Posts in “Recycling” Category

Phenomenal Friday Fact

Six creative classrooms across the United States are vying to win the "Find Your Footprint" contest. Vote for your favorite finalist of the in-school conservation program which inspires students to make their schools and homes more environmentally friendly.

Winners will receive five Promethean ActivBoard interactive whiteboards, five sets of 32 ActivExpressions learner response systems, up to $1,000 worth of award-winning atlases, books, and more. Plus, every student in the winning class receives a one-year subscription of National Geographic Kids Magazine.

The voting period has now ended, but check back soon for the Grand-Prize Winning School!

Nearly 160 million greeting cards will be purchased for Valentine's Day this year, according to the Greeting Card Association, and that doesn't even include the packaged Valentine's Day cards kids exchange at school. This year, why not send an e-card instead and encourage your friends and family to do the same? This will save a lot of trees and reduce trash in the landfill.

Create your own Valentine's Day e-card featuring Zipper and his friend, Snaps!

Don't forget to recycle any paper cards and envelopes you receive or use them in other projects, like this Tissue Paper Flower craft.

National Geographic Adventure has chosen their ten Adventurers of the Year. Readers are now encouraged to vote for their favorites for the People's Choice Adventurer of the Year. One of the adventurers is David de Rothschild, who sailed across the Pacific Ocean in a boat built out of recycled, intact plastic bottles. The boat, named Plastiki, would draw attention to the problem of plastic waste in the ocean.

David hopes that his journey inspires people to take action and save the oceans. "I like to think of Plastiki as a metaphor for action. We built a boat out of plastic bottles and sailed it across the Pacific. Let's apply the same ingenuity and hard work to the ocean's problems."

What was your best adventure in 2010? Leave a comment below and tell us!

Read about all of the 2010 nominees, then vote for your favorite on National Geographic Adventure.

Want to read more about kids having adventures? Check out the Hands-On Explorer blog.


Photograph by the Plastiki Crew

On July 26, Plastiki's journey came to an end when the boat reached the harbor in Sydney, Australia. The trip took four months to complete, and Plastiki traveled for 8,000 nautical miles. David de Rothschild and his crew thank everyone who tracked Plastiki's voyage online.

Read about the end of Plastiki's journey and learn more about the boat, which is made of reused plastics and aluminum.

Read an interview with David on National Geographic Kids.


Photograph by Patrick Riviere courtesy the Plastiki Expedition/Adventure Ecology

After veering slightly off course, the Plastiki reached land on the island of Upolu in Western Samoa. David de Rothschild and Plastiki's crew will chill out, shower, and sleep in beds in the port city of  Apia before continuing their journey to Sydney, Australia.

Be sure to check out the Plastiki updates and learn about the boat, which is made of reused plastics and aluminum.

Read the Wayward and Windward blog post to find out what the locals use plastic bottles for!

Find out about Adventure Ecology.

The Plastiki is a 60-foot (18-meter) catamaran made of over 12,000 plastic bottles, as well as other recyclable plastic. The Plastiki will sail from San Francisco, California to Sydney, Australia. National Geographic Explorer David de Rothschild and his crew hope to raise awareness of plastic waste in the ocean, as well as to raise interest in using waste in new ways. Even though plastic bottles are recyclable, only about one fifth of them end up in the recycling bin. The rest end up in landfills.

Follow the journey and learn more about the catamaran.

Learn about Adventure Ecology.

Read an interview with David de Rothschild on National Geographic Kids.


Photograph courtesy Adventure Ecology

Plastic bags clog streams and waterways, and one city decided to take action against this menace. On January 1, 2010, Washington, D.C. became the first city in the U.S. to add a 5-cent fee for plastic bags for food and carryout. Most of the money raised by the new law and the "Skip the Bag, Save the River" campaign will go to the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Fund to educate people and clean up the river. The remainder will go to the affected businesses.

What do you think of the new law in Washington, D.C.? Does your family bring reusable bags to the store?

Watch a video of 'Bag the Bag' on National Geographic Kids.
 
Take the No Plastic Pledge!


Photo courtesy District Department of the Environment. Learn more at http://green.dc.gov/bags.

New Year's Eve is fun, but don't be an environmental party pooper when you celebrate. All those disposable party plates, napkins, and decorations go straight from your overflowing trash can into landfills. so celebrate the New Year and the planet by throwing an Earth-friendly party. Then ring in 2010 with a recycled noisemaker you can create using items around your home.


Eco-Party Tips

-Hang biodegradable crepe paper streamers around your house.

-Drink sparkling cider from glasses instead of disposable cups.

-Trade fluorescent party lights for energy efficient LED lights.

-Encourage your friends to share rides to your New Year's Eve party.

-Make a New Year's resolution to be more eco-conscious in 2010.

By Kristin Hunt

The poor neighborhoods of Cairo are harnessing the power of the sun and microbes to find new sources of energy in the city. Since 2003, Thomas "T.H." Culhane, an urban planner and NG Emerging Explorer has been working on these projects with a nonprofit called Solar CITIES.

Using simple materials and waste from kitchens, he and Solar CITIES have installed 34 solar water heating systems and five biogas reactors to help residents get clean energy in their homes.

(Pictured: Solar CITIES project leader T.H. Culhane (right) and organization intern Omar Nagy stand next to a solar-powered water heater.)

Learn more about the Solar CITIES project on National Geographic News.

Play Recycle Roundup.