earth day 1990 grades 7-12 curriculum

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LESSON PLAN AND HOME SURVEY-~RI:!

WITH FACT SHEETS & HOME ACTION GUIDE

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Wording on National Financial Sponsorship

c K-12 Program

Funds for the development, printing and distribution of t h e K-12 Lesson Plan and Home Survey was generously donated

by the following co-sponsors:

The Rockefeller Foundation

ESPRIT de CORP

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LESSON PLAN AND HOME SURVEY-GRADES 7-12

ENERGY, SOLID WASTE/RECYCLING, TOXICS I TRANSPORTATION AND WATER WITH FACT SHEETS AND ACTION GUIDE

- AMY HOLMES-SHUETT AND GREG SHUEIT, PRINCIPAL WRITERS

ABBY RUSKEY, COORDINATOR

ENWWED BY:

The American Federation of Teachers

The National Education Association

National Association of State Boards of Education

EARTH DAY 1990 P.O. Box A A

STAXFORD UNIVERSITY, CA 94309

Earth Day 1990

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS LESSON PLANS, HOME SURVEYS AND FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES-K-12

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT K-6 CURRICULUM DESIGNER Carolie Sly, %ience/EnvironmentaI Education Curriculum Designer, Alameda County Office of Education and Coordi- nator of the award winning Cdifomia State Encironmental Edrica t ion Giiidz. Leslie C o m e s and Celia Cuomo co-wrote the Cdifoornb State Environmental Education Guide from which the K-6 curriculum is adapted. Leslie Comnes was the Principal Writer for Toxics: Taking Chrge from which the toxics lesson plans were adapted. 7-12 LESSON PLAN WRITERS Amy Holmes-Schuett, Environmental Education Curricu- lum and Teacher Training Consultant, Orange County, CA Greg Schuett, Environmental Education Curriculum and Teacher Training Consultant, iManager of Environmental Field Study Program, Orange County Office of Education

7-12 SURVEY WRITERS SethZuckeman, Environmental and Natural ResourceCon- sultant, Berkeley, CA Kim Taylor, Environmental Consultant, Energy and Re- sources Group, E.C. Berkeley, Berkeley, CA Mark Valentine, Director of Issues, Earth Day 1990

ACTION GUIDE Peter Drekmeier, Issues Coordinator, Earth Day 1990 Mark Valentine, Director of Issues, Earth Day 1990 Diana Aldridge, Director of Communications, Earth Day 1990 EARTH DAY 1990 FACT SHEETS AND SCHOOL IDEAS SHEET Peter Dreheier , Issues Coordinator, Earth Day 1990

PUBLICIIY AND OUTREACH Diana Aldridge, Director of Communications, Earth Day 1990

ILLUSTRATIONS All illustrations (except where noted) by Nancy Gorrell,

Additional illustrations: Hope Epstein, Artist and Elemen- tary School Teacher, Oakland, - CA

GRAPHIC DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Kristin Prentice, Sphinx Graphics, Berkeley, CA

COVER ART Original color drawing by Jonathon Parker, Artist, Berkeley, CA. Redrafted in pen by Nancy Gorrell.

Earth Day 1990 is responsible for the entire contents of the K-12 Lesson Plan and Home Survey Program. Earth Day 1990 makes no restrictions on the non-commercial repro- duction or use of this publication.

K-12 LESSON PLAN AND HOME SURVEY

' L I L 1 d . Y I . U ArCicC anr l Flomontary I*C...* ... - ^ . Srhnnl Teacher Berkeley, CA

Earth Day 1990 is grateful to the American Federation of Teachers. *e National Education Association and the National Association of State Boards of Education tor their ourreach efforts regarding the Each Day 19% cur r idu rn . Earth Day 1990 also appreciates the supvrt- tnioncept of !he National Parent Teachers Association and their asststance in tnvol-,%g parents and xhoois in the K-12 ?rogam. The following people, by kindly volunteering their time and knowledge. helped assure that the curriculum was on the right course, educationally and environmentally: Dale Boahvright. Environmental Educahon Director. American Federation of Teachers, Washington, D.C. Mark Dawson, Environmental Snginrmng Candidate, UC Berkeley. C.i Kathy Donald, Education Consultant. Oakland. C.4 Paula Figdor. Teacher, Burckhaiter EIrmentary, Oakland C.4 Michael Gordon, Dir.. Innovanve Community EntrTnses, Netv York. hT Brian Hirsh, Development Coordinator, LnnovativeCommunity Enterprises. New York. iW Lisa Klimeck, Entlronmental Ed. Coordinator. San hfateo County, C h Cathy Liu, High khoo l Teacher at Westmorc.Hi$ Sihool, Daly City. C.4 Cathy Liu's 2nd and 3rd period Earth Siences students Gil Masters, Prof. of Civll Engmwring, Stanford Lniversiy. C.4

Diana Nicols. Pnndple, Harker .Academy, San Jose. CA Betsv Olson, Coordinator, En\lronmentai Educanon Grant Program. Cdii- fomia State Department ui Education Nancy Peer, Vice President, Parent Teachers hssocatmn, Kensington E i c menta?, Kensinston. CA Pam Wassetman, Education Coordinator, Zero Popuiahon Growth. Wash- ington, D.C.

These people have supported the project through organizational support, consultation and referral: Or. Alberta Arthurs, Rockefeller Foundahon, New York. NY Ron Boehm, Intellemation, Santa Barbara. CA Patty Bumess. Aide tocalif. StareSuperintendent of Schools. LViiliam Horug Susan C'nurcher, City of Palo Alto, Rmeahon Coordinator Melanie Engles. LA. Earth Day 19% Education Committee Clare Hertel, Media Relahons-Educatlon Outreach, Shaklee Corpratxon. San Francisco. C.4 Bam, Jamcjon, .uY Dept. oi Education, Environmental Educanon Unit Gary Nakagiri, Science Education Coordinator, San Mateo County Otfce of Education, San Mateo, CA -An Pansing, Colorado State Board of Educahon Karin Topping, Media Relations-Eduation Outreach. Shakiee Co~ors t ton . San Francisco, C.4 Bnan Tuller. Exec. Bd. Member. %Itionaf Parent Teachers Assoclarion Stuart Volkow, Intellemation. Santa Barbara. C.4 Gene Wtlhoit. Exec. Dir., Xationai .4>5oclaiiOiI of Stat? b a r d ; oi EducXion

Thanks to the tireless and devoted statf at the Earth Day 1990 International Headquarters and especially those who volunteered long hours to re search, phone, enter data, proof read. sfamp, stuff and seal the K-12 program: MaryAnne Barit Dan Brillheart LMarsha Carter Craig Cordova Michelle Quintman L.yn Wherehauser Dana Zworakowski

Special thanks to Earth Day 1990 Regional, Area 3nd K-12 Coordinators across the coun ty who are distributing and implementing the program.

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Earth Day 1990

TABLE OF CONTENTS LESSON PLAN AND HOME SURVEY-GRADES 7-12

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 11

LETTER TO EDUCATORS V

INTRODUCTION-GRADES 7-12 v11

LESSON PLAN 9

SAMPLE POLLNG GRAPHS 12

SURVEY 13

ACTION GUIDE 18

BACKGROUND INFORMATION-FACT SHEETS The Automobile

20 Energy

22 Global Warming

24 Household Hazards

26 Population Growth

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Recycling 30

Tree Planting 32

Water Conservation 34

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION RESOURCES GUIDE 36

SCHOOLS' IDEAS SHEET 3s

Dear Educator:

Twenty years ago, on the first Earth day, 20 million Americans tumed out to demonstrate their concem for a better environment. Students and educators throughout the nation played a significant role in the success and effectiveness of the first Earth Day. Campuses and schools across the country orchestrated thousands of educational teach-ins and special classroom instruction.

In the ensuing twenty years, a number of the problems that fueled the original Earth Day have been addressed effectively. Following Earth Day, 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency was created and Congress passed the Clean Air and Water Acts. Envifonmental consciousness was raised nation-wide. And many of the participants who were children or youth then are working for the health of the planet today.

Despite the environmental progress that has been made, the past two decades have seen many of our environmental problems worsen, and our planet now faces a diverse array of new ills. On April 22,1990, the 20th anniversary of the first Earth Day, 100 million people demanding action for our endangered earth are expected to participate in the United States and in more than 120 countries around the world. The primary objective of Earth Day 1990 has been to launch a decade for the environment through a public education campaign and events encouraging individuals to make a difference in their schools, homes, workplaces and communities.

To further our objective of individual responsibility and empowerment through education, Earth Day 1990 is pleased to present the attached Earth Day 1990 K-12 Lesson Plan and Home Survey exercises. This education project has been designed to help equip the next generation of the earth’s caretakers with an awareness of how their daily actions, and those

Thank you for your interest in the Earth Day 1990 curriculum. Your participation and that of K-12 educators across the nation will not only guarantee the success of this exercise, but is vita! tc? om p ! s of greater exvironnenta! iiwareness and lasting change. Sincerely ,

of their families, affect the health of the planet. -A

Denis Hayes Chris Desser AbbyRuskey u Chair, Earth Day 1990 Executive Director, Earth Dav 1990 K-12 Coordinator

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Earth Day 1990

INTRODUCTION LESSON PLAN AND HOME SURVEY-GRADES 7-12

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Purpose of Cumculum The purpose of the Earth Day 7-12 Cumculum is to provide teachers and other educators with a classroom lesson and home survey that is a starting point for understanding five signhcant environmental issues-water, toxics, enersy, transportation and solid waste/recycling. Whde each of these environmental issues are complex and have far- reaching implications, the lesson and home survey can serve as a way for teachers, students, and families to begin thnlung about these issues in relationship to their own lives. hlost important, the lessons are designed to give students a sense of their own power to bring about change.

Students are introduced to each of the five issues in class and then take home a survey which they complete, if possible, with other family members. They return to school with their completed surveys and discuss the results.

How the Curriculum is Organized The Earth Day 1990 7-12 cumculum is broken down into four components: Background information, Lesson Plan, Home Survey and Action Guide.

The Background Information is provided in the form of fact sheet issued by Earth Day 1990. There is a fact sheet for every issue area covered in by the lesson pIan and home survey; energy, water, toxics, solid waste/recycling and transportation. Addi- tional, but related fact sheets also are included for the teachers use.

The Lesson Plan itself takes two-days, 43 minutes per day. The Day One lesson plan is a discussion of natural resources; the oriljins of and environmental costs involved with their.use. Students are then introdiuced tn, and as a class, review the HDme Survey. During the Day Two lesson pIan, the class discusses survey results. To aid in the discussion, the teacher and or studenG poll and chart all of the students surveys. The class then calculates the impact of population growth on the environment and brainstorms soIutions to en\-ironmental problems that they as individuals and as a class can act upon.

All teachers will also receive the Earth Day 1990 Action Guide to pass out to aLI students at the conclusion of their Day Two discussion. The Action Guide is a listing of simple tips to help the environ-

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ment for parents and students to work on together in their homes.

The Role of ParentdGuardians It is optimal to have the participation of parents and other f a d y members in the completion of the home survey. However ,aiven the busy lifestyles of today's families many children will have to fill the survey out on their own. Ths is why the 7-12 home survey was written in a way that students could answer the questions independently.

A sample letter to parents is included to help the teacher communicate the purposes and procedures of the home surveys and to encourage family participation. The teacher should add detail where they feel it is necessary.

Community Outreach To inform your local community about what your class is doing for Earth Day, teachers may want to notify local newspapers, post graphs and pictures in libraries, YMCA's, city hall or senior centers and/or create displays for your schools's science fair.

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Learning More About the Environment For teachers who are interested in pursing further lessons in environmental education, the Environ- mental Education Resource Guide included in this

packet lists additional environmental education curriculum as well as multi-media and organizational resources.

