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What sort of world do you want to grow up in?
Do you want it to be one that has clean water to drink, safe air
to breathe and a healthy environmment with beautiful trees and thriving,
wildlife?
If so, there are things , you can do to help save the Earth.
You can make a big difference in helping the environment by reducing
the amount of trash you produce. Waste reduction slows the depiction of
natural resources and reduces pollution associated with the extraction of
raw materials and the manufacture of products. For example,
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If you take your lunch to school, make it garbage free. Take
your sandwich and drink in reusable containers.
Avoid using throw away containers.
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When shopping, take cloth or string bags with you to avoid the need
for paper or plastic bags. Before you buy something, notice how the product
is packaged.
Is all the packaging needed? Can it be reused or recycled?
Choose products with little or no packaging or those that have reusable or recyclable
packaging.
If it will become trash, avoid it.
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Waste can come in other forms, too. For example, when you turn on
the water faucet, make sure you turn it off all the way.
Also, when you turn on something that uses electricity or any other energy source,
be sure to turn it off when
you are finished using it .
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Automobiles are the source of many different types of pollution.
Ask your parents if their car is "tuned up."
Together, you can use a tire gauge to see if the air pressure in
the tires is correct. If not, the car will use more gasoline than
necessary and that is wasteful.
Have you thought about how much the environment would be helped
if you, walked or rode your bike rather than being driven to
nearby activities? Much energy could be saved with a little
foot-power; you control that.
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Another way you can help save the Earth is through recycling. Recycling
helps keep valuable resources like metal, glass, paper and plastic out of the
trash. This is important because our natural resources are precious and landfilling
costs a lot.
If recyclable resources are collected properly, they can be made into
useful things that we all need and want.
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Does your school recycle? Do you recycle at home?
If not, you can help get recycling going. After all, recycling is a
great way to reduce trash, save energy and our environment.
Talk it over with your friends, parents and teachers. Together, we
can all help save the Earth.
How you can help from A to Z
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Adopt a stream, park or roadside to clean up and keep beautiful.
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Bring your lunch to school in a lunch box, and ask your parents to
buy food in bulk rather than single-serve packages.
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Care for toys so they will last longer. Then you won't have to replace
them and may give them to someone else when you no longer want them.
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Donate clothes that you have outgrown to a thrift store or someone
smaller than you.
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Encourage others to join you in collect ing glass, newspaper, cans
and plastic containers to be recycled.
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Flatten empty cans, boxes and other contain ers so they don't take
up so much space.
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Get in the habit of turning off the water when you brush your teeth.
Turn it on only to wet your brush and to rinse.
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Help by caring about our wildlife. Never play with matches in the woods.
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Insist on buying products in recyclable containers. That way you can add
them to your recycling collection rather than your garbage collection.
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Walk or walk, ride a bike or scooter from place to place to save energy.
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Keep jars of water in the refrigerator so you won't have to run the tap water
to get it cold.
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Look for the recycled symbol on products before you buy them.
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Make it a habit to cut each six-pack ring. These sometimes wind up
in our lakes, rivers or streams and wildlife can get caught in them
and die.
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Never litter.
Always put your trash in a trash can, and recyclables
in their bins.
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Open the blinds in the winter to let in the sun for warmth. Close
blinds in the summer to keep out the warmth.
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Plant a tree to stop soil erosion, give you shade and give birds
a home.
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Quit buying products that have a lot of unnecessary packaging.
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Reduce the amount of water you use to keep clean. Take showers, not
baths.
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Save energy by asking your parents to turn down the thermostat. You
can put on more clothes to stay warm. A few degrees, will save a lot of
energy.
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Turn off lights if you are the last person to leave a room. Turn
off appliances if you are not using them.
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Use products inside to be used many times, such as sponges or cloth
towels.
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Value and appreciate your Earth. Realize that you can make a difference,
and be proud of your contribution.
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Watch what you pour down the drain. Hazardous household products
can get into the ground water and pollute your drinking water.
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eXamine labels before using products. Use hazardous ones sparingly.
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Yearn to do what you can to help our environmentment. Grow up to
be an adult who takes an interest in saving the Earth.
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Zip to close doors and windows if they are opened when the heater
or air conditioner is on.
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*** For more information, call:
Indiana Department of Environment Management (IDEM)
P.O. Box 6015
Indianopolis, IN 46206-6015
(800) 451-6027
(317) 232-8603
IDEM Online http://www.ai.org/idem
How to make a difference from A to Z
1990 Universal Press Syndicate. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
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