Resources
Caring for the Earth
From Operation Green Team, Embassy Helsinki
Taking care of the Earth may sound complicated, but there are many simple steps that each of us can take to save energy and reduce our impact on the planet.
Steps We Can All Take
• Drive less (walk more –it’s good for your heart and the planet)
• Stay close to home for vacations
• Use public transportation
• Turn off lights and appliances (don’t simply rely on “stand-by” features)
• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs
• Recycle
• Save water
• Let dishes and clothes air dry
• Boil water with the lid on the pan
• Plant a tree
• Encourage your government to support alternative energy research and development projects
• Be a good steward of the Earth and encourage others to do the same
Operation Green Team
The U.S. Embassy in Helsinki has initiated a wide-reaching environmental project called “Operation Green Team”. Embassy personnel have redoubled their efforts to improve the environment by saving energy, reducing waste and recycling materials.
Download Student Materials
Understanding that students have a huge positive impact on preserving the environment and tackling climate change, the U.S. Embassy in Finland has an exciting set of materials (in Finnish) that provide students with practical exercises covering sustainable development and climate change in a science-based way. Originally developed by GLOBE UK, we have widely distributed these materials on CD ROM to Finnish schools participating in the GLOBE Program. The five sustainable development areas the materials cover are energy, waste, transportation, biodiversity, and water. You can download a PDF copy of these materials below for your own use:
Kestävä Kehitys -- Opettajan Opas (PDF - 251 kB)
Kestävä Kehitys -- Oppilaan Opas (PDF - 735 kB)
(Also available in English and MS Word format on request.)
Additional Resources
You may also find the following additional resources helpful:
Energy Hogs: http://www.energyhog.org/childrens.htm
What Can You Do? – EPA Site: http://epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/index.html http://epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/actionsteps.html
Climate Change for Kids: http://epa.gov/climatechange/kids/index.html