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Earth Day 1990

HOME ENVIRONMENTAL LESSON PLAN-GRADES 7-12

SUMMARY OF ACTIVI~Y: Students in grades 7-12 will participate in a class discussion about natural resources and the environment. They will be given a Home Environmental Survey in order to study their own and their families’ use of energy, transportation, water, and practices of solid waste and hazardous materials disposal. A follow-up discussion in the classroom will focus on ways that students can use natural resources more efficiently and the impact of the population growth on resources.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: See Earth Day 1990 fact sheets included in this packet.

Time: Two 45-minute class periods

Setting: Classroom, home

Materials:

+ Home Environmental Survey (included).

+ Sampie of Survey Graphs (included).

+ Light bulb.

+ Bottle of water.

+ Symbol for car (model or photograph).

+ Blackboard and/or poster boards.

+ Chalk and/or markers.

OBJECTIVES: In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22,1990, students throughout the United States will be participating in this activity. A brief, but important pre-survey discussion in the classroom will set the stage for the students to complete the work at home. The Home Environmental Survey can be given as an overnight assignment or as part of a larger unit of study, depending on your students’ academic Ievel(s) and subject(s1 that you teach. Upon completion of the survey, a graphing activity will show how the aggregate of individual actions can affect the environment in a positive or negative manner. A brainstorming discussion will focus on other ways for individuals to use resources more wisely to benefit their environment.

Students will:

1. Define natural resources.

2. Idenhfy the origin of natural resources that the community uses and the environmental costs asso- ciated with their use.

3. Conduct a Home Environmental Survey.

4. Compare and graph the survey results.

5. Brainstorm ways to enhance the efficient use of natural resources and to reduce our negative impact on the environment.

PROCEDURE: Day One 1. To focus your students on a discussion about the environment and natural resources, read the following passage:

If the Earth were onlv a few feet in diameter, floating a few feet above a field somewhere, people would come from everywhere to marvel at it. People wouid walk around it, marvelling at its big pools of water, its little pools and the water flowing between the pools. People would marvel at the bumps on it, and the holes in it, and they would mame1 at the very thin layer of gas surrounding it and the water suspended in gas. The people would marvel at all the creatures walking around the surface of the ball, and at the creatures in the water. The people would declare it as sacred because it was the only one, and they would protect it so that it would not be hurt. The ball would be the greatest wonder known, and people would come to pray to it, to be healed, to gain knowledge, to know beauty and to wonder how it could be. People would love it, and

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defend it with their lives because they would somehow know that their lives, their own round- ness, could be nothing without it. If the Earth were only a few feet in diameter.

-Friends of the Earth, Nrw Zealand

2. Inform the students that on the 20th anniversary of Earth Day, April 22,1990, students throughout the United States will be studying environmental issues and examining their use of natural resources.

3. Display the following objects: light bulb, bottle of water, and a symbol for the automobile. Explain that these objects represent natural resources that we use every day.

4. Define resources as: a portion of our environment upon which people have placed or assigned value, or see as being available for use.

5. Ask the following questions about each of the objects:

a. What natural resources are represented? (e.g.: crude oil, coal, groundwater)

b. What is the local source of the natural resource? (e.g.: water, reservoirs, mines and wells)

c. What are the environmental impacts from using the natural resource? (e.8.: hazardous waste, destruction of wildlife habitat, air pollution).

6 . Explain to the students that they will be receiving a Home Environmenkal Survey to collect data on their own use of natural resources. Upon completion of the survey, the students will compare and graph the results in class.

7. Distribute the survey to students. Review the topic areas and equations in class.

Note:

+ For the exercise on energy stzirfents i d 1 need to know the price of electricity. Rrsenrch this through e.rnmin- Ing your electric bilfor cnlZing yozrr locnl utility to ask

what the average cost of!^ .kilozuntt hozir is in your locality. You may x n n t to have students do this research themselves (they nre referred to these same resources in the Home Sur,'ey itself).

The Survey exercises on transportation and aster ench have a bonus question iuhich is optional. 13re bonus questions entnil more inziolvement on the part of the studenf and prmidr more accurate data for their calcztlations of home resource use.

8. Encourage the students to involve family members in researching the information for the sake of accuracy, as well as to stimulate discussion about resource use by members of the household.

Day Two 9. Review and discuss the survey results. Construct five survey polling graphs on the blackboard or on butcher paper (examples on page 12). By polling the students, you can plot their data on the graphs. Find the average of each graph by adding up the students totals and dividing by the number of students (you will use this figure later in this exercise).

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10. Explain that globally, the size of our population is increasing. It took from the beginning of time to about the year 18iO for the humaii populatioit to reach 1 billion people. Just more than 100 years passed before the next billion were added, and the

1830 $930 1976

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population doubled again to 4 billio: people by 1974. By 1987, Earth was home to 5 billion human bemgs, and this number is growing. If the global population continues to increase at the current rate o i 1.3 pecent annually, it will double again in just 39 years. To find out how many resources would be used or saved in the next 39 years if your class were to experience the same rate of population growth that IS talung place globally, conduct the following exercise with your students:

a. Count up the number of students in the classroom.

b. Calculate what the “classroom population” would be by the year 2029 if it were to grow by 1.8% per year (the annual rate of global population growth) Multiply or have the students multiply the number of students in the class by 1.018,39 times (or years to amve at the yearly population gowth.

For example: If you have 40 students in your class, you would multiply 40 x 1.018 = 40.72. This is the classroom population increase for 1991. For 1992 you would multiply 40.72 x 1.018=41.45, in 1993,41.45 x 1.015 = 42-20, and so on.

c. Take the final number of students in the class in the year 2029 and multiply by the class averages calculated in step eight to give you the added impact of ”ciassroom population growth.”

d. Discuss how population growth can have an impact on the environment.

11. Write the following headings across the blackboard or on pieces of butcher paper: Energy,

Transportation, Water, Solid Waste, Hazardous Materials. Brainstorm with the students about ways to practice the more efficient use of natural resources and to reduce our impact on the environment both at home and at school. List these ideas under the category headings. Consider all options for individuals, families, classes and schools, from turning off the water when brushing teeth to organizing a recycling club at the school.

12. Hand out the Action Guide and explain that it is a take home list of simple things that a family can do to help the environment.

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES: 1. Have students choose and implement one of the ideas they suggested in the brainstorm activity above.

2. Research and write a paper on an “environmental hero”-an individual that has taken action on behalf of the environment-ranging from figures such as Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring to the Mothers of East L.A. who have successfully stopped the siting of toxic waste incinerators and freeways in their neighborhoods. Send a letter to the editor of the local paper about the ”heros” researched.

3. Interview senior citizens to get a historical perspective about each issue area (water, recycling, toxics, transportaion, energy).

4. Research and compile data on the amount of natural resources used by individuals in the United States-Fs cornpared to peopIe in countries in Eu- rope, Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

5. Study a local environmental issue. Create a solution that meets the needs of the interested parties and suggest it to the community at a town meeting, a local environmental or civic organization or place of worship.

6. Create a display that focuses on our use of natural resources. Combine various forms of art media, such as paint, clay, photographs, etc., and symbols of consumer goods such as light bulbs, batteries, and plastic six-pack rings. Such a display could be placed in a library, senior center, town hall or local YMCA.

6. Refer to Earth Day 1990 “Schools’ Ideas” sheet in this packet for more suggestions.

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Earth Day 1990

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Earth Day 1990

SURVEY-7-12 c

ENERGY:

DID YOU KNOW ... ? ' -

Each person in the US. uses the average energy equivalent of 80 pounds of coal every day.

As much energy leaks through American windows every year as flows through the Alaskan pipeline.

EXERCISE: Determine how much energy and money you could save if you replaced all of the light bulbs in your house with new, compact fluorescent bulbs, which give off as much light, last much Ionger, and use much less energy.

Yori may haae to research the price per kilowatt hour in v o w town. Either lookat your (parents) electric bill to hncl out the charge or call your local utility company. A& for the average cost of a kiiozuatf hour.

Step I -Coun t how many light bulbs you have in vow house. Count lamps and overhead lights but &clude night lights and other fixtures which take

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smaller bulbs.

Note: Compnct jfuorescent b x l k , on ricerage, iast nine f o ten times as long as fhe ones ?ori are currenfly using in yorir home. Additionally, OZ'U fhe iifeetime of the buib, it smes approximately $3.50 for Ken! penny yo11 pay for a kilowatt how ojelectricify. FJr instance, if ;oil pay ZOe per kriouwtt hour, you mill sa;'? I O X S3.50 = S35.00 with a flourescent bulb. Compact lori ire scent briibs cost approximately 515 each, hoicczr, since they iast so much longer, they, in fact, are circaper and more e,@cient to purchase.

Step 2-Take the number of bulbs and multiply by $3.50 and then, by the price (in cents) of a hlowatt hour. This figure represents-how much money you could save in enersy costs if your bulbs were replaced with compact fluorescent bulbs.

TRANSPORTATION:

DID YOU KNOW ... ? In one year, traffic congestion alone wasted about 3 billion gallons of gasotine-about 3% of the nations' annual gas consumption.

A car that onIy gets IS miles per

driving L.S. roads-will produce more than 57 tons of carbon dioxide (a gas linked to $obal warming) in

its lifetime. A car that gets 33.5 miles per Sallon (the

gallon-the current average for cars

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standard set for 1989 automobiles) will emit 20 tons less.

EXERCISE: Calculate how efficiently your family uses energy for its daily transportation needs. For the purposes of this exercise, we will focus on the miles per gallon (mpg) figure.

Step I-Idenhfy how the various members of your family get to and from work and/or schooI. Who takes the bus? Subway? Does anyone carpool? Who travels by themselves in a car? You will interview each, or as many people as possible in your family to find out their PMPG (Personal Miles Per GaIIon). PSlPG is a way of seeing how

efficiently we travel. People who get the most out of their fuel have high PMPG’s. Those of us who are gas guzzlers have low PbIPG’s! To find out how your family rates, go on to Step 2.

Step 2 -To determine the PMPG for those members of your family who travel by car, find out how many miles per gallon (mpg’s) each car in your family gets. If you don’t know this information, ask a parent or guardian. (also, see Bonus Question, below) If the person(s1 who drive travels alone, then their PMPG figure is the same as the figure for the car. However, if they carpool, then multiply the car‘s mpg figure by the number of passengers in the car. This figure represents the PMPG for each person in the car.

For example: if one of your parents drives to work with two other people in a car that gets 25 miles per gallon, then each person in the car is getting 75 miles per gallon. Each person has a PMPG of 75.

Step >Determine the PMPC figures for those members of your family who use mass transit. Buses, on average, get 4 miles per gallon. Subways get, on average, 1.5 mpg. Commuter trains get approximately 1.25 mpg (all figures caIculated for

gasoline). To calculate the PMPG for people who take mass transit, ask them how many people usually ride the bus or subway. If they are unavail- able, simply estimate the number of people that ride the bus or subway with them. lLlultiply that figure by the mpg figure for the bus, train, or subway. The product, as in the carpool example, gives you the PMPG figure for these people. For example, if a bus gets 5 mpg and 44l people ride it to school in the morning, each person is getting 200 d e s per gallon.

Family Member Form of Transportation Personal MPG

Step M o m p a r e the PMPG ratings of your family members. CircIe the ones with the highest and lowest PMPG ratings. The person with the highest rating uses energy most efficiently.

Note: If you or your parents bike or walk to work or -gchool then you are PMPG superstars and off our scale!

BONUS EXERCISE: You can find out the mpg rating of your families car by looking up the mode1 and year in Consumer Reports journals. The mpg figure listed in these reports are not the most accurate because they represent the mpg’s of new cars. If you want to figure out the exact mpg of the carts) in your family, divide the miles the car(s) itself travels between fill- ups by the number of gallons of gas you put in at the second fill-yp. Calculate the PMPC’s of family members who drive after you have discovered this accurate figure.

