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| April 2008 Volume 2, No. 8 |
Celebrating Earth Day: Messages in Honor of Our Planet
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by Doug Royer
We all have memories of our childhood, hopefully good ones, and I am no exception. Many of my thoughts often drift back to family vacations; camping on the beach, camping in the woods, camping by a lake, camping in the mountains….It seems as if every vacation involved camping in one form or another.
I recall on one trip to The Smoky Mountains, meeting family friends for dinner and being jealous of their Gatlinburg Hotel and their kids watching “Cable T.V.”; a luxury unknown to most ten year olds back in 1970. The jealousy soon faded once back sitting around the fire in our camp sight, watching the flickers of light dance off the trees above. No cable TV could capture that view, along with the sounds and smells that come with it. My father would say, “I wonder what the poor people are doing right now." Of course what he meant was that it doesn’t get any richer than this.
On this same trip, I found a small ring-neck snake that I had planned on keeping as a pet. We identified the snake and read that it might not do well in captivity. My father urged me to consider this, yet left the decision to keep it or not up to me. Of course I let it go. He must have known I would, and I was glad to have done it.
Woven into the fabric of my childhood was an appreciation and respect for nature, and an understanding of environmental stewardship. I assumed that all kids had similar experiences. That at the least, their parents had told them that littering was bad and that carving on trees and rocks would not only spoil its beauty, but that it was “wrong." I knew that people did litter and did carve on trees, but I just thought they were not doing as taught. On the contrary, some were doing exactly what they were taught; emulating their parents’ poor behavior. They had never been told to use the trash can 5 feet away from where they dropped their fast food bag.
As I grew older and started teaching high school, I was drawn towards environmental education and giving kids the opportunity to be involved, as I was at their age. Whether on over night camps or day trips to the wildlife center, or even just in the classroom, my aim has always been to expose and inform students that there is another way; not everyone litters. They need to know that the action of one person can make a difference.
To me, Earth Day is a reminder for us all to make a difference, to promote change and awareness. It reminds us to weave into the fabric of our lives an understanding of the big picture and to try and pass this on to others, as did my father.
Thirty seven years have passed since I found that snake in the Smoky Mountains. I don’t remember the name I gave it, but I do vividly remember releasing it, watching it slide away under a leaf next to a small stream. What a good feeling it was, even as a ten year old. Earth Day should rekindle these thoughts and memories, sparking new energies within us all.
Doug Royer is an ECE teacher at Buechel Metropolitan High School in Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky.
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by Betsy Ruhe
As I rode my bicycle home from school today, I thought about what Earth Day means to me and decided its meaning has changed dramatically in the last year.
When I was seventeen, thirty years ago, I realized that our planet had only so much oil for gasoline, so much metal for cans, so many trees for paper, and we had what seemed like an insatiable appetite for more. I also realized that I could talk till I was blue in the face about the coming crisis and all I would accomplish would be to convince people I was a radical and a flake. I chose a different path. I chose to teach by example, knowing the day would come when others would be ready to listen. Earth Day always seemed to me like a day for screaming into the wind. People would talk about taking care of the earth, but few were ready to do anything.
It seems as though there has been a massive sea change in the past year. Perhaps it’s because of the endless drumbeat of the news media that the ice is melting. Maybe it was Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans with such force. Maybe it’s the heat waves and droughts that have hit across the country. Or perhaps it’s just because gas is over $3.00 a gallon. I don’t know. But I do believe Earth Day means something to more people this year. I know it means more to me. People are finally ready to do more than just talk. They are ready to act, and I am ready to lead, quietly but persistently.
Betsy Ruhe is an ECE teacher at Indian Trail Elementary School in Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky.
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by Dr. Paul Salmon
Earth Day is an opportunity for all of us to be mindful of our planet and of the collective responsibility we share for effective stewardship of our fragile environment for both present and future generations. As a community and hopefully as a culture, we are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of good health to our overall state of well-being. But the nature of our existence as interdependent creatures makes it vital that we extend an awareness of the importance of health to encompass those around us and to the environment in which we live. It is a time to reflect on ways to foster a more humane and compassionate stance toward life and the environment that sustains it. The challenges we face in terms of allocating precious resources, working effectively to meet the problems posed by global warming, and promoting lasting peace are potentially manageable only if we can collectively wake up to an awareness of the precious, tenuous nature of our existence and use this awareness effectively to make beneficial, intelligent and lasting changes in how we live in this world.
