subject: Which Environmental Initiatives Can Make A Difference? [print this page] Teaching young people right from wrong is basic parenting and responsibility for ensuring that this is not only taught but also instilled does not only lie with the parents but also with schools and with society as a whole. The principles of right and wrong create endless offshoots which children and young people are both taught and pick up from older people, things like how to deal with differences of opinion, how to debate healthily on difficult subjects and how to be understanding and tolerant of cultural, religious and ethnic differences. These same principles apply to the environment, how to treat the environment and not to take anything for granted and in some ways, these are as difficult to implement as social initiatives are.
What do we mean by environmental initiatives? These are long term programmes that are set up to encourage changes in behaviour and thinking, nurturing and developing young people who have a dedication and understanding of their local environment and know how to look after it and how to behave to ensure a healthy and happy future. These programmes can be anything, from those which encourage people to walk to school, to implementing recycling facilities in schools and creating green schools that rely on sustainable energy sources and lead the way in teaching pupils to recycle, conserve energy and realise the preciousness of natural resources.
All of these environmental initiatives can make a huge difference just as long as theyre implemented in a way which engages children and captures their imaginations, after all, as Irish poet and prose writer William Butler Yeats once said, education is lighting a fire, not filling a bucket. If businesses and society as a whole can inspire young people by being passionate and believable and setting up interactive programmes in local communities across the country rather than preach endlessly, theres a real sense of hope for the future of Britains environment.
Walking to school rather than being driven is a simple and effective way for families to reduce the size of their carbon footprint as well as creating healthier children who take regular exercise and enjoy fresh air no matter what the weather. Visits to farms show children exactly how the food they eat ends up on their plates which allows them to make informed choices on the meat and eggs that they eat based on the living conditions of the animals in question. They can also see how crops are grown and how things like cereals and bread are made in the UK and the importance of buying fresh and local produce which is in season. This is by no means an exhaustive list and there are many ways in which children can get involved in environmental initiatives across the UK.