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SOLID WASTE/ RECYCLING:

DID YOU KNOW ... ? Every year, we throw away 28 billion glass bottles and jars- enough to fill the twin towers of New York‘s World Trade Center every two weeks.

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Recycling a ton of paper save 13 trees, prevents 3 cubic yards of waste paper (enough to fill a large pick-up truck) from going to the dump, and uses 64 ‘3 less energy than manufacturing

paper from wood pulp. .,

EXERCISE: Determine how much your family could save in the course of a year through recycling aluminum cans and glass bottles.

Step l - C o u n t up the number of bottles and cans vour family uses each week. You may have to ask family members themselves how many cans they use or estimate to the best of your ability. Be sure to include cans used at home, work, and during .

school.

Note: For every can yoii recycle, you Lire sazing ns much gasoline as cuould half-fill that Same can. For c e r y 3 irlriminiim cans you recycle, yori are saving gallon of

gasoline.

Step 2-Take the figure from Step 1 and divide i t by 25. This figure indicates how many gallons of gasoline your family could save during a week. How many gallons of gasoline could your family save in a year?

Step %Repeat Step 1 for glass bottles. How many bottles do you recycle or throw away during the course of the week?

Note: For every 100 bottles you recycle, you save a gallon of gasoline.

‘Step &-Take the figure from Step 3 and compute how many gallons of gasoline your hmily could save in a week?

A year?

WATER USE

DID YOU KNOW ... ? Over 70% of the planet’s surface is covered by water, most of it salt- water oceans. Freshwater, upon pi which we depend for drinkmg and agriculture accounts for only 3% of all of the water on earth and 75% of

that is frozen in the North and South Poles.

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If every American household installed a low-flow shower head in its shower(s1, they would reduce their water use and hot water ' &uuM heating costs by as much as 50% and as a nation we would save over

uses every day in the shower.

Step &Divide the number of gallons of water used (the answer in Step 2 ) in half and you will discover how much water your family could save every day by installing a low-flow shower h&ad,'

900 billion gallons of water every ye&-.

EXERCISE: How much per week saved?

How mu& per year saved? I '

BONUS EXERCISE: Determining h6Gmuch water your family could save if the show& head(s) in your household were replaced with low-flow shower heads. . If you would like to find out the exact amount of

water that comes through your family's shower Note: Low-flow shower heads, owaverage: use half as much water as the standard shower head. They

head(s), conduct the folkwing experiment and exercise.

do not reduce your comfort level, but still save ,.&water, energy, and money. Remember, water heaters are big users of energy. By using less hot water in your shower, you are reducing the amount

Step l -Gather the following materials: a stop- watch or a watch wifh a second hand and an empty 1 /2 gallon milk container with the top cut off.

,. of energy you are using. Step 2-Tum on the shower and mix hot and cold - as y"u normally do. Wait until the second hand is exactly on the minute and put the milk carton under the shower head so it catches all the water. As soon as it fills, check the number of seconds it

Step 1-Time or estimate in minutes how much time each member of your family spends in the shower every day.

Family Member #l (you)

Family Member $2

Family Member $3

Family Member W

Family Member $5

took and write that number down.

Step +Divide 30 (60 seconds to calculate for a whole gallon, 30 if you're using a half gallon) by the number of seconds it 'took you to fill your jug. Th$ is the shower flow rate irc gallons per,mlrte. ,

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Step &Subtract 3 from the number of gallons per minute you got ir! Step >-This is how much water aJow Row shower head would save every minute.

(add more if thezz are more people in your family) - TOTAL TIh.fF(in minutes)

Note: On average, a shower that has a low-fiow . , How much would it save every day given four families use of the shower? (use the totaliin Step 1 i3bGVd

How much every week in your house?

How much every year?

shower head uses 3 gallons per minute-a regular shower head uses approximately twice as much or 6 gallons of water per minute.

Step 2-Multiply the total time your family spends in the shower by 6. This is approximately how much water your family

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F A C T S H E E T

Global Warming Tnis facf sheet UXIS prepared w i fh the assistance of the World Resources Insti- tute. Gus Speth, W ' s President, is a member of Earth Day 1990's Board of Directors.

W h a t Is Global Warming?

Over the past century, the human species has turned the Earth into one huge unplanned experiment. By releasing unprecedented amounts of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons, nitrous oxide and gases that create tropospheric ozone) into the atmosphere, we have in effect, turned up the global thermostat. Greenhouse gases act in a fashion similar to the windshield of a car parked in the sun, allowing light- energy to pass through, but then trapping the re-emitted heat. The greenhouse effect occurs naturally and without it the Earth would be ice- covered and uninhabitable. However, over the past century, human practices have led to an increased buildup of greenhouse gases.

Scientists already have detected a 1 degree F temperature rise, which may be due to the greenhouse effect. They predict a further increase of between 4 arid 9 degrees F by the middle of the next century if greenhouse gas emis-

I

sions grow at expected rates. The 6 warmest years of the century have been in the 1980s, with 1987 and 1988 being the hottest on record. As world population and fossil fuel use grow, greater quantities of greenhouse gases will be released into the atmosphere. Although the U.S. has only 5 percent of the world's population, we are responsible for 25 percent of the carbon dioxide that is released from burning fossil fuels.

Carbon dioxide (which accounts for approximately half of the global warming trend), nitrous oxide and tropospheric ozone are by-products of burning fossil fueis (coal, oil and gas) and wood. It is important to

note that burning natural gas releases 70 percent as much carbon dioxide per unit of energy as oil, and half that of coal. Forests and oceans are natural sinks for carbon dioxide, but are unable to absorb the quantities cur- rently being emitted. Deforestation releases large quantities of carbon dioxide as well as methane, carbon monoxide, ozone and nitrous oxide. Methane, which accounts for 18 percent of the greenhouse effects, also is produced by swamps, cattle, rice pad- dies, landfills, termites, swamps and fossil fuels. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), used in refrigerators and air conditioners, as foam blowers, as circuit board cleaners and as aerosol propellants, account for 17 percent of the greenhouse effect.

Scientists predict that as global temperatures rise, life on Earth will face a series of potentially disastrous threats. Precipitation will decline in some areas, leading to crop failure and ex- panding deserts. Elsewhere, rainfall will increase, causing flooding and erosion. Changes in habitat could lead to mass extinctions of plants and animals that are unable to migrate to more compatibIe climates. And sea levels will rise, flooding coastal areas and causing salt water intrusion in to coastal aquifers.

"Global warming is one of the gravest threats facing our planet. The bui ldup of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere threatens far-reaching climatic change. Although there is increasing awareness that our environmental problems are very serious, only modest efforts have been launched to deal with them. Earth Day 1990 offers an opportunity for unprecedented individual action as well as national and international efforts on a scale equal to today's challenges."

-Gus Speth, President, World Resources Institute

nighways and parking lots for auto- Can DO For proper driving and mainte- mobiles, and hvo-thirds of LOS Ange- nance: - - If your car has an air condi-

tioner, make sure the CFG are recycled anytime it is serviced and before the car is scrapped.

- Have your car smog checked and install pollution-control equipment if necessary.

- Keep your car tuned up and the tires properly inflated.

- Call ahead before shopping and consolidate errands.

- Avoid quick acceleration and deceleration and keep your speed Cnder 60.

- Avoid "drive-through" lines where your car engine must idle for long periods.

- Recycle used motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid and antifreeze.

- Tum in your old battery when you buy a new one.

Walk or bike for dose errands. es is paved. Arrange for a carpool with your co-

The Solution workers. Use public transportation when-

Raising the fuel efficiency standard for ever possible. automobiles will cut down on air pol- If iVs reasonable, ask your em- Luhon by requinng less gasoline to be ployer to allow you to work at burned per mile dnven. There are home one or two days a week. already cars on the market that get 50 Encourage your employer to offer miles per gallon or more. Converting a financial incentive in place of a segments of our transportation system parking permit. to cleaner burning fuels, such as Take a job close to your home or compressed natural gas, methanol and move closer to your place of work. ethanol, may also improve air quality. Enjoy local recreahonal activities However, methanol is a questionable rather than traveling long distances fuel because when it is derived from for entertainment. coal i t releases twice as much carbon Urge your local officials to improve dioxide as oil. Furthermore, altema- and promote public transportation, tive fuels do not address the problem carpooling programs and bicycle of traffic congestion and highway lanes. expansion. The true solution to our Write your elected officials and transportation problem lies with urge them to support legislation to improvements in public transportation raise the fuel effiaency standard and carpooling programs, and in- for automobiles and to put funding creased interest in biking and walking. towards public transportation

rather than highway expansion. Worldwatch Institute According to the American Public If you are buying an automobile, 1776 Massachusetts Ave., N W Trans1 t Association, commuting on consider a model that: Washington, DC 20036

hydrocarbon emissions that produce least 35 miles per gallon). American Public Transit smog by 90 percent, carbon monoxide - Doesn't have an air condi- Association emissions by more than 75 percent, and nitrogen oxides emissions by u p to 75 percent. Despite these impres- sive figures, only one penny of the Environmental Action nine cents per gallon federal gasoline tax is used to improve mass transit.

RaiIwav Ace maeazine points out that a single highway lane can accommo- date 2,250 people per hour in automobiles, 9,000 in buses, 15,000 on a light rail line and 34,000 people per hour on a heavy rail line. The newest French train is capable of traveling at a speed of more than 180 miles per hour while saving energy and providing a safe,

For More Inf OlWIation

mass transit in place of driving cuts - Gets good gas mileage (at (202) 452-1999

tioner. - Has radial tires with a high

tread rating for longer use.

1201 New York Ave., NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 898-4000

1525 New Hampshire Ave., NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 7454870 National Association of Railroad Passengers 236 Massachusetts Ave., NE Suite 603 Washington, DC 20002 (202) 546-1550 Sierra Club 730 Polk S t. San Francisco, CA 94109

comfortable ride. (415) 776-2211

P.O. BOX A A STANFORD, CA 94309 (415) 321-1990

f i a t You Can Do

Cut down on your energy consumption by using energy more efficiently. Some utility companies offer free home energy audits and may even provide cost-free installa- tion of energy efficient devices. To consene energy, buy products in recyclable containers and recycIe or reuse them. Plant at least one tree per year and nurture it until it is able to survive on its own. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and shade buildings. Urge your local g o v e m e n t to come up with a pian to encourage public transportation, carpooling, biking and walking. Write elected offiaals urging them to support legislation promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy (soIar, wind and geother- mal).

fumace, consider a model that op- erates on natural gas. Prevent CFCs from being released into the atmosphere by immediately repairing leaks in your refrigerator and car air conditioner and making sure the CFG are recycIed when the units are serviced or scrapped. Promote family planning worldwide.

When purchasing an oven or

Energy Consemation Eps TRANSPORTATION:

Use public transportation, carpool, bike or walk. Purchase a car with high gas mileage (at least 35 mpg). Keep your car tuned up and running well. Cut down on unnecessary driving by living close to your place of work, calling ahead before s h o p

' ping and consolidating errands.

4

Avoid "drivethrough" lines where your car engine must idle for long periods.

IN THE HOME:

Heating and Cooling (70% of typiCal energy use in single-family residences):

Insulate and weatherstrip your house. Install a "time-ofdaf' thennostat to avoid unnecessary opera tion. Install double-paned windows and draw curtains at night. In colder climates install storm windows and insulating shades or shutters. Close doors to room seldom used and turn off the heat or air conditioning in these areas.

Water Heater (20% of household ~ r g y ) : Insulate hot water heater and storage tank, including piping. Set water heater no higher than 120 degrees F. Most dishwashers need 140 degrees F, so you may need a preheater. blinimize hot water use (for example, take showers rather than baths and use water-efficient show- erheads). Install a solar heating system.