Two recent and powerful compositions by Jazz composer and performing artist Harry Pickens speak to this theme. The Eyes of the Future is an invocation on the theme of generational interdependence: “The eyes of the future look back at us, and pray for us to see beyond our own time." This World in Arms is based on a speech by former President Dwight Eisenhower in which he said, “This world in arms...is spending the sweat of its laborers…spending the genius of its scientists…spending the hope of the children..." Artists have a way of delivering wake up calls in an articulate and yet compelling manner. Let’s add our own voices to those of Harry and other visionaries who live skillfully in the present and in doing so help establish the foundation for a sustainable future.
Dr. Paul Salmon is in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Mindfulness Studies Program and BioBehavioral Laboratory at the University of Louisville
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by Laura Shulman
Global Warming, endangered species, and depleting ozone layers are just a few dangers that face our world today. As large as these topics seem, still only a small portion of people seem to really care.
On April 22, people around America will celebrate what has become a widely recognized day to commemorate the Earth, since 1970. Due to CATS testing the community of the J. Graham Brown School has to push back the date that we recognize the Earth until May 8. As a senior at the Brown School I am required to have a year long project that gives back to my community. I figured there’s no better way to give back than to teach my fellow students about how to respect our planet and take part in saving it, all in one day. Therefore the event will double as my senior culminating project.
The highlight of this year’s Earth Day, for me, will be the mural we will make on the front of our school. It will serve as a pledge that Brown School promises to be a ’Green School’, and as a creative outlet for the students. The mural will start off just as a tree trunk, and throughout the day as students come to the Earth Day celebration, they will put a green hand print on the trunk, becoming “leaves”. We have thirteen different grades in our school; therefore there will be fourteen different shades of green, one for each grade level and one for teacher/ faculty.
I want Earth Day to be educational and fun. There will be activities for the younger children, which will spike their interest for environmentalism. For the middle and high school students, I want the day to be more for them, than just an excuse to get out of class.
Earth Day means more to me that it does for most people. It is a way for me to share with others my hopes for the environment, a chance for me to educate, and my path to graduation. I have full confidence that this will be one of the best Earth Day celebrations Brown has ever seen.
Laura Shulman is a student at J. Graham Brown School in Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky
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by Nancy Theiss
20th Century naturalist and conservationist Aldo Leopold said that being a conservationist was like “living in a world of wounds." Today I would expect that he would look at the world and say that being a conservationist was like performing triage on wounds that are hemorrhaging - which wound should we treat first?
I often wonder what happened to the efforts from the first Earth Day in 1970 that I participated in- the environment was on the front page and the public demanded action for legislation to immediately address the problems of pollution in our air, our water, our soil and so on. As the environmental educator for the state of Kentucky from 1978-1982 I can attest to watching people who were civically engaged to participate in energy conservation. I visited people in Kentucky successfully applying passive solar systems in their homes. The state legislature posted speed limits on the interstates to 60 mph. in order to conserve gasoline. There were organic gardens and environmental education classrooms across the state in Kentucky schools. And then, the Regan years hit - and we have been going backward ever since.
Perhaps the most discouraging headlines I have read lately are in regard to the race between nations to claim the underground oil supplies that are becoming available in the North Pole, as global warming continues. With the United States, Canada, China, Japan and Russia in the race to claim this “untapped” resource, I cringe at the prospect of a new glut of oil to help fuel the current warming crisis. To make matters worse, none of the current presidential candidates mention environmental action as an important part of their platform.
Perhaps the only benefit I can contrive from the dreadful prospect of the current environmental crisis is that each day I personally take time to enjoy the rich beauty and pleasure of life around me. I do so because I recognize that the time for observing these personal joys is becoming rarer and more fragile with each passing day.
Nancy Theiss is the executive director of the Oldham County Historical Society in Oldham County, Kentucky.
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by Bryan Thompson
Environment --- Our environment is everything that surrounds and affects us.
Affect --- Our choices create a change upon the environment, positively or negatively.
Reward --- What we receive from our positive effects on the environment.
Teaching --- Sharing what you know so that others are rewarded with knowledge so they may also have a positive effect on the earth.
Health --- The results of our positive actions upon the environment. Health for the planet equals health for its organisms - including us.
Daily --- Positive results will be obtained through embedding these thoughts into our daily lives.
Action --- The choice we make to be part of the solution.
You --- It is up to you, you, and you!
Bryan Thompson is a naturalist in the JCPS Center for Environmental Education in Louisville, Kentucky.
