February Activities for the Environment

Happy February!

Our monthly Conserving Classroom Calendar has several events and activities for kids this month, including KSE's Healthy Cleaning Week, which starts February 20th. Check out the calendar for cleaning tips, such as using baking soda as a non-toxic cleaning agent, cutting back on paper towel use, and purchasing non-toxic, waste-free products such as the ActiveIon Spray Cleaner, which uses ionized water to clean and disinfect surfaces. Let us know your tips on how to clean green.

Speaking of non-toxic products, Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families -- an organization whose mission it is to update our antiquated regulations on chemicals in our everyday products -- has introduced the Safer Chemicals Art Contest. Kids of all ages are encouraged to enter this creative contest to spread the word about the harmful chemicals in everything from baby bottles (BPA), to carpets (formaldehyde), to shower curtains (phthalates). Kids have until February 29th to submit artwork"describing what a healthy future for our families and environment means to them."

We at KSE have always used kids' artwork -- colorful drawings, paintings, and photos -- to spread the message of protecting our Earth. It's a positive way to learn and share what we love about the Earth and why we need to protect it. We take submissions year-round for use in our publications and on our website. We welcome you to submit artwork to us from your classroom or family at any time. Just email us at kseww@aol.com, or mail it to KSE Worldwide, 37955 Bridge Road, North Branch, MN 55056. We'd love to share your Earth-saving artwork with the world!

Have a great February, everyone!

Universal Pictures: Let the Lorax Speak for the Trees!

Mr. Wells' 4th Grade Class -- the gang behind CatalogCancelingChallenge.com, the initiative to reduce unwanted, wasteful mail catalogs -- was excited about Dr. Seuss's The Lorax coming to movie theaters in March. But when they saw the movie trailer and visited the Universal Pictures website, they were disappointed at finding almost nothing relating to what The Lorax story was about: protecting the environment.

But that disappointment didn't lead to discouragement; it led to action! These 4th graders from Brookline, Massachusetts have created an online petition urging Universal Pictures to "green up" the promotion of this film. Complete with a video, suggestions, and a convincing argument, the petition now has over 3,500 signatures and counting.



The class writes:

Our world, like the Lorax’s, is facing major environmental problems like pollution, global warming, oil spills, littering, a Great Pacific Garbage Patch, deforestation, and loss of animal habitat. These problems will affect our future.

The Lorax movie, with its millions of dollars in advertising and massive audience has the potential to help heal the Earth. This movie can show the world we should not take our sky, water, trees, and animals for granted. It could inspire more and more people to treat Earth with the same respect you would give a child.

We’d like to see the movie live up to the potential of the book. We’re encouraging Universal to make an improved Lorax movie website that Dr. Seuss would be proud of. We recommend a “Lorax Tips” button shaped like a Truffula seed sharing ways people can help the planet. Maybe a Truffula Tree overflowing with tips and links pops up when you click on the seed! We can help you make this list, too!

With this film, Universal Pictures has an opportunity to spread the word about caring for the Earth, which is at the core of Dr. Seuss's original story. Kids for Saving Earth fully supports this tremendous effort by these ambitious 4th graders. If you love this story as much as we do, please sign this petition.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing’s going to get better, it’s not." - Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

Happy New Year! Earth-saving activities for 2012

Hello Friends of Kids for Saving Earth!

Happy January and Happy New Year to all! It's not too early to begin planning your activities for Earth Day. Check out suggested and inspiring activities included in our January calendar.

One good way to get started is to send letters and drawings about environmental issues to Kids for Saving Earth. We will create a Defenders of the Planet web page for you on our KSE web site by Earth Day. You can also attach it to your school web site to spread your Earth-saving message to your school community.

To help you get started with your Defenders page, join our Write On letter writing challenge. It will encourage your students to think about what they might want to do for Earth Day. Writing a letter can cover many of your curriculum requirements: printing/writing lessons, grammar, social studies, science, geography and even music. You might want students to write a letter about polar bears and the problems they face due to global warming.

