Green Child Magazine Back-to-School 2012 | Page 70

One Family’s Commitment
to the Environment

before we made a commitment to the environment. I truly believe that’s where we started to
make a difference.

electricity used to power electronics is consumed by products that are plugged in but
not switched on.

Here are some of the changes we made:

These are simple things, but when children
grow up with an awareness that even small
things they do make an impact, they realize that they are indeed powerful. Powerful
enough to change the world for the better, one
simple act at a time.

• No more plastic bottles! We now love using
glass bottles with an outer sleeve that protects the bottles if they fall. We tote these
along everywhere we go. I also bring these
up to the kid’s rooms when they get thirsty
at bedtime because they’re safer than a glass
of water that can get knocked down and
break.
• Turn off all lights when you’re not using
them. My son got so vigilant with this one
that he left me sitting in the dark on more
than one occasion!

Mary O’Donohue is a mother of two and author
of the children’s book, When You Say “Thank
You,” Mean It. In addition to writing, Mary is
a successful television producer. Her experience
includes having worked on The Today Show,
Meet The Press, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

• Unplug cell phone chargers from the wall
outlet when you’re not actually charging
your phone.
• Turn off the water when you’re brushing
your teeth. So simple, but isn’t it great that
even a five year old brushing his teeth after
breakfast every morning can start the day
knowing he can do something good for the
environment?
• Turn off the TV when you leave the room.
My dad used to tell me this when I was a
kid, and it’s still sound advice. Even better,
use a power strip for TVs and other appliances, and turn it off at night and when
you leave the house. According to the U.S.
Department of Energy, almost 75% of the
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Turn off all
lights when
you’re not
using them!