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by John Walczak
In 1975 I was sitting in an Earth Sciences class at the University of Pittsburgh when I was introduced to scientific projections of what the world would be like if everyone didn’t alter their short-sighted consumptive and polluting behaviors. We were told our Earth’s protective ozone layer would develop a huge hole and that carbon dioxide gases would raise the temperature of the entire planet creating a global greenhouse effect. We also were worried about running out of fresh, clean water. At the time, these issues stimulated my concern and interest, but to many, they seemed implausible possibilities; 33 years later, those possibilities have become reality.
Earth Day is an opportunity to rally together as a world community, learn from the past and steer our actions toward a positive future.
I can’t imagine what the condition our planet would be today if it had not been for the wisdom and forethought of Earth Day founder Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin. Although his inventiveness has improved the world and made it a healthier place to live, we still have a lot of work to do.
There has never been a more important time than now to help save our Earth, and the Louisville Zoo is working to instill understanding, caring and action in the people of our Kentuckiana Region. We all are consumers of our planet’s resources, but we must learn how to balance our consumption through conservation. We must expand the role each person plays in improving the health of our planet and stimulating action toward positive change.
The Zoo has been celebrating Earth Day since 1990 (the 20th anniversary when we had more than 30,000 guests share their concern, knowledge and passion for a better future!)
Since that time when we all pledged to Think Globally and Act Locally, with your help, your Zoo has:
-- Helped saved Black-footed ferrets from extinction by returning hundreds of kits to the Great Plains.
-- Been recognized as the No. 1 cell phone recycler in North America in 2007. By doing so, we have diminished the demand for coltan (a mineral found in all cell phones) and saved African forest habitats of gorillas, elephants and countless other species.
-- Educated the Commonwealth about climate change and the plight of polar bears by bringing Arctic researchers to Louisville. The Zoo also sent a Louisville high school teen to the Canadian tundra to become an “Arctic Ambassador” and study polar bears.
While these are wonderful examples of some of our accomplishments, the entire list barely makes a dent in what needs to be done. We need your help to do more. In celebration of Earth Day, the Zoo is holding a special “Party for the Planet” week (April 6-13) where one can learn how to make a difference right in his/her own back yard. Come. Be a part of it. Help us celebrate the positive outcomes of our conservation action and how we can continue better the bond between people and our planet.
John Walczak is the director of the Louisville Zoo in Louisville, Kentucky
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by Caryn Walker
As an educator I have always made time to recognize and celebrate a very important day in April—Earth Day. My students and I have shared information at the Louisville Zoo, free painted lady butterflies, volunteered at a Youth Summit, discussed environmental principles, but most importantly we have talked about the concerns we have about the future of our planet.
“I wonder… could it be possible… what if…” these phrases are often heard in any classroom all around the globe. Students are constantly exploring the realm of the world that they interact in on a daily basis. If given the chance, they will eagerly investigate all the wonders of the world. Making connections to the real world is what makes learning in the classroom meaningful to students. Earth Day offers a wonderful opportunity to reflect on environmental issues facing us all daily. Every student has a unique perspective on the environmental issues facing the community as a result of their own backgrounds. Taking advantage of the diversity of a classroom population results in these multiple perspectives on environmental issues. Every student is a witness to differing levels of environmental involvement. Tapping into the resources of every individual is of great importance in the quest for an understanding of the environment and adds richness to the creative solutions.
Recently, I took a few moments to ask a small group of 3rd and 4th grade students at the J. Graham Brown School what “Earth Day” means to them:
“…a day when we are really aware what we are doing to the Earth.”
“A day to help the environment more that we initially do.”
“…a big chance to help the environment.”
“A day to realize or think about what we are doing, good or bad the Earth, knowing that some (of the things)are bad and we need to fix them.”
“A day we take time to think about what we are doing for the environment.”
The significance of these thoughts transcends the single classroom environment. Every student has something important to offer the discussion. Sharing their unique perspectives may open a window of exploration. After listening and reflecting as a teacher, I wonder how many educators will give students the opportunity to take time on April 22 to pause and reflect on the environment. I wonder how many projects will evolve form those informative discussions. I wonder how many future stewards will take their first steps to care for the Earth that will be their future.
Caryn Walker is a 3/4 grade science teacher at J. Graham Brown School in Jefferson County Public Schools in Louisville, Kentucky.
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by Rep. Ron Weston
From community leaders to everyday citizens, we all have the ability to make significant improvements in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land we live on. The power to change our world for the better starts with the expectation that we need and deserve these critical provisions.
In that respect, we are truly in a partnership: For public officials, ideals such as alternative energy, mass transit and improved air quality are often only as fundamental as citizens demand. By insisting that every trip we take not require a car, we will develop bike lanes, walking paths, and mass transit systems. By urging that our air, water, and land be clean, we will respond with strict pollution laws and a whole-community approach to development.
