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| April 2008 Volume 2, No. 8 |
Celebrating Earth Day: Messages in Honor of Our Planet
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by Leslie Gividen and Cathy Tinsley
For many students, Earth Day will come and go. Some may notice a magazine article, television clip or billboard about other teens involved in various projects locally, nationally, maybe even globally. Many kids will flip the channel or turn the page without a thought. Others will wonder and wish.
Since 1998, Farnsley Middle School has long had a wish. Farnsley is located near what is locally referred to as “Rubbertown.” The air quality in our area is very poor due to several factories and tire manufacturers near by. Students can see smoke stacks billowing and wish they didn’t feel the sting of pollution in their eyes. Recently, however, students have come to realize they actually have the power to do something about this issue in their community.
For the past two years, students at Farnsley Middle School have been involved in a restoration project. Students created a no-mow zone by planting an outdoor classroom complete with study plots, a meadow and a stone council ring. We are already seeing some positive results. We have attracted birds, groundhogs, insects, and a red fox! By creating a no-mow zone, they know they have reduced pollutants in the air. Students are talking more, and their expectations of the community are changing.
Since 2004, students in Farnsley’s seventh grade Science classes have visited Bear Grass Creek and witnessed the negative effects of pollution on our water system. As part of an assignment, students wrote letters to Metropolitan Sewer District representatives and government officials, but to no avail. Now, students are taking matters into their own hands. They want to add rain barrels to the outdoor classroom as well as to various sites around the building to collect rainwater. Rainwater would be used to water the plants and flowers of the restoration project and keep the water from being needlessly added to the stream systems.
Our projects have opened kids’ eyes. Students’ feelings of empowerment are what make this project different than teaching from a book or sharing from a Newsweek magazine. Because students have the support, resources and tools to change something, they have truly taken ownership of the role they can play in our environment. They are concerned about environmental issues and they want to do something about it. Our restoration project has turned a wish into a chance.
This experience has taught us that talking isn’t enough. Informing isn’t enough. Pointing the way isn’t even enough. But give a child the tools and the time and they will show you their talents. It is not a perfect solution, but Farnsley students know they have the ability to make an impact and a difference. Our wish is that the community continues to seek out young people and to recognize their passion for making the world a better place.
Leslie Gividen and Cathy Tinsley are teachers at Farnsley Middle School in Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky. Ms. Gividen is a 7th grade science teacher and Ms. Tinsley is an ECE teacher.
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by Andrew Gray
Earth Day to me is a time to reflect and to capture our vision for our future on this Earth and what our responsibility is in relation to our environment. The Earth is our home so to me it is natural to reflect on a daily basis what our role is for the future and our current interaction as human beings with the environment. To me one day a year seems somewhat trivial in light of current environmental events in relation to people and our environment. With that being said one day that people are thinking of these concepts on a large scale is better than none and it is a testament to how many people do care because Earth Day keeps coming. It seems like an obvious statement since it is an annual event, but in reality there are many annual days throughout history that have faded after 3-5 years. Earth Day has not. There must be some momentum. In terms of education it is essential that we take advantage of Earth Day in our lessons, discourse with students, and in our professional praxis. The current generation of high school students is the generation that will be forced to deal with many environmental issues as they progress to young adults and on to the leaders of our society. It is important that they are exposed to issues and are supported in their own environmental efforts. Many get the “big picture” already way better than most adults and just need an avenue for their voice to be heard.
While there are many issues to face in the near future I believe that energy is at the heart of the matter. Where do we get our energy from? What sources are those energies coming from? What are ways pollution from energy production are being reduced? Which sources are renewable? How are communities affected when energy is removed (oil, mountaintops, etc.)? How is the demand on energy sources connected to overpopulation? How do we get developers to focus on green buildings? How is reusing and recycling related to energy use reduction? How do we transform our current school buildings to be green? These are just some of the questions that should arise on a daily basis in our thoughts, but if they don’t than they should at least be on our minds once a year on Earth Day. However, I would propose that it will take a daily focus to really transform ourselves, our society, and our interaction with the environment.
Andrew Gray is a math teacher at Fairdale High School in Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky.
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by Katie Greene
Not long before she died in 1964, the noted environmental writer Rachel Carson wrote an essay for Woman's Home Companion magazine called "Helping Your Child to Wonder." In that essay, Carson urged parents to take their children to wild places and introduce them to the astonishing variety of life that exists all around us: to study birds, listen to the winds, and observe the stars, in an effort to preserve a child’s innate "clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring."
The first glimpses of spring have arrived at the Blackacre Nature Preserve and Historic Homestead and gentle morning sunlight softly filters through the leaves of grand trees. Birds gracefully search for their meal over open fields. Trails follow the meanders of clear, cool creeks. A frog croaks a deep bellow from the orchard pond. The old barn stands as a powerful silhouette against the early morning sky while other homestead structures rest under arching limbs.
Early mornings at Blackacre are a sight to behold. Blackacre is a special place, a ‘magical’ place in the words of Emmy Smith who, along with her husband Macauley Smith, donated Blackacre over 25 years ago. It is an extraordinary place where visitors can recapture a sense of wonder from the simple delights of the natural world. It is a place that encourages visitors to slow to the rhythms of the earth, take a deep breath and drink in the morning.
