While on the move this month, whether it be in a car, bus, truck, plane or train, we encourage you think about the impact you are making on the world around you.

The Indiana Department of Education created this site to give you tips on how to make more environmentally friendly choices when it comes to getting where you are going. You will find facts, figures and statistics on current transportation usage as well as school project ideas for students of all ages. Also, you will see what other Indiana schools are doing to reduce harmful emissions through transportation.

Although this is the Learn Green, Live Green theme for January, we encourage you to be conscious of your impact on the environment when traveling all year round.

Did you know each year the United States generates approximately 230 million tons of trash? That would fill a convoy of garbage trucks long enough to wrap around the Earth six times and reach halfway to the moon!

Changing your daily habits is the key. So next time you shop, work or play, think of ways you can minimize your waste. Not only can you reduce the impact you are making on the environment, but many ideas help save money at the same time.

Click on our tips link to find out more ways you can reduce waste. And don’t forget to look at the school projects page to find creative ways to learn about reducing solid waste and reusing everyday items.

There are a lot of things you can do. So, start reducing your waste, reusing trash and rethinking everything before discarding it.

Everyone knows you can recycle paper, bottles and aluminum cans, but did you know you can recycle cell phones, inkjet printer cartridges, used batteries and even old computers? Recycling turns what would otherwise be waste into something useful.

For recycling to work and really make a positive difference, everyone must participate. The best way to get into the habit of recycling is to make it part of your daily routine. Be sure to recycle at home, school, work and while away. If your school or work doesn’t have a recycling program, look into creating one or find out what is already available in your area. And remember, every little bit helps.

Recycling doesn’t just mean reusing materials, but also being conscious of what you buy. Not only should you recycle your used products, but be sure to buy recycled products whenever possible.

Check out our tips to see how you can make recycling a part of your daily routine and don’t forget to click on the Spotlight to see what other schools across the state are already doing to be more environmentally conscious when it comes to recycling.

April is traditionally a month set aside to celebrate the Earth and all its natural resources. The following is a list of weeks and days to mark on your calendar:

National Environmental Education Week – April 13-19

Earth Day – April 22

Arbor Day – April 30

Also, the entire month has been designated the First Annual Children & Nature Awareness Month by the Children & Nature Network. To coincide with all these exciting Earth-friendly events, the Indiana Department of Education’s focus for April is Renew.

This month, we ask students, parents, educators and members of local communities across the state to learn more about renewable resources and natural energy sources. Find out what renewable resources are used or produced in your area and how they benefit the Earth versus using non-renewable resources.

So, what is a renewable resource? A natural resource that can be used to benefit people and can then be replaced for other people to enjoy is called a renewable resource. Natural resources are riches provided by the Earth, naturally and abundantly. Natural resources include land, plants, minerals and water.

Renewable resources can be used as natural energy sources and replenished in a short period of time. The five renewable sources used most often are biomass, hydropower (water), geothermal, wind and solar. Renewable energy is typically clean energy that does not produce greenhouse gases.

Indiana is seeing an exciting time for adding renewable energy sources. Benton County is one example. A large wind farm is set to open in May. This wind farm will offer Earth friendly power to local utility companies to not only lower energy costs, but reduce harmful greenhouse emissions. To see photos and read more about Benton County’s Wind Farm, visit www.earlparkindiana.com/windfarm.html.

Also, many schools in Indiana are using geothermal energy to heat and cool buildings. To learn more about how geothermal energy works and which schools in our state use this renewable resource, click on the Spotlight link to the right.

If renewable resources are not used in your area, then remember to do your part by helping to conserve energy. Click through the links to the right to learn more about renewable resources and natural energy sources. Get fun facts and ideas for creative projects and lesson plans – in and out of the classroom.

Also, don’t forget to keep recycling, reusing products and using more environmentally friendly transportation. Do your part by just being conscious of your actions.

Eliminating pests the Earth-friendly way

Spring has arrived, and with that, come the insects and other critters. You may see insects, spiders and other bugs as pests, but did you know that many of these benefit us? Take the honey bee for example. Yes, they sting, but did you know that our food supply could diminish without them? It’s true! Honey bees are responsible for pollinating one-third of all the food we eat. Honey bees are only one example of a beneficial organism. This month, the Indiana Department of Education is encouraging Hoosiers to learn more about these helpful creatures. That is why the Learn Green, Live Green focus for May is titled “Nature’s Partners.”

What is a beneficial organism?
Beneficial organisms, also referred to as “beneficials” and “beneficial insects,” are insects and other critters that help us. They include organisms that pollinate crops, produce useful products or kill harmful organisms that damage crops, sting, bite or spread disease. These organisms act as nature’s own pest control. Predators, parasites and pollinators are the most important beneficial organisms. A few well-known examples of beneficial insects include the honey bee, ladybug, praying mantis and ground beetle.

How do they help the environment?
The most common way to get rid of pests today is by using pesticides. Pesticides are any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest. Pesticides are useful to society because they can kill potential disease-causing organisms and control insects, weeds and other pests. By their very nature, though, most pesticides create some risk of harm. This harm can be to humans, animals or the environment because pesticides are designed to kill or otherwise adversely affect living organisms. Also, pesticides not only kill the “bad bugs,” they rub out the “good bugs,” too. Beneficial organisms, as well as bio-based pesticides, or biopesticides, are great alternatives to get rid of unwanted pests, and they pose less risk than pesticides.

