The Energy to Change

2008 is on the way out and 2009 is almost upon us. What better time is there to reflect upon ways we can all make the world a better place in the coming year? Consider, for example, peace on earth and sustainability. A big step toward making our planet a more tolerable place for children, living things, and other, equally interested parties, is making more informed, better use of resources. We, all of us--administrators, teachers, media specialists, students, parents, community members--need to know how much energy we're using. WattzOn is a website that helps users calculate the amount of power needed to support all aspects of a chosen lifestyle. Before ringing in the new year, pause to consider how and why we can all reduce energy consumption and get a handle on climate change.


Related links:

• It's later than you think. Take a look at Worldclock and you'll see why.
  

What a Difference a Day Makes: Superfund365

What do your students know--if anything--about the world they're poised to inherit? Sure, they're filing into a high school class to meet state requirements for their education but how much do they know about the environment they'll one day be responsible for safeguarding? Do they care? Do your students know where the presidential candidates stand on environmental issues? What about their parents? What about you?

Even if you don't teach Environmental Science make a point to check out Superfund365. Why? Each day since September 1, 2007, Superfund365 has been visiting a toxic site currently active in the Superfund program run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This unsettling online archive consists of almost a years worth of visualizations of some of the worst toxic sites in the United States. That's somewhere around a quarter of the total number--YIKES!--on the Superfund's National Priorities List (NPL).