Through the Blackacre Conservancy’s commitment to preserving Blackacre’s unique setting as a place for the community to gather and learn, thousands of school children and visitors of all ages have been given the opportunity to rediscover their curiosity and sense of wonder. We believe that by facilitating exploration in the natural environment and connecting communities to our natural and cultural heritage, we are helping to create a culture of stewardship-minded individuals who, as a community, can change the way our neighborhoods and our societies interact with the world around us. It is our goal to provide a place where the community can enjoy a quiet walk, observe butterflies and birds, follow deer prints down a stream, smell a barn full of hay on a warm day, and learn about how Louisville was settled and what life was like for those who settled it. We believe these experiences encourage visitors to draw upon what Carson described as “that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring."
It is this sense of discovery, of surprise, of wonder that reminds us all how important natural places are. In the poetic words of Rachel Carson, “If I had the influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life… If a child is to keep alive an inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from the fairies, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.”
I invite you to think of Blackacre as an extension of your backyard. Come and share this special place with family and friends. Slow down. Walk the trails. Listen to the birds. Tour the old buildings. And breathe. You never know what you might discover…
Katie Green is the executive director of Blackacre Conservancy.
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by Cass Harris
Of all the bits of poetry that floated around me as an English major in college, the two that I managed to hang onto most dearly over the years both sprang from Gerard Manley Hopkins, a 19th century British poet whom I now find described on the internet as a “green prophet.” One of those works poses a particularly apt question for today:
What would the world be, once bereft
Of wet and wildness? Let them be left,
O let them be left, wildness and wet;
Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet.
It’s a question for all of us to ponder, as all of us – every single one of us—have the power to save the weeds and the wilderness, every day. No heroic measures are required -- it’s not necessary to chain yourself to a tree, or to stand in front of bulldozers, or even to carry a sign or sign a petition. Routine, ordinary actions, practiced daily, can have the same impact on our environment.
Want to save a tree? Recycle all of your paper materials; sign up to stop junk mail; use cloth towels and napkins; or refuse to buy products that are overly packaged. Want to save “the wet?” Don’t toss old medicines down the drain; eliminate your use of pesticides; install a rain barrel; or save up your laundry for a full load. Want to save your climate? Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs; turn off the lights; unplug your unused cell phone charger; stop driving through the drive-thru; or plant a tree.
There are many choices, many actions you can take every day. Some, like buying a hybrid car, are grander than others, like walking to the hardware store. But the weight of all of your efforts does pile up, over the course of a year, or a lifetime, just like tiny grains of sand eventually form a massive dune. So be a hero – pick up that litter, and recycle that bottle. Then do it again tomorrow, and the day after…
Cass Harris is the Louisville Metro Environmental Policy Coordinator and serves on the Partnership for a Green City Steering Committee.
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by Glenna Hess
What does Earth Day mean to a child? We celebrate by wearing t-shirts, singing “earth” songs and talking about how we take care of our earth. That is a beginning level of awareness, however we need to purposely help our children internalize concepts that will in turn shape the future of our earth.
Young children can be engaged in activities that help develop that deeper level of understanding. Cleaning up the school grounds, intentionally recycling within our schools, composting and planting gardens are some ideas to get them actively involved. It is through the doing and the conversation about why we are doing these activities that children begin to internalize that what they do matters in taking care of our environment.
We must instill in our children that it is their moral obligation to respect and take care of our earth. We have to make them understand, even at an early age, that it is not someone else’s responsibility – it is their responsibility.
What we also must remember is that we are the models. Children are always watching us. Do we turn out the lights when we leave the room? Do we recycle – do we use those blue bins for recycling not for carrying lunches on a field trip? The understanding for our children begins with us, in our classrooms.
So as Earth Day is here once again, I hope that we help all of our students realize that what we do to take care of our earth not only affects us, but affects all who inhabit the earth and what we do is just not for the good of “me” but for the good of the greater community, our world.
Glenna Hess is an Instructional Coach/Pre-K Program Manager for CARE for Kids.
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by Crow Hollister
I am a porch sitter and I make no apologies for that. As such, I try to find time to pursue the lost art of being still, truly still, daily. But like all of us, the hard work of creating healthy communities often gets in the way of that which is most important to a productive life in a livable community; time to enjoy the fruit of our labor. Thomas Merton, a man I admire for his apparent talents of stillness, articulated the harm that comes from a too busy life when he wrote about the rush of things as a form of violence.
The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of innate violence. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything is to succumb to violence. More than that, it is cooperation with violence. The frenzy of the activist neutralizes his work for peace. It destroys her own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of his own work because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.
-- Thomas Merton
On this Earth Day I vow to do nothing but that which is demanded by the other creatures in my care. I will rise early, drink clean water and be glad for it. I will mosey to my chicken coop to feed and water the hens. I will leave the turning of my compost pile for another day. The worms tunneling about near the surface will not miss me. I may pull a weed from between the sprouting collards and I may not. If I do I will marvel at the health of the soil crumbling away from the disturbed roots. I will find my way to the porch early and stay there late. I will watch the clouds. I will feel the breeze should there be one. I plan to nap but would welcome an interruption from a friend if that ends up being how the day rolls by. If visited I will offer tea or something stronger depending on who the friend may be. I will hold my wife’s hand but may not say much to her. She can do well enough without my words. Probably better. I will greet the postperson with a smile and a nicety. If a book is handy I may read a chapter but will not get in the way of letting my mind wander. I will definitely enjoy the shift of day to dusk for that’s my favorite porch pursuit. Once night comes I will listen to a cricket.
