With today’s increase in the urgency of environmental issues, such as the energy shortage, waste disposal and climate changes, it is essential to educate today’s younger generations.
By doing so they will be able to face up to the challenging problems our planet is facing. Today’s children will be tomorrow’s adults, it is therefore important they fully understand the possible outcomes of bad management of the worlds natural resources.
The rate at which our world is developing, today’s children will surely be faced with serious issues in the future.
Raising consciousness about environmental issues doesn’t simply involve a lesson or two, it implies a whole new way of thinking.
Children have to be taught to live through each day of their lives with a consciousness about the environment.
The easiest way to begin is at home. Start with educating them on water and energy conservation and recycling.
Remind your child to turn of appliances such as the television, when nobody is watching it, the light in a room when he or she leaves, among other things.
Water conservation can be taught by urging your children to turn off the tap when brushing their teeth or during showers.
Recycling can be taught by explaining which rubbish article must go where and why. Explain to your children what happens once these bottles or cans arrive at the recycling plant, there are plenty of online games for children, which explain these issues making them fun!
Another way to help them become conscious of their environment is by starting a compost pile in the garden.
Here you can teach them what they can and cannot add to the compost pile, and explain why this is another interesting lesson for them.
Obviously what your children do at home is only the beginning. Children are involved in many outdoor activities in school and other places.
Here, as well they must be led to understand the importance of the environment they work and play in.
The environmental issue should also be introduced in the classrooms by teachers, who may also use the many computer programs and websites dedicated to environmental consciousness.
Games can also be played outdoors to teach the children how to be more aware of how they treat the planet they live on.
In some schools these issues are studied in further depth as part of a geographical study, teaching the children why it is so important to recycle our waste, the effect pollution has on our planet and air and how it could affect our lives in the future.