Print out these post cards on Friday the 13th and give them to your students. It will be a lucky day for the Earth when your kids agree to notify those businesses that are water-wasters. Letting these companies know that their faucets are dripping or toilets are running will help conserve the Earth's precious water. You can learn even more about water issues by checking out H2 Oh Oh. After you have studied water issues ask these water related questions to your students. Next print out the test form and ask them to test an adult to see how well they do. You can email your test results to KSE.


Finally have you ever wanted to give a special Earth-saving gift to a fellow teacher, friend or a child? Here's your opportunity to order a Kids for Saving Earth gift card. Check it out. You can order it and have it emailed or mailed to you or directly to your recipient. It's easy to redeem by using the code on the gift card. Think about Valentines Day, Earth Day, and birthdays as possible days to give gifts.

I'd like to give a special thank you to Naturepedic for fabulous donations this year to Kids for Saving Earth. We so appreciate them. Check Naturepedic out on our KSE Green Shop. The products have "no harmful chemicals, period."

For the Earth and its children,

Tessa Hill
President, Kids for Saving Earth
www.kidsforsavingearth.org
Office: 763-559-1234
37955 Bridge Road
North Branch, MN 55056

Buy Safe This Holiday Season

When shopping for kids this holiday season, beware of the harmful chemicals that lurk in several products currently on the market -- including toys. Lead and phthalates were two chemicals found recently in the 26th Annual Trouble in Toyland report, a survey of toy safety.

Healthy Legacy -- a coalition of organizations whose mission is to remove toxic chemicals from everyday products, which KSE is a member -- has highlighted some of the important findings of the report:

Though banned since 1978 in products marketed to children, lead, a known neurotoxin affecting children’s development, can still be found in imported toys. From October 2010 through November 2011, almost 200,000 toys were recalled in the United States due to lead content that exceeded federal limits. Researchers found that a handful of toys investigated exceeded current federal limits and several others exceeded standards set by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Even though the number of toys containing harmful chemicals is troubling, there are resources at our fingertips to make better decisions in our purchases this holiday season.

Healthy Legacy points to the Public Interest Group In Michigan's (PIRGIM) Tips to Keep Kids Safe.

Another resource is U.S. PIRG's Toy Safety 2011 guide, which identifies chemical dangers, as well as other safety concerns in toys on the market.

Hopefully we'll soon live in a world where these guides won't be necessary, but in order for that to happen we need to take action. A simple thing you can do is support the Safe Chemicals Act, commonsense legislation on chemicals in our everyday products. Support this effort by sending a message to the legislators who represent you.

Together, we can improve the lives of our children and the health of our Earth.

Have a Healthy, Happy Holiday Season!

December Conserving Classroom Calendar

Hello Friends of Kids for Saving Earth!

Have you noticed that it's Cyber Green Week at Kids for Saving Earth? We have been tweeting about it! Save $4 on a small or medium group membership through December 3. Place the coupon code "Cyber Green Week" in the comments section of the order form and we will be sure to give you the $4 discount. We hope you'll continue doing some of your holiday shopping at our KSE Green Shop this December.

The December calendar is filled with Earth-saving ideas for the holidays as well as suggestions for making your holidays environmentally healthier.

Learn about why using live evergreen trees for your Christmas tree is actually "greener" than buying plastic trees. Also, think about buying holiday cards from the KSE Green Shop or making your own green holiday cards. It's easy to make bird houses from trash materials to give birds at home or school yards a happy holiday. And don't forget to start early to have your students make and discuss their New Year's resolutions to help the Earth. Print out the resolution form to have the kids take home and return to you after the holidays.

Finally be sure to learn the history of December holidays by checking out the links for St. Nicholas Day, Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve. If we missed a holiday in your country, please email us to let us know!

We are excited to have a private donation that will match any donations we receive from you up to $500. Please give us a wonderful holiday gift by donating to Kids for Saving Earth. You can write a check to the address below or click here to provide your donation by credit card. For every dollar you give your donation will be doubled. We need your support to continue helping kids help the Earth.

We so appreciate all you do to help protect the Earth. Enjoy your holidays!

For the Earth and its children,