Appliances (10% ofhousehold energy): Turn off appliances whe9 not in

Replace incandescent bulbs with

e When purchasing an appliance,

use.

screw-in compact fluorescent bulbs.

compare energy-use information and shop for efficiency.

Wash cIothes in cold water. Dry clothes in the sun.

€or More Information J

World Resources Institute 1709 New York Ave., NW Washington, DC 20006 (202) 638-6300 Environmental Defensi? Fund 257 Park Ave. S New York, NY 10010

Friends of the Earth 218 D Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 544-2600 National Auaubon sodety 950 Third Ave. New York, M 10022

National Wildlife Federation 1400 16th St., NW Washington, DC 20036 (703) 790-4321 Natural Resources Defense council 122 E. 42nd St. New York, NY 10168

PublicCitizen 215 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 546-4996 Sierra Club 730 PoIk St. San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 776-2211 Union of Concerned Scientists 26 Church St. Cambridge, MA 02238 (6i7: 547-5332 Worldwatch Institute 1776 Massachusetts Ave., Nw Washington, DC 20036 (202) 452-1999 World Wildlife Fund 1250 24th St., NW Washington, DC 20037 (202) 2934800 Zero Population Growth 1420 16th Street, NW, Suite 320 Washington, DC 20036

(212)505-2100

(202) 832-3200

(212) 727-2700

(202) 332-2200

P.O. BOX AA. STANFORD. CA 94309 (415) 321-1990

- F A C T S H E E T

Household Hazards This fact she-4 ux7-s prepared uith the assistance of Clean Water Action. Dmid Ziuick, Executive Director of Clean Wafer Action, is a member of Earth Day 1990's Board of Directors.

W h a t Is Household Haz- ardous Waste?

Many common household products contain ingredients that are toxic, corrosive or flammable, mabng them hazardous when used and disposed of improperly. Such common items as fingernail polish remover, bug spray, shoe polish, cleaning products and paint can threaten a famiifs health and =fey while in the home. When disposed of improperly, household hazardous wastes can contaminate soil air and water. Hazardous wastes dumped in landfill may seep through the soil into groundwater, which nearly half of all Americans depend on for household use. As a result of improper disposal of household hazardous products, 20 percent of the Envi- ronmental Protection Agency's highly contaminated Superfund sites are abandoned city landfills.

Poisoning of children and pets can be an immediate result of improper use and storage of hazardous products. Fire hazards are increased and unsus- pecting firefighters may be endangerec

-

by improperly stored flammables and poisons. Throwing out hazardous wastes with other garbage threatens the health of trash collec- tors. In some instances, gasoline and other flammables have been care- lessly poured into Sewers and have caused explosions. In addition to the more obvious problems posed by household hazardous substances, there are long-term effects that are not as well understood. Many studies have shown that common household toxics can lead to cancer and other chronic illnesses.

One of the largest sourks of municipal hazardous waste is used motor oil, which becomes a major environmental hazard when poured down storm sewers. Since sewage treat- ment plants are not designed to deal

with such toxics, the oil is often released directly into streams, rivers or the ocean. There it pollutes water and threatens plant and animal life. Every year, do-it-yourself oil changers improperly dispose of 176 million gallons of oil - an amount equal to 16 Exxon Valdez oil spills. One quart of oil can contaminate 250,ooO gallons of drink- ing water.

W h a t You Can Do

Whenever possible, use non- hazardous alternatives to household products (see reverse for suzestions). If you must purchase a product that is potentially hazardous, check the label and make sure it will do exactly what you want. Buy only the amount you will use and follow directions carefully. Re- member that doubling the dosage does not necessarily double the product's effectiveness. Store hazardous products in safe places out of the reach of children. Before disposing of a container, use up the entire product or give it to someone who will. Do not drain automotive fluids into the sewer. Oil, antifreeze and batteries can be reqcled at some " eas stations, and transmission fluid and brake fluid should be taken to a special disposal facility.

"With today's climate of rising environmental awareness and activism, promoting change at the individual level makes more sense than ever before. Through our actions, our pur- chases and our votes, we can change corporate behavior and that of our society as a whole. The roles each one of us chooses to play add up to a better future for our families, our communities and our planet"

- David Zwick, Executive Director, Clean Wafer Action

P.O.BOXAA.STANFORD.CX 94309 (415) 321-1990

f i a t You Can Do

*Cut down on your energy consumption by using energy more efficiently. Some utility companies offer free home energy audits and may even provide cost-free instalIa- tion of energy efficient devices. To conserve energy, buy products in recyclable containers and recycle or reuse them. Plant at least one tree p r year and nurture it until it is able to survive on its own. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and shade buildings. Urge your local government to come u p with a plan to encourage public transportation, carpooling, biking and walking. Write elected officials urging them to support legislation promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy (solar, wind and geother- mal).

furnace, consider a model that o p erates on natural gas. Prevent CFCs frombeing released into the atmosphere by immediately repairing leaks in your refrigerator and car air conditioner and making sure the CFG are recycled when

. the units are serviced or scrapped. Promote family planning world-


wide.

Energy Conservation Eps TRANSPORTATION.

Use public transportation, carpool, bike or walk. Purchase a car with high gas mileage (at least 35 mpg). Keep your car tuned up and running well. Cut down on unnecessary driving by living close to your place of work, calling ahead before shopping and consolidating errands.

Avoid “drive-through” lines where your car engine must idle for long periods.

IN THE HOME

Heating and Cooling (70% of fypical energy use in single-family residences):

Insulate and weatherstrip your house. Install a ”time-ofdaf’ thermostat to avoid unnecessary operation. Install double-paned windows and draw curtains at night. In colder climates instau storm windows and insulating shades or shutters. Close doors to rmms seldom used and turn off the heat or air conditioning in these areas.

Wafer Heafer (20% ofhousehold energy): InsuIate hot water heater and storage tank, incIuding piping. Set water heater no higher than 120 degrees F. Most dishwashers need 140 degrees F, so you may need a preheakr. Minimize hot water use (for example, take showers rather than baths and use water-efficient show- erheads). Install a solar heating system.

Appliances (10% ofhousehold energy): Tum off appliances whe9 not in

Replace incandexent bulbs with

W h e ~ pwchasing afi appliance,

use.


compare energy-use informa tion and shop for efficiency.

Wash clothes in cold water. Dry clothes in the sun.

For More Information

World Resources Institute 1709 New York Ave., NW Washington, DC 20006 (202) 638-6300 Environmental Defense Fund 257 Park Ave. S New York, NY 10010 (212) 505-2100 Friends of the Earth 218 D Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 544-2600 National Adubon sodety 950 Third Ave. New York, NY 10022 (202) 832-3200 National Wildlife Federation 1400 16th St., NW Washington, DC 20036 (703) 790-4321 Natural Resources Defense council 122 E. 42nd St New York, NY 10268

Public Citizen 215 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 546-4996 Sierra Club 730 Polk St. San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 776-2211 Union of Concerned scientists 26 Church St. Cambridge,MA 02238 $33 547-5552 Woridwatch Institute 1776 Massachusetts A v e . , W Washington, DC 20036

World Wildlife Fund 1250 24th St., NW Washington, DC 20037 (202) 2934800 Zero PopulationGrowth 1420 16th Street, NW, Suite 320 Washington, DC 20036

(212) 727-2700

(202) 452-1999

(202) 332-2200

P.0. BOX AA. STANFORD, CA 94309 (415) 321-1990

~

F A C T S H E E T

Household Hazards This fact shetrt wa5 prepared z i f h the assis:arue of Clean Watcr Action. David Z-uick, Executive Director of Clean Water , Action, is a member of Earth Day 1990s Bcurd of Direcfors.

What Is Household Haz- ardous Waste?

Many common household products contain ingredients that are toxic, corrosive or flammable, making them hazardous when used and disposed of improperly. Such common items as fingernail polish remover, bug spray, shoe polish, cleaning products and paint can threaten a familfs health and safety while in the home. When disposed of improperly, household hazardous wastes can contaminate soil, air and water. Hazardous wastes dumped in landfill may seep through the soil into groundwater, which nearly half of all Americans depend on for household use. As a result of improper disposal of household hazardous products, 20 percent of the Envi- ronmental Protection Agency's highly contaminated Superfund sites are abandoned city landfills.

Poisoning of children and pets can be an immediate result of improper use and storage of hazardous produds. Fire hazards are increased and unsus- pecting firefighters may be endangered

-

with such toxics, the oil is often released directly into streams, rivers or the ocean. There it pollutes water and threatens plant and animal life. Every year, do-it-yourself oil changers improperly dispose of 176 million gallons of oil - an amount equal to 16 Exxon VaIdez oil spills. One quart of oil can contaminate 250,OOO gallons of drink- ing water.

-

j .

a - W h a t You Can Do - Whenever possible, use non- hazardous altematives to household products (see reverse for suggestions)- If you must purchase a product that is potentially hazardous, check the label and make sure it will do exactly what you want. Buy only the amount you will use and follow directions carefully. Re- member that doubling the dosage does not necessarily double the product's effectiveness. Store hazardous products in safe places out of the reach of chiIdren. Before disposing of a container, use up the entire product or give it

by improperly stored flammables and poisons. Throwing out hazardous wastes with other garbage threatens the health of trash collec- tors. In some instances, gasoline and other flammables have been care- lessly poured into sewers and have caused explosions. In addition to the more obvious problems posed by household hazardous substances, there are long-term effects that are not as well understood. Many studies have shown that common househoId toxics can lead to cancer and other chronic illnesses.

*

. to someone who will. Do not drain automotive fluids into the sewer. Oil, antifreeze and batteries can be recycled at some gas stations, and transmission fluid and brake fluid should be taken to a special disposal facility.

One of the largest sourcks of municipal hazardous waste is used motor oil, which becomes a major environmental hazard when poured down storm sewers. Since sewage treat- ment plants are not designed to deal

"With today's dimate of rising environmental awareness and activism, promoting change at the individual level makes more sense than ever before. Through our actions, OUT p u - chases and our votes, we can change corporate behavior and that of our society as a whole. The roles each one of US

chooses to play add up to a better future for our families, OUT

communities and OUT planet" - David Zwick, Executive Director, Clean Water Action

If a hazardous product cannot be " used up or recycled, take it to a hazardous waste disposal faality. Check with your local fire department to find out if such a service is available locally. Avoid disposable products whenever possible. rlastics and polystyrene (Styrofoam) are manufac- tured using extremely hazardous chemicals, and if they are inaner- ated release toxics into the air.

lhouse well ventilated. Batteries (Use rechargeable baneries.

Chlorine bleacn lUse dry bleach or borax.

Alternatives

ammnia in the oven overntght and s c r u t ~ aqain me next dav.

Paint [use latex and wateraasa Dams.

Most household cleaning needs can be met using vinegar, baking soda, borax, ammonia and soap. An effective all- purpose cleaner can be made using the following non-toxic ingredients:

water dcwn drains hnca a week and always use Ihe dram strainer. Avoid using drains for dispowng of grease. I Use a Numbing snake or a Nunper b

1 gallon hot water 2/3 cup baking soda 1 /4 cup ammonia 1 /4 cup vinegar

scrarx,andsand Use products containing &-limonine gas &rwed from a m extracts. In- sectiodal soaps am bodegradable and

Pet prodms

For a stronger soh tion double all of the above ingredients except for the water.

Roar deaner

:urniture polish

For non-toxic commercial cleaning products contact:

. .

unclog drains. non-toxlc Mop Hoor WUI a soluuon ot t pan vinegar to 32 pans water. Use dub soda IO wlish. Use a solution of 1 trp. lemon oil and 1 pint mineral oil. Toothpaste gets rid of water stains and salt helps with grease spots. Crushad raw nuts

Roam spay Sei out a dish ot ecpa pans powderad SWar M d baking sodk %ay WathES with soaov water. Sprinkle on dty mmstarCn and then vwum. For rod vine spills apply salt h"diately. Usegolisnes that 0 not contain tri-

Rug deaner

Shoe polsh

Shaklee Corporation 444 Market Street San Francisco, CA 941 11 (415) 954-3000

aunory cleaners

Mela! poJisher


lady bugs and praying mandsus. b your garden. Make your yard anrac- live lo birds. amphbians. reptiles and bats to help mmrol insectf. A p phl soapy water to leaves and then rinse well. Use map products and boost W&I

Bad tlaware in a salmon ot bakmg soda and salt.

