Girl Scout Promise

On my honor, I will try:
To serve God* and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.
"You must do the thing you think you cannot do."
Eleanor Roosevelt

Monday, April 21, 2008

Going Green for Earth Day

Tuesday, April 22 is Earth Day.
Our Troop is working on a try-it called "Earth is our Home".
To save paper, we decided not to send home any paper or notes today.
Today we made a glass cleaner, picked up trash around the school playground and brought home a pack of seeds to plant at home. To complete this try-it, talk to your girls about ways to recycle at home, ways to save energy and natural cleaning methods. Here are a few facts to consider with your family:
  • Americans will generate 246 million tons of trash this year alone
  • We will throw away 11 million tons of glass bottles and jars
  • 36 billion aluminum cans
  • packaging alone accounts for 33 percent of the trash we make
  • If each of us just lowers the thermostat 2 degrees in wintertime and raises it 2 degrees in summertime, we could each save 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year
  • Every ton of paper that is recycled saves 17 trees
Here are a few websites that you, your Girl Scout and your family may find interesting:

  • http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/human-footprint/
  • http://ww2.earthday.net/
  • http://www.recycling-revolution.com/
At home to complete this try-it if you do not already recycle paper, aluminum, plastic, and/or glass, begin this project with your Girl Scout.

Save energy! Unplug electrical items when not in use. Turn off lights.

Make Clean & Green cleaning products. Today we will have made a Glass Cleaner (which also good on tile or laminate floors). You can also use Baking Soda & water to clean bathroom or kitchen sinks. For a wood polish, combine 2 parts of Olive Oil with 1 part of lemon juice, dip a soft clean rag into mixture and polish away.

And talk to your Girl Scout about what it means to Reduce, Reuse & Recycle.