ecology4me
Registered: December 2008
City/Town/Province: Livermore
Posts: 1
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There is a reoccurring phrase in my favorite TV show: “Save the cheerleader, save the world.” While it is a purely fictional show, about superheroes facing a catastrophic event, I cannot help but feel the statement could easily be paraphrased as: “Save the environment, save the world.” With carbon emissions, global warming, and the greenhouse effect, we are slowly killing our world and only home. The environment is so important to us, because we rely on it for everything we do, but how can we expect it to sustain us if we keep polluting it? I believe that each one of us has what it takes to help “save the environment, save the world.” With this in mind, I decided to complete my Girl Scout Gold Award by focusing specifically on recycling awareness for all age groups.
There were three parts to my Gold Award, and each of these parts focused on a different age group. First I concentrated on children by participating in the Oakland Zoo’s Earth Day event. I had a table devoted to games that taught about the importance of recycling; among the most popular was my Recycling ABC board—a “lift the flap” game that revealed a list of recyclable materials for the corresponding letter.
My next project was enlightening my peers on the proper handling/disposal of electronic waste. Since our economy is based on consumerism, as soon as the next iPod nano or iPhone comes out, our old gadgets are thrown away. Old phones and other electronics have toxic waste, which unless properly disposed of, can leak into our ground water. Since teens are the marketing targets of such electronics, I published a consumer awareness flyer in my school newspaper.
The last part of my Gold Award was to put on an Electronic Waste Collection. This was especially important to me because of an article I saw in National Geographic magazine; electronic waste was sent off to depressed countries and piled up next to people’s houses. I was disgusted by the piles of electronic waste, and horrified that families were forced to use it for their living, while at the same time making themselves vulnerable to exposure to the toxic materials. So on May 31st, 2008, I held an Electronic Waste Collection from 8:00 to 4:00. I collected and kept a total of four tons of electronic waste out of our landfills.
I am really proud of my contribution to both the community and the environment, because I feel as though I made an impact in what I did. Not only did I take action by holding an e-waste collection, but I also educated people of all ages on the importance of recycling and proper disposition in order to preserve our environment. We can all take responsibility for our actions and “be heroes” for our world.
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