VaS.

Siber deaner Soak in warm water wrth 1 Up. baking soda. 1 tsp.sal! anda mait piece of aluminum 1011.

Toilet cteaner Use a s o l u m ot water a r . ~ baktng sub. Remove s t u t b m r q s and llme build-up with vhite vinegar or

washing so&. pumice S". WIMOW cleaner Mix 2 tsp. VIMQV wim 1 a. water

and m@y with r " r .

- Clean Water Action 317 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 547-1196 Citizens Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste P.O. Box 926 Arlington, VX 22216 (703) 276-7070

PRccuCTl SAFE ALTERNATIVE I P R X U C T I SAFE ALTERNATlVE Aerosol sprays lUse btions. gels or non-aerosd 1 Moth balk ISptead wt n- in dosets a~

soravs. I I place oedar Chim m n d cbthes. Air fresneners \Keep houseplants IO mniy au. Oven 08m I Wasn afier e m use w i n a m i x " o

I chbroethylene. methylene chknde I or nrtrobenzene. WEW suede or can- lprwide an oily Dolish.

lnseaicides llnlroduce pedator insects. such as

Citizens for a Better Environment 942 Market St., Suite 505 San Francisco, CA 94102 (115) 788-0690

1794 Columbia Rd., NW Washington, DC 20009

Concern, Inc.

(202) 328-8160 Environmental Hazards Manage- men t Institute P.O.Box 932 Durham, NH 03824 (603) 868-1496

Greenpeace Action 1436 U Street, NW Washington, DC 20009

Household Hazardous Waste Project 901 S. National Ave. Box 108 SpringfieId, A40 65801

League of Women Voters 8 Winter St. Boston, MA 02108

Local Government Commission 909 12th St.', Suite 205 Sacramento, CA 95811

National Toxics Campaign 29 Temple Place, 5 th Floor Boston, MA 021 11

Seattle Metro 821 Second Ave. Seattle, WA 98104

(202) 462-8817

(417)836-5777

(617) 523-2999

(916) 448-1198

(617) 452-1477

(206) 447-5875

P.O. BOX U, STANFORD. CX 94309 (415) 321-1990 ~~~~ ~

- I

F A C T S H E E T

Population Growth This fact sheet cas prepared zuifh the assistance of Zero Population Growth. Susan LVeber, Execufive Director of ZPG, is a m m b e r of Earth Day 1990's Board of Direct0 rs.

V f l z y is Population Growth an Environmen fa l Issue?

The size of the human population affects virtually every environmental condition facing our planet. As our population grows, demands for resources increase, leading to pollution and waste. More energy is used, escalating the problems of global warming, acid rain, oil spills and nuclear waste. More land is required for agriculture, contributing to deforestation and soil erosion. More homes, factories and roads must be built, occu- pying habitat lost by other species that share the planet, often leading to their extinction. Simply put, the more people inhabiting our finite planet, the greater the stress on its resources.

I t took from the beginning of time to about the year 1810 for the human population to reach 1 billion people. Just more than 100 years passed before the next billion were added, and the population doubIed again to 4 billion people by 1974. By 1987, Earth was home to 5 biiiion human beings, and

Contrary to some people's belief, the population explosion has not stopped. In 1990 we expect to add another 95 million people to the Earth, more than in any previous year. At this rate, the world's population would easily surpass 10 billion and could exceed 14 billion people late in the next century. No realizable amount of improvement in agriculture, pollution control, energy efficiency or other areas would be able to keep up with this pace of growth. Today% 5.2 billion humans is already more than our planet can handle.

this number is growing. If the global Wuulation continues to increase at Population Growtlz in the I .

the current rate of 1.8 percent annually, it will doubIe again in just 39 years.

pOpu1UtiOfl and SUStaiYta- bility

United States

The major consumers of the Earth's resources are the developed countries, such as the United States. While these countries contain less than 20 percent of the world's people, they consume 80

A society is not sustainable when it consumes renewable resources faster than they can be replenished. In other words, an overpopuiated society clears forests and uses water supplies faster than they.jtre re- newed, or pollutes faster khan the environment can adapt to sustain life. By these measures, the U.S. and most othm nations of the world are over- populated.

percent of its resources. Although the United States is home to just five percent of the human population, we use one quarter of the total energy. The current population of the United States is about 250 million people. At the current rate of growth we are expected to add 60 milIion more people in the next 50 years - 210 times as many people as now live in Boston.

"Overpopulation does not happen only in the Third World. Each year, the U.S. adds the equivalent of another Los Artgeles to its population. In just 35 years, the industrialized nations together will add another U.S. for the Earth to support. The future depends on o w putting the brakes on now."

-Susan Weber, Executive Director, Zero Population Growth

P.O. BOX AA. STANFORD, CA 94309 (415) 321-1990

P

Vast areas of land in the United States

population. Over 3 billion tons of

intensive farming and over-grazing. Large stretches of forest have been cut to provide wood and paper, leaving only five percent of our ancient (un- cut) forests standing. In water poor areas, hgh rates of growth are leading

groundwater reserves. As urban areas expand, air and water pollution are amplified.

have been cleared to support our

topsoil are lost annually as a result of

loax,

World Population locW AD to 2025 AD SzWLx RmuPllon lhlaelrC.3 eulea" (loep1

6 billion (projected in 19%)

6 o o O z C 0 - - - - E

to water diversion and depleted 4 m g

m 2

C 0 - '6 - 0 P

W h a t You Can Do 0

WritePresidentBushandlethim sw ,m, l,M ,a30 1300 14x3 1~ lcoo ,7a3 laoo lFa) 2023 know that you want the United States to take the Iead in promoting sustainable population policies worldwide. President Bush; The For More hformation Population Gisis Committee White House; 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Nw; Washington, Dc 20500. Zero Population Grow& Write your elected officials urging them to support legislation to:

better contraceptives; promote International Planned Parenthood equality for women; and break the Federa tion cycle of poverty. 902 Broadway, 10th Floor Write the World Bank and urge it New York, NY 10010 to require that sustainable popula- (212) 995-8800 tion programs be part of every National Audubon society nation's development efforts. 801 Pennsylvania A&, SE Barber Conable, President; The Suite 301 World Bank; 1818 H Street, NW; Washington, DC 20003

Y-

1120 19th Street, NW, #550 Washington, DC 20036 (202) 659-1833 1400 16th Sheet, LW, #320

Washington, DC 20036 The Population Institute 110 MaryIand Ave., NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 544-3300

777' 14th St., NW, #800 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 639-8040

fund family planning; develop (202) 332-2200

Population Reference Bureau

Sierra Club Population Committee 730 Polk Street San Francisco, CA ?41@? (415) 776-221 1

220 E. 42nd S t. New York, NY 10017

Worldwatch Institute

Washington, 2M33. (202) 547-9008 Encourage small families by

United Nations Population Fund example and by educating others about the need to make environmentally responsible reproductive choices. Support efforts to limit the impact of growth in your local commu- ni ty.

(212) 850-5842

1776 Massachusetts Ave., NW Washington, K 20036 (202) 452-1999

c

4 F A C T S H E E T

Recycling Tnis fact sheet -m prepared with the assistance of the Institute for Local Self- Reliance. Neil Seldman, President of the lnstifutefor Local Self-Reliance, is a member of Earth Day 7990's Enmron- mental Adoiso y Coum'l.

Why Recycle?

Recycling saves energy, natural resources and landfill space. In 1990, it is projected that Americans tvill throw away over 1 million tons of aluminum cans and foil, more than 11 million tons of glass bottles and jars, over 4 and a half million tons of office paper, and nearly 10 million tons of newspaper. Almost all of this material could be recycled, cutting down on the environmental damage caused by mining, logging, and manufacturing raw materials, whiIe decreasing the amount of garbage being dumped. n e average American generates 3 5 pounds of garbage every day for a national total of over 80 percent of this waste could be recycled using existing technologies.

Global warming, add rain, and oil spills are problems directly related to our extravagant use of energy. Three percent of our nation's energy is used to produce packaging materials, such as bottles and cans. By recycling d ~ -

it is possible to Save 95 percent of the energy that it would take to rn~~-~ufacture new products from raw materials. In other words, throwing away an aluminum can wastes as much energy as if the can were half full of -line- Americans throw away about 35 billion d u d - "-i cans every yea- Lf all these C a n s were recycled, we would save an amount of energy equivalent 150 Exxon VaIdez oil spills annually. In 1988, Americans set an all time high by recycling 425 billion cans. This alone saved enough energy to Supply power for the City Of Ebton for one full ye-.

For every ton of paper that is "I- fzct.6rd fiOm rW,ded FUlp, 17

million tons per year. Over

are saved and 3 cubic yards of waste paper avoid being landfilled. Since paper comprises over 40 percent of our municipal waste stream, recycling could extend the lives of our existing dumps considerably. For recycling to work, however, it is important that there is a market for the new product. The US. uses about 40 percent of the world's newsprint supply, yet only 14 percent of this paper is made from recycled fiber. Recycled paper uses up to 64 percent less energy to manufac- ture than virgin paper and produces only one-quarter the air pollution.

At present, more newspapers are recyded than recycled newsprint bought, causing a glut in the market for recycled newsprint. Barriers to increased recycling include federal subsidies to the timber industry that make the price of virgin paper artifi- cially low. A tax credit for those manufacturers who use recycled materials could offset this perverse incentive for using virgin materials. A worldwide paper shortage is creating opportunities for community economic development through s d l scale paper manufacturing plants located near the source of supply for waste paper. For every million Americans who recycle, some l,5Qo manufacturing jobs are created.

'We are recycling not only to protect the environment, but for economic reasons as well. Disposal is simply too costly and too dangerous. T h e challenge is to redirect the flow of raw materials going to landfill into strengthening our declining local economies. The solution to pollution is self-reliant cities and counties."

-Neil Seldman, President, Institute for Loca2 Self- Reliance

P.O. BOX AA. STIWFORD,CA 94309 (415) 321-1990

What You Can Do Recycle all materials possible. Many

Reduce the amount of garbage you generate by purchasing and using products wisely.

'Trecycle" by purchasing p ~ ~ i - ucts in recyclable containers, such as aluminum, steel, glass, paper and cardboard. Purchase foods in bulk or concen- tra te. Avoid plastic and polystyrene (Styrofoam) products that are nei- ther reusable nor easily recyclabIe, such as disposable diapers, lighters, razors and plastic uten- sils. (Plastics make up 25 percent of our garbage by volume.) Make two-sided photocopies. Borrow items rather than buy them. Share magazine and newspaper subscriptions with fnends. Keep a cloth towel next to the sink to be used instead of paper towels. Reduce the amount of junk mail you receive by contacting Direct Market Association, 6 E. 43rd St., New York, NY 10017, (202) 689- 4977.

Reuse products whenever ucssible. Use products that are r k d e to be used many times, such as cloth diapers, cloth napkins, towels and rags, sponges, dishes, silverware, rechargeable batteries, etc. Carry a coffee mug with you to use in place of polystyrene cups. Bring your grocery and produce bags back to the supermarket and reuse them. Use the blank back sides of paper to take notes and do scratch work. Mend clothes and repair broken appliances. Take care of belongings to help them last longer. Look into purchasing used goods at second hand stores and junk yards.

communities have established programs to recycle aluminum, steeI, @ass, newspaper and cardboard. It is also possible to recycle magazines, colored paper, wood, oil and some plastics.