This Earth Day, make it a point to demand a better world. Everybody benefits from taking care of our environment.
Representative Ron Weston (D) represents House District 37 in the Kentucky Legislature.
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by David Wicks
Earth Day has been a time of learning, reflection, commitment and sharing. Taking the time to investigate what life lives in your backyard (www.enature.com), what impact you are having on it (www.earthday.net/footprint/), or just how many people live on the planet (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001127.html). It is time that we start to learn how to question. Paulo Freire in Learning to Question not only explores that value of learning by questioning, but says that it opens one’s mind to other cultural perspectives and norms. Our personal experiences can not have all of the answers.
Earth Day is a time of reflection, a time to peer into our reasons for how we live. It is a time to look at all of our “stuff” and assess if it is really necessary. What would we give up to ensure the viability of our planet? Just as with New Years resolutions, we need to make a personal commitment to change our ways, to reduce our consumption, to become less dependent on automobiles, to turn off the lights when you leave a room.
Earth Day is about sharing your concern, your knowledge, and your passion with…With whom? I would say first and foremost your family. Take the time to talk with your children, your spouse, your brothers and sisters, your friends…do something outside together. Break down the nature deficit disorder. At work, we need to not only talk to our colleagues and students; we need to make our places of work more environmentally sustainable. We need to practice what we preach in places that we teach. To me it is amazing that at JCPS we have a utility budget of over 20 million dollars, but we still leave lights and computers on. It has been estimated that we could save over 25 % of that or 5 million a year, through cultural change. That is just the money; just imagine how much coal it takes to produce 5 million dollars worth of electricity and what impact the mining and burning of the coal has on our commonwealth.
What will it take to have concerted action? Thomas Jefferson said “The price of democracy is eternal vigilance.” The same goes for cultural or lifestyle change; to reduce our caborn footprint as an indivdiual, as an organization, or as a community requires eternal vigilance. So this Earth Day, look around and start reducing, make it a habit, and keep that environmental eye open every day.
Turn off the juice when not in use!
Dr. David Wicks is the coordinator of the JCPS Center for Environmental Education in Louisville, Kentucky.
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by Arthur L. Williams
On the first Earth Day in 1970, experts warned that the earth’s natural systems were being perilously undermined by human activity. That initial call to action drew attention to the lack of oversight on how we managed air, water and waste streams and prompted the development of legislation and policies aimed to improve and preserve our natural environment. Earth Day 2008 in the same way brings the dire issue of climate change to the forefront of public consciousness.
On Earth Day 2005, Mayor Abramson signed the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement. Under this agreement Louisville will seek to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and encourage the adoption of policies and legislation at the state and federal levels to address the growing problem of climate change. Since 2006, a community-wide stakeholder group under the auspices of the Partnership for a Green City has been collaborating to develop a plan to identify opportunities to improve how we manage our own resources. By early 2009, this plan along with an inventory of our past, present and potential future greenhouse gas emissions will steer Louisville’s course to reducing the community’s carbon footprint.
Despite a growing population, the last 38 years has seen a steady decline in pollution due to the actions taken since that first Earth Day. In the years to come, our continued vitality depends on the actions we take today. The successes of the past validate the hope that we can meet the challenges of today.
Arthur L. Williams is the director of the Air Pollution Control District.
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by Rep. John Yarmuth
This Earth Day marks another year of progress for those of us working to preserve the resources of the planet and improve the climate for the next generations. Now, as never before, environmental concerns have come to the forefront of the public consciousness. Our leaders at every level have made a priority of the environment, green businesses are a rare bright spot in our struggling economy, and the Alfred Nobel Foundation recognized that ending global warming is key to peace in the world.
On Earth Day, we remember how far we have come, but also how far we have to go. We seek long term solutions, but it is also urgent that we act quickly. Here in Kentucky, mountain-top removal threatens to permanently damage the landscape, water, and air we all breathe. I am cosponsoring legislation that will end the practice forever, but we all share a responsibility to demand a swift response to this growing problem.
Earth Day helps to bring a much-needed awareness to environmental issues and our urgent need to act. I will continue to fight for legislation that curbs global warming and preserves our resources on this and every other day. Earth Day is a tremendous jumping off point for the work that must be done, but one day a year will not bring about the solutions we seek. I encourage everyone to take the spirit of this day with you throughout the year, and preserve our planet by making each day Earth Day.
Congressman John Yarmuth is the U.S. Representative for Kentucky's 3rd congressional district.
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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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