I will take the day off this Earth Day and wish that it were the length of one on Venus. I give myself this permission for stillness because I have the authority to do that. So do you for that matter. There will be time for supporting a local food economy tomorrow. The emails to politicians can wait a day if not a week. The “stuff” I promised to get done for someone will not get accomplished until another day and I will likely be forgiven. I will cherish without comment that which the planet provides me daily even when I am too busy to notice. This Earth Day I will notice. I will be reverent and thankful and still. I will be one organism among the many I am connected to without full knowledge. Then I will rise on the day after Earth Day and take my rest into the world with me. My work will be better for it.
Crow Hollister is the founder of the Professional Porch Sitters Union.
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by Darleen Horton
Earth Day is like a string tied around the finger to remind us of the importance of our planet. As I think of my thirty or so years as a teacher, I realize that students today have a larger global awareness of the world than students from early in my career. And yet, today’s students spend less time outdoors and are less aware of their local natural world than at any other time. I refuse to spend time wondering why or making excuses about busy lifestyles. Rather, I resolve to bring nature back into the lives of my students. Teachers often believe that environmental education is a separate course within a school’s curriculum. I believe that environmental education is truly embedded in all the subjects. It bridges and connects concepts to real life experiences. Fourth grade students learn about erosion as part of the core content for assessment. There are good activities that can be done in the classroom to reinforce the idea. However, the better reinforcement is to take those fourth graders outside to seek out examples of erosion in the school yard. As we stand looking at a small hillside washing away at the corner of the building, students make a plan to create a rain garden, hoping that will slow or stop the erosion. Discussion flows over to run off water and storm drain issues and on to pollution. By creating a more acute awareness of the world in our backyard, we open young minds to possibilities for protecting and preserving the environment.
A few years ago, a group of fifth grade students watched a tree being planted. The man planting the tree was surprised at the children’s questions. They wanted to know about the roots, why the hole had to be a certain size, what would hold the tree upright, why there were worms in the soil, and why was it good to plant trees anyway. I asked those students how many had ever planted something. A few said they had helped plant flowers. One boy said he had planted seeds in a cup, but had spilled it on the way home. He didn’t think that counted. This group was not the exception. Far too few children experience the joy of a garden or time spent outdoors. Building an outdoor classroom as an integrated extension to our curriculum has been a major factor in the education of our children. In addition to the obvious learning experiences, the gardens, small pond, native plants, trees and wonderful green spaces help children of all ages develop an appreciation for nature. That appreciation grows into a desire to explore and to investigate. Inquiry is a good tool for all kinds of learning. It is an excellent tool for learning about the world around us.
One of the beautiful things about children is their love of sharing. Not only do they tell their classmates and friends about their outdoor experiences, but their families as well. The process of environmental awareness is much the same as a seed growing. The early idea of picking up litter around the schoolyard branches out to recycling cans, bottles and paper, and on to saving energy. As students share their own thoughts about taking care of the environment, families get involved as well. At our school’s annual science night, we have activities centered on environmental awareness. Families work together to reuse materials to make useful items. They learn about the local watershed and ways to protect the water supply. What began at school becomes a family affair.
How does Earth Day influence the way I teach? It is a reminder that I have a great and serious responsibility to my students. By creating opportunities for children to experience the joy and beauty of nature, I am bringing an awareness of responsibility that I believe will grow with my students. A six year old girl said to me, “I know your favorite color, Mrs Horton. It’s green.” She was right, green is a beautiful color.
Darleen Horton is a science lab teacher at Chenoweth Elementary School in Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky
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by Dan Jones
As the 21st Century unfolds we need to think about how the philosophy of a gentler relationship with the natural world—what Earth Day is all about—applies not just on a day, but throughout our lives. While there are many issues that stem from that, two stand out for me. The first is how to incorporate the natural world into the lives of urbanites, and the second is how to make sure that all of us, but especially children, have the opportunity to spend time in the natural world.
Three things are going to be true of the 21st Century. First, it will be a “world of 9 billion.” The U.N. estimates that population will peak at that level sometime around mid-century. The second truism is that the developing world now has a development model that works at delivering economic growth and an increase in living standards. If the current pace holds steady, this means that by mid-century 4-5 billion of those 9 billion will have consumption levels approaching that of the developed world today. This represents an incredible strain on natural resources that has implications not only for the environment but also economic and political stability. Put simply, the last time two fast-growing nations felt that their access to natural resources was threatened was Germany and Japan in the 1930s. Finally, the 21st Century will be a world of cities. While our country has been urbanized for over a century, the citizens of developing countries are pouring into cities in search of jobs and a different life. It is essential that these new cities be built on a solid foundation of green infrastructure, that includes parks and responsible environmental design.
In both the developed and developing world, it is essential that urban denizens stay in touch with the natural world. This will not only contribute to their physical health and mental well-being, but will also foster a respect for nature that will be essential to their stewardship of the natural world. Children, especially, need contact with nature, something that is increasingly rare in an urban world of competitive schools, homework, video games, and iPods. Parks and green infrastructure, both in and around cities, can provide a variety of outdoor experiences, from sports to hiking to natural history education, that can foster a connection with the natural world and the outdoors that they will value and carry with them their entire lives.
In the end, the challenge is stewardship within a competitive world of economics and natural resource use. The global economy will continue to grow making the challenge even greater than today. The task is not to block that change (almost impossible in my view) but rather to find ways to support the natural world within that context. In the 20th Century, a day to celebrate the earth was appropriate. In the 21st Century we need to concentrate on how to extend that celebration throughout our lives, from economics to politics to education and recreation.