Support a bottle bill that estab- lishes a deposit on beverage containers. Bottle bills that call for rewashing and reusing bottles are superior to traditional bottle bilk. Help establish and promote a curbside recycling program if one does not already exist in your

Organize a recycling program at your school, office, apartment building, church or local govem- ment office. Make a compost pile to recycle food scraps and yard trimmings. Kitchen and yard wastes make u p onequarter of our waste stream. Recycle your used motor oil and car batteries at a local service station. Join grassroots organizations that have led the way to increased recycling. (See below)

community.

Encourage the use of recycled products:

When shopping, look for the recycling symbol (three arrows forming a circle), indita ting that the packaging was made from recycled materiaIs.

Use recycled paper at home and in your office. For every 23 reams of recycled paper you use in place of virgin paper, one pulp tree is saved. For recycled paper contact:

Conservatree P a p r Co. 10 Lombard St., Suite 250 San Francisco, C.4 94 11 1 (415) 433-1000

P.O. Box 3335 Madison, WI 53704 (608) 256-5522

Earth Care Paper Co.

Encourage your Imal newspaper to use recycled newsprint. Encourage companies you do business with to use recycled products.


Institute for Local Self-Reliance 242S 18th St, NW Washington,DC 20009 (202) 2324108 Californians Against Waste 909 12th St, Suite 201 Sacramento, CA 95814

Clean Water Action 317 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 546-6616 Environmental Action 1525 New Hampshire Ave., NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 745-4870 Environmental Defense Fund 257 Park Ave., South New York, NY 10010

Kentuckians for the Common- wealth 425 W. Muhammed Ali Blvd. Suite 328 Louisville, KY 40205

Long Branch Environmental Education Center Route 2, Box 132 Leichester, NY 28748

(916) 443-8317

(212) 505-2100

(502) 585-3279

(704) 683-3662

P.O. BOX AA, STANFORD, CA 94309 (415) 321-1990

F A C T S H E E T

Tree Planting This f a d sheet was prepared with the assistance of Global &Leaf. T. AZlan COT, the National Coordinator of Global ReLaf, is a member of Earth Day 1990's Environmenfal Adzrko y CounciZ.

Why Plant Trees?

Trees not oniy provide us with wood, paper, fruit, nuts, shade, natural beauty and a buffer against noise, they play an important role in Earth's natural cycles. Trees remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store i t until they they die and decompose or are burned. Since carbon dioxide is a gas responsible for half of the greenhouse effect, trees act as a natural control against global warming. A typical healthy tree removes between 25 and 45 pounds of carbon from the air every year. Trees also help prevent flooding and help control soil erosion. Although trees are necessary for our survival, forests are being destroyed at a rate far faster than our current efforts to replace them. In American cities, four trees are removed for every one planted.

Because trees are such an important part of nature's balance, Earth Day 1990 is proposing the planting of 1 billion trees worldwide. Through

urban tree planting projects we can bring down city temperatures and save energy by reducing the need for air-conditioning. Well-psi tioned trees can shade buildings and reduce their energy consumption by up to 50 percent. As l w coal, oil and gas are burned to provide the energy used by air conditioners, less carbon dioxide is released into the air where it contributes to gIobaI warming.

By planting fruit and nqt trees in backyards and community gardens it is possible to reduce the need to transport such items fiom remote rural areas. TIus further saves on energy use.

Planting and Care

Before planting a tmr! i t is important to choose a species that will thrive under local conditions. An area with high temperatures and little water, for example, requires a tree that is drought tolerant. Likewise, in areas of high precipitation it is wise to plant trees that demand large amounts of mois- ture. Different trees thrive under different conditions. By planting trees that grow naturally in your area, you can be pretty sure they will be success- ful. Consult a local nursery for suges- tions on trees that will thrive where you live.

Location is another important consid- eration when planting trees. Choose spots with adequate sunlight and water, and make sure the trws are prc- tected from possible pests. A few stakes and a mesh fence can do much to prevent dogs and other animals from injuring your sapling. Generally, trees should be watered deeply and on a regular basis. Letting a hose drip at the base of the tree for several hours will allow the water to soak deep into the soil and encourage deep rooting. This will give the tree a better chance of surviving drought. Trees are most vulnerable in their f int couple of years of life and shouid be tended with special care.

"Let Earth Day 1990 be your chance to bring some Global ReLeaf. Plant a tree yourself today and more with your friends tomorrow. Bring shelter, sustenance, beauty, and renewal to a planet sorely in need of your help."

-T. Allan Comp, Nat'I Coordinator, Global ReLeaf

P.O. BOX iM. STANFORD. CA 94309.1415) 321-1990

.._ . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - -

c

Many personal decisions go into tree planting. In areas with hot summers and cold winters it is best to plant deciduous trees. These trees will provide shade in the suITuIIer but will allow desired sunlight to pass through in colder months. Some trees are better than others for providing a buffer against noise and unsightly views. Also, personal expectations should be considered. Do you want trees that produce shade, food, fire- wood, or just a beautifuI scene?

I

Tree PlantinP Grouvs

Magic, Inc. P.O. Box 5894 Stanford, CA 94309 (415) 323-7333

City Beautification Board 4527 Shemood Trace Gainesville, FL 32605 (904) 378-3671

Children's Rainforest Florida's International University Miami, FL 33199 (309) 554-3083

Outdoor Activities Center V I~ ~

Global ReLeaf American Forestry Association P.O. Box 2000

1442 Richland Rd., SW Atlanta, GA 30310 (404) 752-5385

Washington, DC 20013 (202) 667-3300 TreesAtlanta

96 Poplar St., NW Tucson Clean and Beautiful P.O. Box 27210 .

Tucson,AZ 85726 (602) 791-3109

TreePeople 12601 Mulholland Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (818) 769-2663

Friends of the Urban Forest 783 Buena Vista West

Atlanta, GA 30303 (404) 522-4097

Savannah Tree Foundation 12730 Rockwell Ave. Savannah, GA 31419 (912) 925-7250

Tms Forever 5190 42nd St., NE Cedar Rapids, LA 52403 (319) 393-6930

.A

San Francisco, CA 94117 Mid-Western Urban Forestry Center

(415) 391-7544

Sacnmento Tree Foundation 1550 River Parks, #208 Sacramento, CA 95815 -

179 South Home Franklin, IN 46131 (317) 736-9500

- (916) 924-8733

People for Trees 4%3 Muir Ave. San Diego, CA 92107 (619) 450-3957

Orange Co. Catholic Worker 311 S. Main St. Sanh Ana, CA 92701 (714) 835-6304

Trees for Life, Inc. 1103 Jefferson Wichita, KS 67203 (316) 263-7294

Division of Planning 200 E. Main St. Lexington, KY 40507 (606) 258-3160

Trees, Inc. 401 Fiscal Court Bldg. LouisvilIe, KY 40202 (502) 625-5783

Western MLEnv. Action Council 1432 Wealthy, SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506 (616) 451-3051

Minneapolis Shade Tree Adv. CO". 1201 Marquette Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55.103 (612) 332-1184

NYC Street Tree Consortium, Inc. 15 W. 61st St. New York, NY 10023 (212) 830-7992

0 TreefoIks, Inc. 1710 Eva St Austin,TX 78704 (512) 447-9706

Dallas Park Foundation 400 S. Record, 6th Floor Communications Center Dallas, TX 75265 (214) 977-6653

Salt Lake Tree Trust 736 East 800 South Salt Lake City, UT 84102 (801 1 355-2265

The WinMer Botanical Preserve 1900 N. Beauregard Alexandria, VA 22311 (703) 998-0400

P.0. BOX AA. STANFORD, CA W309, (415) 321-1990

.i - ,

F A C T S H E E T

Water Conservation This fact sheet was prepared with the assistance of the Rocky Mountain Insti- trrte. Amo y Louins, RMI’s Director of Rzsmrch, is a member of Earth Day 1990’s Board of Directors.

IVhy Conserve Water?

Conserving water saves energy and money and preserves fresh water habitat. Much energy goes into trans- porting water to your residence, and then more is used to heat water for bathroom and kitchen uses. By conserving water i t is possible to prevent some of the pollution caused by excessive energy use, such as global warming and acid rain.

blany of the prob1em relating to water use can be attributed to development in areas where there is an insufficient water supply. For example, although the Southwest has only six percent of the country’s fresh water, 31 percent of our water is used to meet the demands of heavy fanningand urbanization in this area. As a result, increasing amounts of water are diverted from the Colorado River, and now only a limited amount of water-heavy with pesticides and fertilizer-reaches the sea.

this happens, the food supply for the millions of birds that use Mono Lake as a stopover in their migration routes will be destroyed.

Much of the water we consume comes from underground reserves. If this water is used faster than it is replenished, i t can cause land to sink, a process called subsidence. In Florida a few years ago, houses and cars were swallowed by$& holes. Once subsidence occurs, the underground aquifers where water was stored cannot bc reformed. According to the U.S. Geo- logical Survey, 35 states are pumping groundwater faster than it is being replenished.

w a y s to COnSe7Tcte Wf3ter

The United States uses two to four times as much water per person as the countries of Europe. Fortunately, there are a number of water-saving appliances available at your local hardware store that save water without causing inconvenience. The bathroom is a good place to start with water conservation since this is where 70 percent of indoor household water is used. See reverse for some suggestions on ways to save water.

Water diversion often leads to the destruction of wildlife. When rivers shrink, fish can no longer follow their xm-”m Pa& of migration to spawn and may fail to reproduce- Diverting water also has a heavy impact on Our di-isfingwetlands, destroying animal habitat- In C a I i f o ~ a , huge tu-x”nb oftvaterare k i n g diverted fromMon0 Lake’s tributaries tobe Used in LaS h g e l e s County- Mono Lake’s water is naturally very but as increased amounts of fresh Wateraredivedd, the Glt content has risen. Soon levels may be too high for brine shrimp to survive. If

“By installing a few simple water-saving devices, costing less than $30, the average household can save more than 30,000 gallons of water and over $60 in water and energy costs each year. If every Americanmade this investment as an Earth Day project, together we would save enough water to cover a football field 1,500 miles high, energy equivalent to 7 huge power plants, and over $1.3 billion per year.”

-Amory Looins, Diredor of Research, Rocky Mountain Institute

P.O. BOX M, STXNFORD. CA 94309 (415) 321-1990

-.

r Toilet Use

Toilet Leakage

c] Bathing

Dishwashers

Faucets

ea Washing Mac!” i

B a t h o o m: - Kitchen and Laundry:

Take showers rather than baths. Showers use about a third as much water.

Install a low-flow shower head with an on/off valve.

Install a spaceuccupier in your toilet to minimize water use per ilush. Or install an ultra-low- ilow toilet wluch uses 1 to 1.6 gallons per flush instead of 3.5 to 6 gallons per flush.

Install faucet aerators on all sinks. They mix air with the stream of water so that less is U s e d .

Use the dishwasher and washing machine only with full loads. Front-loading washing machines use up to 40 percent less water than toploading models.

Avoid running water to wash vegetables and rinse dishes.

* Check water line connections, Wnfm*ng: pipes, faucets and toilets for leaks. (It is possible to determine whether you have any leaks by turning off all the water in the

Plant native or drought-tolerant piants.

Water lawns in the morning to avoid evaporation.

houseand then checking your water meter. If the reading changes in fifteen minutes then

Water slowly, deeply and infre- quently to encourage deep rooting. A slow drip for an b u r once a week should be sufficient for most trees. Putting your sprinkler on a timer and using a drip imgation system can save a lot of water.

you probably have a leak somewhere. One small leak can waste 20 gallons of water per day, over 7,000 gallons per year.) If you determine there is a leak:

1) Check faucets for leaks and replace washers if necessary.