Beneficial organisms at home/in the classroom
You can use beneficial organisms at home. When planting your garden this spring, do a little more research and see if beneficial organisms will work to help keep your plants healthy and your flowers bright. Don’t forget, our tips and fun facts links are always a great way to start learning more right now. Also, our school projects page can help teachers and students learn more about beneficial organisms while in the classroom.

Keep up the “green” work
Although this month’s focus is Nature’s Partners, we still encourage Hoosiers to keep up with all the other Learn Green, Live Green initiatives such as recycling, reducing waste, using renewable resources and choosing more environmentally-friendly transportation. For more information on our past initiatives, click through the different months on each of the tabs or go to our Recycle Bin. Don’t forget to check out what schools across the state are doing to “go green” by clicking on the Spotlights page.

Reducing air pollution is healthy for Hoosiers and the Earth

Breathing clean air helps us to stay healthy. Often, though, many of us take clean air for granted. Ensuring the air quality for us, and generations to come, requires everyone to step up and take action to prevent air pollution. That is why this month’s Learn Green, Live Green initiative is titled “Breathe Easy.” We encourage all Hoosiers to be more conscious of the pollutants being emitted into the air from everyday activities such as driving an automobile.

What is air pollution?
Air pollution comes from many different sources. Common sources include emissions from cars, buses, trucks, factories, power plants, harmful aerosol spray cans and fires. Air pollution is not only harmful to humans, but can cause serious damage to trees, animals, lakes and crops. It can also cause harm to the ozone layer.

The effects of air pollution can be seen and felt. Pollution in the air can cause haze, reducing visibility in national parks and wilderness areas. There are both short-term and long-term effects from air pollution on the environment. Acid rain, global warming, smog and the depletion of the ozone layer are just a few of the most alarming results of pollution. Air pollution also poses a significant human health risk, causing serious respiratory and other illnesses.

Indoor air pollution
When people think about air pollution, many picture smog-filled cities, but did you know that air pollution can also exist inside homes and other buildings, such as schools? In the United States, we spend about 80 to 90 percent of our time inside buildings, so our exposure to harmful indoor pollutants can be serious. Some of these indoor pollutants can be created by indoor activities such as smoking and cooking.

What can we do?
The effects of air pollution have serious implications for our health and well-being as well as for the whole environment. Ozone levels are expected to peak this year from June 16-30. To combat this, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) is hosting a two-week Ozone Knockout to reduce air pollution and encourage Hoosiers to be especially conscious of their driving habits and energy usage during this time. To learn more about the Ozone Knockout, visit www.idem.IN.gov.

To learn how to do your part in reducing harmful emissions on a daily basis, click on our Tips link to the right. To gauge your progress, we encourage you to calculate your carbon footprint and see if your efforts reduce that calculation during the next month. To calculate your carbon footprint, visit www.islandwood.org/kids/impact/footprint.php, and follow the directions.

Keep up the “green” work
Although this month’s focus is Breathe Easy, we still encourage Hoosiers to keep up with all the other Learn Green, Live Green initiatives such as recycling, reducing waste, using renewable resources, choosing more environmentally-friendly transportation and learning more about beneficial organisms. For more information on our past initiatives, click through the different months on each of the tabs or go to our Recycle Bin. Don’t forget to check out what schools across the state are doing to “go green” by clicking on the Spotlights page.

Conservation leads to a healthy planet

Summer is here. That means family vacations, barbeques and lots of outdoor activities. Although you may be away from home, it doesn’t mean you can’t continue to live environmentally friendly. That is why the Indiana Department of Education, through the Learn Green, Live Green initiative, encourages Hoosiers to “tread lightly” throughout July.

What does it mean to tread lightly?
Every choice you make contributes to the health of our planet – good or bad. The best decision you can make is to leave as little behind as possible and make the least impact on the Earth – or tread lightly. The best way to tread lightly is to conserve, whether it’s conserving energy, water or the amount of waste you produce. While out and about on vacation or during summer activities, we encourage all Hoosiers to be more conscious of reducing the negative impact they have on our planet.

Make the effort
It’s easy to grab paper plates, paper towels and disposable containers for that picnic in the park, but deciding to take reusable products – even cloth napkins – can make a world of difference when it comes to conserving energy and reducing waste. If you have no other choice than disposable items, be sure to recycle your waste when finished. If there isn’t a recycling bin close, take your items back home and put them in your own recycling bin.

Get outside
The best way to get excited about conservation is to learn more about nature, and the best way to learn more about nature is to study it up close. You don’t have to have a forest or lake nearby to study our planet, just go outside. The local park, or even your own backyard, is a great place to start. Check out some books from your local library to learn more about nature and how you can protect it.

Learn more
Our Tips and Fun Facts links to the right will provide numerous ideas on how you can conserve, or tread lightly, and start this summer off right by staying “green.” Also, be sure to click through our School Projects link to find fun projects you can do to learn more about going green. The Reading List and Online Resources will help you find books and Web sites to help keep you on track while you have fun in the sun this July.