Dan Jones is the chairman and CEO of 21st Century Parks, INC.
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by Naresh Keswani
What now? What environmental cause or organization do I support? How do I leave this planet a little better than I inherited it? I have chosen to do the following: will try to avoid driving, especially to work; eat better and smarter – eat to live and not the reverse; learning to save money.
First of all, I took on the challenge of being car free. I sold my car March of 2007 and used a bicycle or city buses until I purchased a motorcycle July of 2007. I enjoyed it, and made the decision of selling it in October to reduce the dependency on oil. I teach, and fortunately I live just over a mile from my job – NO EXCUSES – I have walked or biked to school since August. Secondly, I make a conscious effort to avoid buffets. Call it 'human nature,' but I end up over eating and feeling lethargic for rest of the day. My choice of food has been heavily influenced by my financial or my living circumstances, my goal this year is to learn to sustain myself on produce that is grown close to home. I plan to volunteer and purchase a share from a local CSA [community supported agriculture]. Finally, my home is what takes up most of my paycheck. I have two goals in mind – rent part of the space out, and keep my LG&E bills under a $100 per month or no more than $1200 for the entire year. I have taken measures like insulating, and installing efficient appliances. My major energy saver is going to be how I end-up heating and cooling my house. I am in midst of investigating my options, and will have something in place by June.
In conclusion, I have noticed through out my life that it is not what one says, but what one does and how one lives that makes a difference to those around us. As Ghandhi said “…live simply, so that others may simply live …." My challenge is to live simply.
Naresh Keswani is a math teacher at Seneca High School in Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky.
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by Sandra Kissling
Stewardship, entrusting and overseeing that our environment and natural world is valued and that actions are used to sustain and enhance the diversity in our community is a priority at James E. Farmer Elementary School. The students at Farmer are collectively working to create and protect the accessible natural areas of the Floyd’s Fork watershed that surround our campus so that they, their families, and community members can interact with nature through environmental education initiatives.
As part of our Floyd’s Fork watershed educational programming, Farmer Elementary students are participating in “hands on” learning to assist them in becoming stewards of their community. Through a student designed outdoor classroom as well as an outdoor amphitheater, all students will have the opportunity to ask original questions, collect data, and analyze that data in an inquiry based approach to assist in the management and sustainability of the dynamic natural resources that comprise our portion of the watershed. In allowing students the opportunity to explore the complex interactions of an ecosystem, utilizing a variety of learning styles, all students can integrate new information and understanding with prior knowledge, develop a greater understanding of the whole and the value and importance of each component, and understand how fragile the interactions of these components are in sustaining a dynamic environment that can be enjoyed by students and their families in the years to come. As our community moves to create and value permanent green spaces as active, enriching, and vital components of our community through the creation of the 21st Century Parks initiative, we welcome our student’s excitement, dedication, and hard work in expanding their understanding and ownership in caring for and preserving the diversity of our precious resources.
James E. Farmer Elementary students will continue to build on and acquire new knowledge and share their experiences with their peers, families, and neighbors as they pass their torch of stewardship into the community. Our hope is that the importance of preserving and sustaining the environment will spread to all stakeholders to ignite a ground swell of concern and commitment in protecting and sustaining our natural world for those that follow in our footsteps in the Floyd’s Fork watershed.
Sandy Kissling is a resource teacher at James E. Farmer Elementary School in Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky.
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by Chuck Lambert
Earth Day is a time for Humana associates to celebrate the strides we have made toward environmental sustainability over the last year. It’s also a day to renew our pledge to be stewards of our world as a whole, and the communities in which we do business specifically.
Humana takes very seriously the impact of our business operations, which makes sustainability a growing influence on all of our work. We partnered with TARC to enable our associates to reduce air pollution by taking their cars off the road. We’ve implemented Freewheelin’, a bike-sharing initiative that enhances associates’ wellness and helps soften our carbon footprint. We continue to assess and implement energy-saving technology while guiding our associates to adopt conservation behaviors at work and at home.
With these and other programs, we’re making changes that lead to greater sustainability of our planet. That’s why Earth Day is not only a time to celebrate, but a call to action. Whether it’s installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, biking instead of driving, recycling, or conserving water, the things we do collectively make a big difference.
Chuck Lambert is the vice president of Humana Inc.
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by Buddy Lee
Carl Hiaasen writes fiction books about sleazy land developers, intent on destroying fragile ecosystems for profit. I love his anti-hero protagonists who do bazaar things to enlighten the developers about the error of their ways. His books are funny and educate readers about where the world is headed without the intervention of people who get it.
Recently I asked a group of adults the question “what awes you”? Answers ranged from the Grand Canyon to sunrise on the Appalachian Trail. Over the years, I have had the privilege of introducing inner-city kids to nature and witnessing their moments of awe. Whether it was the sunrise visit from a brown bear to our shelter at Mt. LeConte, spelunking adventure at Mammoth Cave, canoeing/rafting waterways around Louisville or hiking at midnight to the Ohio River lookout point at Otter Creek, the moments of awe and the following conversations always included the desire to share a similar moment with family and friends from their neighborhoods.
While the thought of doing something Hiaasenesque to a polluter appeals to me, my energy is better spent showing the students over which I have been given stewardship, windows to the natural world. My hope is that they in turn will pass on their newborn love of nature to their families and friends. I invite you to join me on a future paddle trip, hike or overnight trip with my homeys, exploring the beauty of the earth.