2) Check the toilet for leaks by adding food coloring to the water in the tank. If within fifteen minutes rhe water in the bowl is colored, then you have a leak. (A leaky toilet can waste a s much as 100 gal- Ions per day.) -

4

Most importantly, think “water conservation” and make it a habit. Take shorter showers, avoid leaving the water running while shaving and brushing teeth, and don’t use the toilet as an ashtray.

Keep grass at least 3 inches high to shade roots.

Use mulch or ground-covering plants to prevent excessive evaporation.

Use waste water from the house to water your garden.

Outdo or Cl ea n ing:

Use a broom rather than the hose to clean off walkways, patios and other outdoor areas.

When washing your car, use a bucket of water or a hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle instead of letting the hose run.

U.S. Averaqe Indoor Water Use

P.O. BOX AA, STtWF0R.D. CA 94309 (415) 321-1990

F

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION RESOURCE GUIDE c

There are a number of environmental education resources available around the country and many right in town. Webelieve that theresources listed below are some of the best that are available and hope that you will be abIe to uhIize them. Please let us know if there are any that we missed.

Local Sources Some of the best resources for environmental education may exist right under your nose. Contact your county or State Department of Education, Resource Agencies, State Energy Office, or Environmental Pro- tection Agency to find out if materials or programsare available. Some states-such as California, Wiscon- sin, Michgan, Washington, New York, and Florida- and many County Departments of Education have, or are developing, environmental education programs. Also, be sure to check into: local museums or nature centers to see if they sponsor any field trips or teacher trainings; local zoos which sometimes sponsor environmental education or wildlife habitat programs; local, county, state and national parks that sponsor nature walks and other programs and; local environmental organizations and centers that carry educational materials.

Organizations and Guides Offering Lesson Plans and School Activities Alliance of Environmental Educators carry a variety of environmentaleducationcurricula. 211 1 WilsonBlvd., Suite 701, Arlington, VA 33301.

Americnn Nature SLudy Society promotes environmental education through Nature Study magazine, meet- ings, workshops, and field trips. 5881 Cold Brook Rd., Homer, NY 13077. Phone: (607) 749-3635.

Biological Science Curriculum Study (BSCS) variety of materials for teacheis and students including text- books, laboratory manuals,subject modules,and films. Contact BSCS, The €olorado College, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. Phone: (303) 473-2233.

Consemation and Renewable Energy Information Referral Service. Public inquiries and bibliographies on renewable and non-renewable energy. Phone: 1-(800) 523- 2929.

Global Tomorrow CoaWon carries environmental education cunicula on tropical forests, marine and coastal pollution and other global issues. 1325 G-Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20005. Phone: (202) 6254016.

Institute for Earth Education "Earthkeepers" an educational program for helping young people live in har- mony with the earth and other resources. P. 0. Box 288, Warrenville, IL 60555.

Notional Geographic Society two filmstrip sets about energy and pollution: "Challenges to a Healthy Envi- ronment" (Advanced) and "This World of Energy: 11" (Intermediate and Advanced). EducationaI Services, Dept. 90, Washmgton, DC 20036.

National Audubon Society publishes newsletters, newspapers, and posters for a fee. New unit available on wetlands. Education Division, 950 Thxd Ave., NY, NY 10022. Phone: (212) 532-3200.

Notional Wildlife Federntion nature education catalog lists science activity series, project kits, books, videos, etc. Attn: School Programs, 8925 Leesburg Pike, Vi- enna, VA 22184-0001.

Science and Environmental Education Resorirce Guide, 2989 directory of national science and environmental education resources. California State Department of Education, 721 Capital Mall, Sacramento, CA 95814.

Sierra Club- provides free teachers newsletter, list of environmental education materials, filmstrips, slides and videos and a literature list for children. 703 Polk St., San Francisco, CA 94109 Phone: (415) 776-2211.

US. Environmental Protecfion Agency directory of environmental education materials for grades K-12. Office of Community and Intergovernmental Rela- tions, MaiI Code A-IO8 EA, US. Environmental Pro- tection Agency, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460. Phone: (202) 382-4454.

Zero Population Growth teacher training programs and K-12 curriculum. Population Growth Education Pro- gram, 1400 16th Street, WN, Suite 320, Washington, DC 20036. Phone: (202) 332-2200.

Lesson Plan and School Activities A- Way with Waste curriculum guide about recycling for grades K-12. Washington Dept. of Ecology,'350 150th Ave., NE, Redmond, WA 98052.

California State Enuironmental Education Guide (1987) eight instructional units and six action projects (K-6). (517.95) Alameda County Office of Education, Li- brary Dept., EG, 313 W. Winton Avenue, Hayward, CA 9454- I 198.

36

a.

C.zii!ornia Energy Extension Su-uice-Enerq Action in Schools-annotated bibliography of sample energy education materials, K-6 and 7-12. Governors Office of Planning and Research, 1400 10th Street, Room 209, Sacramento, CA 95Sl4.

Green Box set of 178 activity cards for environmental educators (K-SI. Cost is approx. S O . Contact Hum- boldt County Office of Education, Environmental Education Program, 901 Myrtle Avenue, Eureka, C-4 95301. Phone: (707) 445-5411.

Ln ing Lightly in the City (K-6). Living Lightly on fhe Planef (7-12). Schlitz Audubon Center, 1111 East Brown Deer Road,Milwaukee, WI53217. Phone: (414) 357-3880.

Outdoor Biology Insfrzicfional Strategies (OBIS) set of activity cards for grades 4-9. Contact Delta Education, Inc., P.O. Box bl, Nashua, NH 03061.

Project WLD wiIdlife education program for school teachers. Western Regional Environmental Educa- tion Council, BouIder, CO; Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA); or your State Fish and Game Department.

Prolect Lenming TreePLT) activitymanualand teacher training workshops for environmental educators (K- 12) focusing on plant life. American Forest Institute, 1619 Massachusetts Ave.,NW, Washington, DC 20036.

kzinboio Child Programs K-6 earth awareness lesson plans and teacher training workshops. Rainbow Child Programs, 1705 Balsam Lane, Villanova, PA 19085. Phone: (215) 5251133.

Shring Nature with Children and Listening to Nature two books by Joseph Come11 Workshops. Ananda Publications, 14618 Tyler Foote Rd., Nevada City, CA 95959. Phone- !?16)292-3225 or (1300) 843-3272.

Toxics in My Home? You Bef! curriculum units on Household Hazardous wgste, K-12 (also in Spanish) Golden Empire Health Planning Center, 2100 21st Street, Sacramento, CA 95818. Phone: (916) 731-5050.

Toxics: Tiiking Charge, a unit for grades 4-6. Supple- ment to the California State Environmentni ELfucntion Curife. Alameda County Office of Education, 313 W. Winton Avenue, Hayward, CA 94554-1198.

Films, Videos and Plays Bullfrog Films, lnc. rents films and videos with environmental themes. Bullfrog Films, Oley, PA 19547.

37

Phone:(313) 779-8226.

Corporation for Public Broadcnsting 1990 -Year of the Environment- Environmental Resource Compendium, S10. PBS, Elementary and Secondary Service, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314 Phone: (202)

Earth Child a simple one act play/musical designed to be a center-piece for a 2-1 week mini-unit on the environment. K-12 Peace Child International, 397i Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22030. Phone: (703) 385-4494.

Facets-video distribution center which cames hard- to-find environmental educa tionvideos. 151 7 W. Mer - ton Avenue, Chcago, IL 60614. Phone: 1-(SOO) 311- 6197.

Film Disfribu tion Center rents environmental films and videos. 13500 NE 124 Street, Suite 2, Kirkland, WA 98034-3010. Phone: (206) 820-2592.

The Lorax. Animated film about destruction of natural resources and pollution (also, see the Dr. Seuss book by this title-Random House, 1971). All ages. The Film and Video Library, University of Michigan, 400 Fourth St., Ann Arbor, MI 481033516, or Population Refer- ence Bureau, Inc., 777 14th St., NW, Suite 800, Wash- ington, DC 20005.

Media Netiiork-environmental education films and videos. Also distributes Greenjems, guide listing available environmentaI films and videos. $6.30 individuals, $9.50 institutions. 121 Fulton, 5th Floor, New York, NY, 10038. Phone: (212) 619-3455.

Worldlink: Spaceship Earth: Our Global Environment. First in a series of video travels around the world to present segments on environmental probIems and sohtions. Hosted entirely by young people rncludes teacher guide. 8755 W. CoIgate Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90048. Phone: (213) 273-2636.

Electronic Bulletin Boards National Geographic Kids Network. Grades 4-6. Contact Dorothy Perreca, Project Manager, Kids Network, Educational Media Division, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC 20036. Phone: (202) 775- 6580.

Eco-net is an electronic network for environmental information. Write: Institute for Global Communica- tion, 3228 Sacramento St., San Francisco, CX 94115. Phone: (415) 923-0900.

933-5110.

. v , , ?

Earth Day 1990 School Ideas *

Earth Day 1990, P.O. Box AA, Stanford, CA 94309 ( 4 1 5 ) 3 2 1 - 1 9 9 0

n

L e s s o n s Use the Earth Day 1990 Lesson Plan and Home Survey in your class. Integrate environmental issues into all lessons. Organize an essay contest with an environmental theme, such as what the environment could be like on Earth Day 2000. Show movies about nature, such as National Geographic specials, "Never Cry Wolf" or "Call of the Wild." For other ideas contact: Bullfrog Films; 1-800-543-FROG. Read stones with environmental themes. such as The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.

Educa t ing Others Organize a "pledge drive" to encourage people to sign the Earth Day 1990 -Green Pledge. Challenge other classes and/or schools to see who can sign up the most people. Hold an environmental fair, with the proceeds going to creating a school environmental organization, setting up a recycling program or buying environmental books. Bring in speakers to talk about environmental issues. Have students write letters to elected officials asking them to suppon a specific local environmental project. Ask an elected official to come speak on the issue. Start an environmental club o r newsletter for your school. Talk to your school's janitor or purchasing department about using non-toxic cleaners. Contact: Shaklee Corporation: 443 market St.; San Francisco, CA 94111; (415) 954-3000.

S c hoolvar d Activi t ies Plant trees in the schoolyard.

Grow trees from seeds.

Set up an organic garden at your school complete with a compost pile. Contact: The New Alchemy Institute; 237 Hatchville Rd.; East FaImouth, MA 02536; (508) 564-6301. Learn about how plants are the "producers" and '!caretakers" of the environment. For a special kit from the California Association of Nurserymen, contact: Barbara David: Creative Consulting; P.O. Box 160602: Sacramento, CA 95816. Survey how many different kinds of plants, animals and insects Iive in your schoolyard and draw pictwes of them. Build birdhouses and feeders for the schoolyard. Organize a cleanup of the schoolyard or a local park.

Contact: Global ReLeaf; P.O. Box 2000; Washington, DC 20013;

Contact: Trees For Life; 1103 Jefferson St.; Wichita, KS 67203: (316) (202) 667-3300.

263-7294.

R e c y c l i n g Organize a schooI recycling program with collection bins in the cafeteria and other areas where waste is generated.

Set up a paper recycling area in your classroom. box to be reused as scratch paper. paper and a third box for colored paper. Have the students draw up and circulate a petition asking the administration to use recycled paper. For information on recycled paper, contact: Conservatree Paper Co.; 10 Lombard St.. Suite 250: San Francisco, CA 94111: (415) 433-1000. Look through your classroom's garbage and discuss which materials are recyclable.

Contact: Audubon Adventures; Route 4; Sharon, CT 06069; (203) 3 64-0520.

Paper with one good side can go into a Another box should be used for non-reusable white

~

F A C T S H E E T

Global Warming Tnis fact sheet was prepared with the assistance of the World Resources Insti- tute. Gus Spefh, W ' s President, is a member of Earth Day 1990's Board of Directors.

W h a t Is Global Warming?

