Smart Board, consider using these electronically.  You can have them pick their favorite activity, give them a specific link, or combine activities.  Not only will this save paper, but your students will thank you!

Here’s a science fair on wheels.  Students and recent graduates from Dartmouth College are on the road this summer in a 1989 earth-friendly bus.  It’s powered by biodiesel and solar panels, and features deep-cycle batteries, inverties, and many other green accessories.

The students are promoting green technologies and have visited over 30 cities already, with more to come.  Their blog details the journey.

Kids . . . imagine you were taking a trip to help spread the word for green living.  What would you be promoting?  How would you get people’s attention?  Where would you go?

The Minnesota Twins just opened up their new 39,000 seat stadium this month.  It’s a state-of-the-art ballpark, and features just about anything a baseball fan needs.

In addition, the Twins did an amazing job in making Target Field GREEN.  Some of the green design elements included in the ballpark are:

• Game day recycling centers that will keep over 400 cubic yards of material from going to landfills each series.
• Water saving devices like a rain water filter system that will help with irrigation.
• Recycled materials make up over 30% of the new stadium.

The Twins New Green Ballpark also is easily accessible by public transportation and has earned the highest LEED certification of any ballpark in America.  Good Job Twins!

Did you know that over 100  million cell phones each year end up in our landfills?  That’s terrible, but what should you do with your old electronic gadgets?

Recycling starts with reuse, and here’s a way to not only help the planet, but also make some money for yourself.  Learn more with this 3 minute video from CNN

Do you have an IPod?  What about an IPhone?  Charging them up can be a pain if you’re not near an electrical outlet, like when you’re at the beach or at a baseball game.  In addition, the charging itself consumes electricity that was most likely produced in part from non-renewable resources.

Here’s an interesting product from a company named Novothink.  It’s simply a Solar Case for Apple Products.  The company claims that the case will give you 30 minutes of extra 3G battery time for every 30 minutes of direct sunlight it receives.  With IPods, the battery time can be extended up to 20 extra hours with extra sunlight.

So Kids . . . is this something you would use?  Why?  Do you think solar charging could be a big part of the future?

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Going to mall means shopping, food, and fun.  It can also mean GREEN, as in gardens and organic vegetables.

Cleveland’s Green Mall features beds of lettuce by escalators and tomatoes growing by candy stores.

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Teachers, here’s some great thinking/discussion topics:

• Would you buy organic vegetables grown inside a mall?  Why or why not?
• Why are locally grown vegetables coveted?
• Do you think your local shopping mall has room for a small vegetable garden?  If so, should they try something like this?
  

Can football “Go Green?”   Well the University of North Texas is building a beautiful, earth-friendly football stadium that will use renewable energy, conserve water, and much more.  The stadium is being designed to meet the gold standard for LEED certification (a prestigious honor for green designs).  Here’s more on this UNIQUE NEW STADIUM.

So what do you think?

Teachers, encourage discussion with the following questions:

• Is this a good idea?  Should more colleges and pro teams consider this?

• What would you do to make your favorite team’s stadium more earth-friendly?

• Think about your school’s gym or baseball field or football field.  What could your school do to make them earth-friendly?  Do you think they should?