Buddy Lee is the coordinator of the Family Resource Center at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky.
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by Dr. Keith Look
To put it politely, Humanity’s relationship with Mother Earth needs work. The two have been together for so long that bad habits and taken for granted attitudes are now the norm. To borrow words from poet Rich Medina, ‘we try to do the right things, but our wrongs just won’t let us.’ An intervention is necessary. It is time for a marriage counselor.
Counseling begins with the parties admitting to acts committed to irritate the other. Humanity identifies a few such acts taken against Mother Earth. Humanity binds Mother Earth with lanes of asphalt. Humanity amputates her circulatory system of water so new subdivisions can exist where marshes once lay. Humanity crushes her skeleton with the weight of skyscrapers and smokestacks that also obstruct the breathing of her jet stream.
Mother Earth is not innocent. She faces her punishment of Humanity, which can be abusive. Humanity is drowned in her floods, battered in her storms, and rendered powerless in her extreme temperatures.
Divorce may seem the easy way out, but the two are tied to each other inextricably.
So what is the counselor to do? Early steps must expose the perception each has of the other. Humanity seems to think that Mother Earth is a bully, so Humanity’s response is similar to juvenile schoolyard tactics. Hit back harder in hopes that she backs down. Humanity invents new technologies intended to conquer her. Mansions on coastlines are re-built allegedly to withstand the weather. Her riches are mined to make spacecrafts capable of flirting with other planets. Humanity intends to prove to Mother Earth that Humanity does not need her and could leave at any moment.
She knows better than that, figuring that Humanity is not as clever as it would like to believe. Instead of punching back, she takes a seemingly riskier approach by sacrificing herself in the short term for long term control. Mother Earth scorches her skin, creating drought and famine. She infests her lands, spreading plagues and disease. Why? It plants seeds of deceit in the mind of Humanity, turning Humanity against itself in a fight for increasingly scarce resources.
Thankfully, Earth Day arrives – the anniversary of Mother Earth and Humanity. The counselor takes advantage of the celebration, knowing that such days are a time for apologies, amends, and the selective memory that celebrates the good times. The counselor turns to us – the witnesses of this union committed so many years ago – and reminds us of our responsibility: to do everything in our power to support the relationship between Mother Earth and Humanity. They need us now more than ever.
Dr. Keith Look is the principal at Meyzeek Middle School in Jefferson County Public School in Louisville, Kentucky
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by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell
Earth Day’s approach on the calendar this year is a reminder that environmental stewardship is a shared responsibility. And while it is always important to look forward, this Earth Day is also an occasion to reflect on the incredible conservational accomplishments we’ve seen across the country and here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Protecting our natural resources has been one of my highest goals throughout my career in public service. Thirty years ago, as Jefferson County’s judge-executive, I sought to increase Jefferson Memorial Forest by acquiring adjoining lands whenever they became available for purchase, always giving willing sellers a fair price. By the time I left that office, Jefferson Memorial Forest had more than doubled in size from 2,000 to over 4,000 acres.
During my time representing Kentucky in the Senate, I’ve used that same approach of commonsense conservation to achieve remarkable results. I’m proud to say I’ve directed over $1 billion in Kentucky to preserve and protect our environment.
For instance, I’m a proud supporter of Louisville’s 21st Century Parks Project, which seeks to build three new parks along Floyds Fork and link them with existing parks with a 100-mile “ring of green” of bicycle and pedestrian paths. Every segment of Metro Louisville’s population will have easy access to our city’s parks, and Louisville will be a model for the rest of the nation.
Kentucky was the only state in the Union without a National Wildlife Refuge wholly within its borders until I wrote and passed legislation creating the Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge. Containing 7,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forest, the Refuge provides a place for bird watching, hiking, canoeing and fishing, as well as a home to many types of birds, including the bald eagle.
By securing federal funds for riverfront development projects in cities like Ashland, Bowling Green, Henderson, Owensboro and Paducah, I’ve sought to promote both conservation and economic growth. Anti-erosion efforts, flood control and similar projects preserve the environment and beautify Kentucky’s common neighborhood along the riverfront. That, in turn, spurs the local economies, as businesses move to where the people are.
I helped to create the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) along the Green River in south-central Kentucky for similar reasons. CREP improves the river’s water quality by providing incentives to farmers with land on the river’s banks to voluntarily install conservation practices that reduce the sediments, pesticides and fertilizers that flow into the river.
I’m proud of these and many other accomplishments that show my commitment to conservation. I’ve even been called a “Godfather of Green” for my support of the environment. Through my travels across the Bluegrass State, I know how important our natural environment is to Kentuckians, and I intend to keep championing conservation efforts in the future. With projects like these, we can safeguard Kentucky’s natural beauty for many generations to come.
Senator McConnell is the Senate Republican Leader and only the second Kentuckian to lead his party in the U.S. Senate.
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by Rep. Reginald Meeks
Since the first Earth Day was observed in 1970, the day has been a time for people to celebrate environmental successes while also focusing on the next steps needed to protect our land, air and water.
As a state lawmaker, I'm particularly appreciative that Earth Day highlights issues that too often don't get the attention they deserve. It calls attention to the steps we can all take as individuals to reduce our impact on the environment, such as recycling and making homes energy efficient. But the day also focuses attention on the changes our society could make on a large-scale level to protect the earth for our children and future generations.