Over the past century, the human species has turned the Earth into one huge unplanned experiment. By releasing unprecedented amounts of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons, nitrous oxide and gases that create tropospheric ozone) into the atmosphere, we have in effect, turned up the global thermostat. Greenhouse gases act in a fashion similar to the windshield of a car parked in the sun, allowing light- energy to pass through, but then trapping the re-emitted heat. The greenhouse effect occurs naturally and without it the Earth would be ice- covered and uninhabitable. However, over the past century, human practices have led to an increased buiIdup of greenhouse gases.

Scientists already have detected a 1 degree F temperature rise, which may be due to the greenhouse effect. They predict a further increase of between 4 and 9 degrezs F by the middie of the next century if greenhouse gas emis-

sions grow at expected rates. The 6 warmest years of the century have been in the 1980s, with 1987 and 1988 being the hottest on record. As world population and fossil fuel use grow, greater quanti ties of greenhouse gases will be released into the atmosphere. Although the US. has only 5 percent of the world's population, we are responsible for 25 percent of the carbon dioxide that is released from burning fossii fuels.

Carbon dioxide (which accounts for approximately half of the global warming trend), nitrous oxide and tropospheric ozone are by-products of burning fossii fuels (coal, oil and gas) and wood. It is important to

note that burning natural gas releases 70 percent as much carbon dioxide per unit of energy as oil, and half that of coal. Forests and oceans are natural sinks for carbon dioxide, but are unable to absorb the quantities cur- rently being emitted. Deforestation releases large quantities of carbon dioxide as well as methane, carbon monoxide, ozone and nitrous oxide. Methane, which accounts for 18 percent of the greenhouse effects, also is produced by swamps, cattle, rice pad- dies, landfills, tennites, swamps and fossil fuels. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), used in refrigerators and air conditioners, as foam blowers, as circuit board cleaners and as aerosol propellants, account for 17 percent of the greenhouse effect.

Scientists predict that as global temperatures rise, life on Earth will face a series of potentially disastrous threats. Precipitation will decline in some areas, leading to crop failure and ex- panding deserts. Elsewhere, rainfall will increase, causing flooding and erosion. Changes in habitat could lead to mass extinctions of plants and animals that are unabIe to migrate to more compatible climates. And sea levels will rise, flooding coastal areas and causingsalt water intrusion into coastal aquifers.

"Global warming is one of the gravest threats facing our planet. The buildup of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere threatens far-reaching climatic change. Although there is increasing awareness that our environmental problems are very serious, only modest efforts have been launched to deal with them. Earth Day 1990 offers an opportunity for unprecedented individual action as well as national and international efforts on a scale equal to today's challenges."

-Gus Speth, President, World Resources Institute

- ughways and parking lots for auto- nobiles, and hvo-thirds of LOS h g e -

= m a t Yo14 Can DO es is paved.

Z7ze Solution

iaising the fuel efficiency standard for iutomobiles will cut down on air pol- u tion by requiring less gasoline to be mmed per mile driven. There are ilready cars on the market that get 50 niles per gallon or more. Converting ;egments of our transportation system :o cleaner burning fuels, such as iompressed natural gas, methanol and 3thano1, may also improve air quality. Sowever, methanol is a questionable fuel because when it is derived from :oal i t releases twice as much carbon dioxide as oil. Furthermore, altema- 5ve fuels do not address the problem 3f traffic congestion and highway spansion. The true solution to our ransportation problem lies with improvements in public transportation and carpooling programs, and in- xeased interest in biking and walking.

According to the American Public Transit Association, commuting on mass transit in place of driving cuts hydrocarbon emissions that produce smog by 90 percent, carbon monoxide emissions by more than 75 percent, and nitrogen oxides emissions by up to 75 percent. Despite these impres- sive figures, only one penny of the nine cents per gallon federal gasoline tax is used to improve mass transit.

Walk or bike for dose errands. Arrange for a carpool with your co- workers. Use public transportation whenever possible. If iVs reasonable, ask your employer to allow you to work at home one or two days a week. Encourage your employer to offer a financial incentive in place of a parking permit. Take a job close to your home or move closer to your place of work. Enjoy local recreational activities rather than traveling long distances for entertainment. Urge your local officials to improve and promote public transportation, carpooling programs and bicycle lanes. Write your elected officials and urge them to support legislation to raise the fuel effiaency standard for automobiles and to put funding towards public transportation rather than highway expansion. If you are buying an automobile, consider a model that:

- Gets good gas mileage (at least 35 miles per gallon).

- Doesn't have an air conditioner.

- Has radial tires with a high tread rating for longer use.

Railwav Age maeazine points out that a single highway lane can accommo- date 2,250 people per hour in automobiles, 9,000 in buses, 15,000 on a light rail line and 34,000 people per hour on a heavy rail line. The newest French train is capable of traveling at a speed of more than 180 miles per hour while saving energy and providing a safe, comfortable ride.

For proper driving and mainte- nance:

- If your car has an air conditioner, make sure the CFCs are recycled anytime it is serviced and before the car is scrapped.

- Have your car smog checked and install pollution-control equipment if necessary.

- Keep your car tuned up and the tires properly inflated.

- Call ahead before shopping and consolidate errands.

- Avoid quick acceleration and deceleration and keep your speed under 60.

- Avoid'"drive-through" lines where your car engine must idle for long periods.

- Recycle used motor oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid and antifreeze.

- Tum in your old battery when you buy a new one.

€or More Information

Worldwatch Institute 1776 Massachusetts Ave., NW Washington, DC 20036

American Public Transit (202) 452-1999

Associa tion 1201 New York Ave., NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 898-4000

1525 New Hampshire Ave., NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 745-4870 National Association of Railroad Passengers 236 Massachusetts Ave., NE Suite 603 Washington, DC 20002 (202) 546-1550 Sierra Club 730 Polk St. San Francisco, CA 94109

Environmental Action

(415) 776-2211

P.0. BOX AA, STAWORD,CA 94309 (415) 321-1990

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W h a t You Can Do

*Cut down on your energy consumption by using energy more efficiently. Some utility companies offer free home energy audits and may even provide cost-free installa- tion of energy efficient devices. To conserve energy, buy products in recyclable containers and recycle or reuse them. Plant at least one tree per year and nurture it until it is able to survive on its own. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and shade buildings. Urge your local government to come up with a plan to encourage public transportation, carpooling, biking and walking. Write elected officials urging them to support legislation promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy (solar, wind and geother- mal).

furnace, consider a model that o p erates on natural gas. Prevent CFCs from being released into the atmosphere by immediately repairing leaks in your refrigerator and car air conditioner and making sure the CFG are recycled when the units are serviced or scrapped. Promote family planning worldwide.


Energy Conservation Tips TR~A.NSPORTATION:

Use public transportation, carpool, bike or walk. - Purchase a car with high gas mileage (at least 35 mpg). Keep your car tuned up and running welI. Cut down on unnecessary driving by living close to your place of work, calling ahead before shop-

. ping and consolidating errands.

Avoid "drivethrough" lines where your car engine must idle for long periods.

IN THE HOME:

Heating and Cooling (70% of typical energy use in singlefamily residences):

Insulate and weatherstrip your house. Install a "time-of-day" thermostat to avoid unnecessary operation. Install double-paned windows and draw curtains at night. In colder cIimates install storm windows and insulating shades or shutters. Close doors to rooms seldom used and turn off the heat or air conditioning in these areas.

Water Heater (20% of household energy): Insulate hot water heater and storage tank, including piping. Set water heater no higher than 120 degrees F. Most dishwashers need 140 degrees F, so you may need a preheater. hlinimize hot water use (for example, take showers rather than baths and use water-efficient show- erheads).

* Install a solar heating system.

Appliances (10% of household energy): Tum off appliances whe2 not in

Replace incandescent bulbs with

When purchasing an appliance,

use.


compare energy-use information and shop €or efficiency.

Wash clothes in cold water. Dry clothes in the sun.


World Resources Institute 1709 New York Ave., NW Washington, DC 20006 (202) 6384300

257 Park Ave. S New York, NY 10010 (212) 505-2100 Friends of the Earth 218 D Street, SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 544-2600 National Au&bon Society 950 Third Ave. New York, NY 10022

Environmental Defense Fund

(202) 832-3200

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0

National Wildlife Federation 1400 16thSt., NW Washington, DC 20036 (703) 790-4321 Natural Resources Defense C O W r d 122 E. 42nd St. New York, "Y 10168

Public Citizen 215 Pennsylvania Ave., SE Washington, DC 20003 (202) 546-4996 Sierra Club 730 Polk St. San Francisco, CA 94109 (413 776-221 1 Union of Concerned Scientists 26 Church St. Cambridge,MA 02238 (617: 547-5552 Worldwatch Institute 1776 Massachusetts Ave., NW Washington, DC 20036 (202) 452-1999 World Wildlife Fund 125024th St., Nw Washington, DC 20037 (202) B3-1800 Zero Population Growth 1400 16th Street, NW, Suite 320 Washington, DC 20036

(212) 727-2700

(202) 332-2200

P.O. BOX AA. STANFORD, CA 94309 (415) 321-1990

*

F A C T S H E E T

Household Hazards This fact sheie was prepard uifh fhe assz3:ance of Clean Wafer Ac,cion. Daaid Zivick, Execufive Director of C l e m Water Action, is a member of Earth Day 1990's Board of Direcfors.

W h a t Is Household Haz- ardous Was te?

Many common household products contain ingredients that are toxic, corrosive or flammable, making them hazardous when used and disposed of improperly. Such common i t e m as fingernail polish remover, bug spray, shoe polish, cleaning products and paint can threaten a family's health and safety while in the home. When disposed of improperly, household hazardous wastes can contaminate soil, air and water. Hazardous wastes dumped in landfill may seep through the soil into groundwater, which nearly half of all Americans depend on for household use. As a result of improper disposal of household hazardous products, 20 percent of the Envi- ronmental Protection Agency's highly contaminated Superfund sites are abandoned city landfills.

Poisoning of children and pets can be an immediate result of improper use and storage of hazardous products. Fire hazards are increased and unsus- pecting firefighters may be endangered

by improperly stored flammables and poison~. Throwing out hazardous wastes with other garbage threatens the health of brash collec- tors. In some instances, gasoline and other flammabIes have been care- lessly poured into sewers and have caused explosions. In addition to the more obvious problem posed by household hazardous substances, there are Iong-term effects that are not as well understood. Many studies have shown that common household toxics can lead to cancer and other chronic illnesses.

One of the largest sourhs of municipal hazardous waste is used motor oil, which becomes a major environmental hazard when poured down s t o m sewers. Since sewage treat- ment plants are not designed to deal

with such toxics, the oil is often released directly into streams, rivers or the ocean. There it pollutes water and threatens plant and animal life. Every year, do-it-yourself oil changers improperly dispose of 176 million gallons of oil - an amount equal to 16 Exxon Valdez oil spills. One quart of oil can contaminate 250,oOO gallons of drink- ing water.

Whaf You Can Do - Whenever possible, use non- hazardous altema tives to household products (see reverse for suaestions). If you must purchase a product that is potentially hazardous, check the label and make sure it will do exactly what you want. Buy o d y the amount you will use and follow directions carefully. Re- member that doubling the dosage does not necessarily double the product's effectiveness. Store hazardous products in safe places out of the reach of children. Before disposing of a container, use up the entire product or give it to someone who wiIl. Do not drain automotive fluids into the sewer. Oil, antifreeze and batteries can be recycled at wme gas stations, and transmission fluid and brake fluid should be taken to a special disposal facility.

"With today's climate of rising environmental awareness and activism, promoting change at the individual level makes more sense than ever before. Through our actions, our pur- chases and our votes, we can change corporate behavior and that of our society as a whole. The roles each one of us chooses to pIay add up to a better future for our families, our communities and our planet."

- David Zwick, Erecutive Director, Clean Water Ac t i on

P.O. BOX ILW. STANFORD, CA 94309 (415) 321-1990

earth day 1990 grades 7-12 curriculum

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