Transforming the U.S. into a global leader in sustainability won’t be a quick process. For any transformation to take place, business and government sectors need to be highly active, but support and actions from the public is where the change truly begins to take shape. While at the outset altering habits and behaviors can seem like a tall task, there are a number of easy, cost-free actions that anyone can engage in to help kick start the process. One of these actions has started to gain some support. It’s a movement called Meatless Monday.
Meatless Monday is a non-profit, grassroots initiative with the ultimate goal of reducing participants’ meat consumption by 15%. The campaign’s website provides a little bit of context, “Presidents Wilson, Truman, and Roosevelt galvanized the nation with voluntary meatless days during both world wars. Our intention is to revitalize this American tradition.” There are numerous health benefits associated with eating less meat such as reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease and combating obesity. Along with these, there are quite a few sustainability benefits to be gained as well. The meat production industry has one of the biggest environmental footprints of any industry.
The average time people would stay in their homes used to be 3-5 years, but with the housing market and economy a new trend has emerged. With declining house values and stringent financing homeowners are making the decision to change how they live rather than change where they live. Instead of moving, they are staying put and turning their existing home into their dream home.
If you are going to go through the remodeling process why not add features that will pay you back? For instance change out your existing shower heads with high-efficiency shower heads and you will save $300 per year for $180 initial investment. Check out this awesome infographic done by One Block Off the Grid for other great money saving tips.
The modern digital landscape in which we live has shown us that new methods of reaching our young people are needed. We are now in an age where kids master the ins and outs of their parent’s smart phone before perfecting their penmanship. Having the ability to adapt to the rapidly changing electronic status quo is an absolute must when it comes to education, and in particular, lessons of sustainability.
” http://sed-net.com/faqsOne wind turbine can produce enough electricity to power up to 300 homes.
Educating America’s youth about the importance of sustainable living is something we care about deeply. However, it’s a bit contradictory to teach students about conserving resources and minimizing waste when the academic campuses in which they learn are huge consumers of energy with large carbon footprints.
From Carrington College comes this Renewable Energy infographic, detailing our dwindling resources and the future of power. “In just one hour, the Sun provides enough power to meet the world’s energy needs for a year.”
As a very late Gen X-er (I missed the Millennials by two years) I consider myself an average user of technology. This knowledge was not learned in classrooms as it is today. My elementary class would walk to the computer lab shared by the entire school and we would complete a series of steps that would draw a square on our black and white monitor. We were amazed! A few “decades” later, I have a co-worker showing me a video on his iPhone of his 8 month-old playing the piano on his iPad. Learning continues to evolve as fast as technology; this article discusses the 10 major mobile trends to watch for.
“Teachers and administrators have been bringing technology into the classroom for decades now, but with the advent of cloud computing and the proliferation of smaller, more portable computers and Internet-capable devices, it’s now possible to bring the classroom into the technology instead.”
Please take a moment to read an article I found oh-so-helpful, covering location-based integration, online class management, the domination of ebooks, cloud computing in schools, online collaborative learning, the rise of the tablet, and social media for education. From OnlineCollege.org, 10 Major Mobile Learning Trends to Watch For.
-Gina B.