During this year's session of the Kentucky General Assembly, I sponsored a pair of bills aimed at protecting the environment. One bill calls for Kentucky to do our part to keep our air clean by adopting the strong California greenhouse gas motor vehicle emission standards. I also sponsored legislation to allow the Department of Fish and Wildlife to use its personnel and resources to support a foundation that provides conservation education programs for Kentucky youth and preserves wildlife habitats.
At the time of this writing, the fate of these bills is unknown. But I must say that I have a deep respect for all the Kentuckians who have taken the time to contact lawmakers in support of measures like these. Quite often it's common citizens who lead the calls for public officials to safeguard our environment. It has been said that in our country you always have a voice as long as you are willing to use it. That's certainly true when it comes to environmental issues. I welcome all those voices urging responsible stewardship of our earth, and I hope those voices are heard loud and clear this Earth Day and throughout the year.
Representative Reginal Meeks (D) represents House District 42 in the Kentucky Legislature
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by Dr. Stuart S. Miles
The issue of environmentalism has been quickly moving to what I believe is the pivotal concern of our times. Almost all the key issues we face in our nation today are tied to the environment in some fashion. They are either issues like global warming, safe drinking water, or clean air that have a direct connection to the environment, or they have a indirect but significant connection like our continued connection to the unrest in the Middle East and the downward spiral of the United States economy, in part because of its dependence on foreign oil.
While our local, state, and national leaders are making some changes (raising fuel efficiency standards, phasing out incandescent light bulbs, etc) the real change that has to take place cannot and will not happen until we all have a shift in our thinking regarding the effect our actions have on the planet. For me, it started with doing simple things like recycling, replacing most of the light bulbs in my home with high efficiency florescent bulbs. I took part in the LG&E on demand conservation program (I got a free programmable thermostat out of the deal) and I turn off the lights in a room when I leave it.
A great benefit to making even small changes in ones behavior is that it can have significant effects on ones attitudes. I have found that the more simple things I did the more I wanted to do larger things that would have a bigger impact. What started as my working on a committee in my city that was trying to save a wetland and turn it into a city park, led eventually to my getting on my city council to continue the work I had started on the committee.
It is understandable to doubt whether taking such simple action as I have mentioned above could have any effect on such large issues like climate change, the pollutions of vast rivers and lakes, and the nation’s economy. The sad truth is that it was simple actions that got us into this situation to begin with.
The secret about most of our political leaders is that they really do not lead at all; they follow what they perceive as the direction their citizens are already going. Whether it is political poling, focus groups, or informal interactions with their constituents, they are always taking the public temperature. The more our leaders see us all changing our behaviors in terms of the environment the more likely they will be to take us in a direction we will have all already stated moving.
Dr. Stuart S. Miles is the Senior Director of Research at DecisionQuest and is a city council member in the City of Prospect, Kentucky.
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by Dr. Keith Mountain
Perhaps the most fundamental concept in any environmental or geographic study is the realization that our Earth, including the atmosphere, is a closed system. The concept of a closed system is very straightforward – it defines an environment or set of interactions in which only energy is exchanged no matter how complex or complicated the system (and our Earth and its atmosphere is a vey complex system indeed). This is easily realized in that every living thing on our planet is driven by sunlight and that we do not receive any appreciable matter from space nor does the Earth drive off any appreciable matter to space. In short, what the Earth provides for us is all we have. Sure, we can change the form of matter, we can transform energy in various ways, but each and every one of these transitions is one that stays within this closed Earth/atmosphere system.
The very use of the term Earth/atmosphere system is an important recognition that the particular characteristics of the atmosphere (temperature, moisture, etc) affects the physical properties of the Earth’s surface (vegetation, soils, the distribution of water, among others) and that the surface of the Earth, in turn, imparts its unique properties back into the atmosphere. This is a connected, linked and closely coupled system. In other words, changes in either the state of the atmosphere or the surface of the Earth will result in changes to the overall system - and these changes do not necessarily need to be large to be effective or detrimental.
It is now, more than ever, apparent that humankind is an agent of both climatic and geomorphic change. Geomorphic change refers to the changes that take place to the physical characteristics of the Earth’s surface and humans can certainly alter the appearance of the Earth’s surface. The consumption of natural resources (deforestation, mining), agriculture (irrigation, introduction of crops), the reduction of the natural environment through the construction of cities and urban areas, the building of dams and altering the natural flow of rivers and streams, and changes in the composition of the atmosphere as fossil fuels are consumed would represent just a few possibilities.
Within this global system we must surely appreciate that natural resources are not infinite, that there are limits to growth and recognize the need for exacting measures of environmental care if we are to create a world in which we understand the consequences of the human imprint. So perhaps it is fitting to set aside one day to explicitly remind us of the compelling and critical need to reflect upon the demands we place on the environment and the need to manage and care for our frail world. The decisions and actions we undertake today not only tell us about who we are but will tell those that follow about our wisdom and knowledge of the world, our sense fairness and social justice, and our concern for future generations. This requires the need for high standards of stewardship if we wish to be nurtured and sustained by our unique environment and to forward it to future generations. After all, it is a closed system and it is the only one we have.
Dr. Keith Mountain is the Kentucky State Geographer in the Department of Geography and Geosciences at the University of Louisville.
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by Teddie Phillipson Mower
My first Earth Day, the first Earth Day, was celebrated on April 22, 1970 at Cooper Elementary School in a small farming community just north of Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Living in rural southwestern Michigan, I spent my days working and playing outside regardless of the season. Summers were for horseback riding, swimming and fishing, working in the family garden and helping with summer camp at the Kalamazoo Nature Center. Fall brought the Harvest Festival celebration, selling pumpkins and apples, canning and helping my dad stack firewood by the cord. Winter was for ice-skating and sledding and early spring, my favorite season, brought “maple sugaring,” morel collecting, and the reawakening of the woods around our house.
A sense of responsibility and a childhood version of ownership continued to develop with every interaction I had with that environment. I was devastated when I would find a new truckload of garbage in my sand dunes. While creative in my attempts to reduce what had been left, I soon learned the concept of accumulation. I began to notice other human violations to my community: trash along the road, the whiteness of the Kalamazoo River from the pulp waste of the paper factories, and dead zones around farmer’s fields from herbicides. My grandmother spoke loudly about the humiliation a woman had gone through because she questioned the chemical industry’s unrestrained use of DDT and other pesticides. This woman died of cancer. And, on TV I saw a river burning because petroleum wastes had been dumped into Lake Erie. Mr. Cronkite said that the river was dead.
How did things get so bad? As a child, it seemed as if the end of the world was near.
I shared my feelings of doom with Mark Jenness, then the Education Director at the Nature Center, as we prepared for the Baby Animal display at the Nature Center Farm. He responded in his usual blunt way. “What are you going to do about it?” I hadn’t given that much thought. I was a kid! What could I do? Mark said, “That is what everyone says, but we all have the power to ignite change.” Those words resonated within me. I have the power? I have the power!
Mark told me stories of children that made a difference in their communities and how these people were getting together in the city to plan for an event that would celebrate our Earth. At this meeting I learned “my power.” I talked with my teacher and Principal about how Cooper Elementary School could participate in this celebration called Earth Day and work toward cleaning up the country roads and rivers that we shared. Every class became involved in some way. We planted trees, picked up trash along the roads, learned the importance of and how to conserve and started an after school club called STP (Stop Tragic Pollution).
The children of today are no different from the children of the 70’s, although the environmental problems we face are. With new knowledge we are more aware of the unseen contaminants we have introduced into our biome and their negative effects. We also better understand the interdependence of Earth’s health with the quality of life of our global community.
As educators, we need to make the abstract concrete and the global local to help our students see relevance. We have to immerse them in our community so they can be aware of the good things that are here. This “sense of place” will promote development of pride, respect and responsibility for Louisville. We have to guide them to knowledge, develop their critical thinking skills and instill in them a sense of empowerment to make well-founded decisions and take the action that will be necessary for a sustainable Earth.
They have the power! We all have the power.
Teddie Phillipson Mower is the Co-Director for the U of L Center for Environmental Education, the Co-Facilitator for the Environmental Education Committee of the Partnership for a Green City, and he is on the faculty of the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of Louisville.
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by Michael A. Mulheirn
To improve the environment of our planet, we are in desperate need of champions for the cause. The good news is we can all be champions. Our environment has deteriorated incrementally over the years through a series of steps both big and small. Let’s not fool ourselves by thinking we can wave a magic wand and all will be corrected. The most realistic solution to reverse our way out of this dilemma is by taking both big and small steps.
As an individual, you can contribute by turning off energy when not needed, using more energy efficient products, and recycling. The next step is to compound this initiative by encouraging your family, friends and colleagues to do the same. These small steps alone will generate huge returns on both energy saved and environment improved.
Now for the big steps – become even more aware and deeper involved in energy savings and environmental improvements. Look at your home and the car you drive. Form a club and/or community group to address this challenge and to bring cultural and behavioral modifications that will secure the longevity of our planet for all future generations.
Our planet is in your hands; act responsibly and become a Champion.
Michael A. Mulheirn is the Executive Director of Facilities and Transportation at Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky.
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by Mary Lou Northern
The other day I was reading the environmental platform of a presidential candidate but my mind kept going back to 1970. The platform focused on reduction of carbon emissions, investment in clean energy, oil independence, improved energy efficiency, leadership on climate change – all lofty and achieveable goals to a healthy earth. While my mind parsed those words, my mental image was of myself as a college student in 1970 and the first Earth Day. It was a ‘teach-in’ on environmental issues aimed at college students on the green near the library.
You could tell by their attire and hair styles—bluejeans and t-shirts, unkempt and unshaven hair--supporters of Earth Day belonged to campus fringe groups, if they belonged to a group. It was as if Greeks and Normal need not apply signs stood by the Save the Earth posters. But today, the care of the earth is a mainstream issue because the structure of that day – the ‘teach-in’—lives at the heart of Earth Day. By example and by lesson, we have created stewards of the Earth. Continuing that, especially among our young people, is the most important thing we can do. Recycle, turn off lights, walk, ride bicycles, use public transit, buy locally grown fruits and vegetables—teach our children and our neighbors how to lead lives that protect the Earth, not just use it.
Mary Lou Northern is the Senior Advisor to the Mayor in the Louisville Metro Government.
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by Angela Page
We have so many environmental issues that we all face: climate change, the ongoing rise in the human population, deforestation, resource depletion, and the extinction of plant and animal species. Sometimes it can be quite overwhelming. But I have great hope for the future.
I have had the opportunity to work with a very special group of students this year. The students in my A.P. Environmental Science class have opened my eyes to a new generation of citizens on this planet. They are kind, hard-working, caring young people who want to make a difference for the good of our planet. They have worked on projects to restore and clean up their community, most without the incentive of “bonus points” or a grade. They are doing these activities because they truly care about the situation of our Earth.
My job as an educator is to educate, empower, and provide opportunities for students to take action. I have done that. For me, there is no greater satisfaction than being in the trenches with my students, working on a project and seeing the pride on their faces after a hard days work.
I have confidence and hope for the future. We must have faith and trust in what we teach our young people. Knowing that, if we take a step back and trust our young people, and let them take the reins, powerful things can and will happen. My students have proven that to me.
Angela Page is an A.P. and 9th grade enivronmental science teacher at Louisville Male High School in Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky.
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by William M. Penrod, Ed.D., TVI, COMS
In 1749 Philosopher and personal physician to King Louis XV Denis Diderot wrote an essay entitled Letter on the Blind for the Use of Those Who See. This letter described his personal contacts with Maria Theresa Von Paradis, an accomplished musician and a contemporary of Mozart, and Nicholas Saunderson, a noted mathematics professor at Cambridge. Diderot’s personal epiphany transcended a mere revelation that person’s who are blind may be productive and self-sufficient. By expressing his observations in written words, it influenced the belief systems of many others to follow.
I was privileged to be a part of an event that was a personal epiphany to not only me, but to several science teachers and an equal number of teachers of the blind/visually impaired, as well. Invited to participate by Dr. David Wicks of the Jefferson County Public Schools and Dr. Carol Hanley of the University of Kentucky Tracey Farmer Environmental Research Center, a grant was written to fund a Summer Science Institute where highly qualified science teachers were paired with an equal number of special educators with the mission of determining methodologies that would enable students with visual impairments to participate with non-disabled peers while learning earth sciences in expanded outdoor classrooms. Those classrooms included what is now the Kentucky State University Environmental Education Center (Formerly Crowe’s Chase), Black Acre Nature Preserve, Bernheim Forrest Nature Preserve, and a canoe excursion of Beargrass Creek.
The format of much of this training was to have the science teachers blindfolded, and then with the assistance of the special educators, attempt an experiment as part of a science lesson. All involved gained much from the experience and many innovative instructional techniques resulted from the effort. A follow-on study indicated that much of what was learned was applicable to daily lessons and conducive to making concrete what would have been abstract concepts for students with visual impairments, at best.
The last day of the event included a well-planned and coordinated canoe trip down Beargrass Creek to its confluence with the Ohio River. This event was eye opening for everyone. All involved, with the exception of David Wicks, could not believe the disgraceful and filthy condition of the stream. Once pristine, this water way was filled with plastic bags, all types of refuse, plastic milk jugs, Clorox Detergent containers, and even hypodermic needles! David quickly explained that when the area has heavy rains sewer water flows directly to the creek, bypassing the sewer treatment center. This is exactly the scene that the Hollywood actor portraying a Native American was shedding a tear about. I did not shed a tear, but as a native Louisvillian, I was filled with both disgust and shame.
Were I a tear shedding person, I would have shed it a few weeks later, when David took a group of our JCPS disabled children on a canoe ride up Salt River. This was completely different. The water was clean and there was comparatively little man made debris to spoil a picturesque view that many of the students could not see, yet experienced anyway. Children having fun and learning…eating lunch on a sandbar and wading in the shallows afterward…experiencing David’s impromptu teaching opportunities. To see these students having an experience of this quality, experiencing firsthand nature, learning and enjoying, taking away this knowledge to apply to different tasks, was wonderful and rewarding!
But, we all took something very positive with us…those of us who experienced these events. We all learned that nature does not have to be seen to be enjoyed, or heard for that matter, and that students will embrace nature and learn from the experience given the chance. Most importantly, we learned that it is our responsibility to provide these opportunities and we are reminded that Earth Day may be the perfect time to commit to the effort!
William M. Penrod is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at the University of Louisville.
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by LaTonia Peters, MPH
Do you think of the earth as a living breathing thing? Do you think it grows just like you and me? Do you think it gets mad or upset at the things we do to it? Do you think it has rights and privileges, just as you or I?
Well, at first, I didn’t think so. Then I took a GREAT environmental health in school. That caused me to see the earth as a living, breathing thing, just like you or I, capable of reacting and responding just like people do. I started to think about how we pillage our seas and forests for foods and resources. I started to think about how we strip the tops of mountains to take coal from them, like we do in Eastern Kentucky. I started to think about how we manufacture things we take from the earth to make even more things and the bad stuff results from making it that goes into the air we breathe. I started to think that we have not been very good friends with the earth, well at least not as good a friend as the earth as been to us.
I hope that on this Earth Day you begin to see the earth as I now do, as a living, breathing thing capable of growing and developing wonderful things. The earth is here for us to share in all its bounty. Let’s be a good friend to the earth and protect it whenever and however we can. Happy Earth Day!!
LaTonia Peters is the coordinator of the MPH Program at thte U of L School of Public Health and Information Sciences.
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Global Connections: Staying in Touch with Culture and Environment is a monthly publication of the JCPS Office of Equity, Diversity and Multicultural Education and the JCPS Center for Environmental Education. All submissions to the newsletter must be sent to Catherine Collesano, Editor, at catherine.collesano@jefferson.kyschools.us or fax (502) 485-3762 the Monday before the publication date. If you are interested in becoming a subscriber or a contributor to Global Connections, please contact the editor at the above email address.
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