My grandmother used to tell me that the best thing that you can do when you are faced with a problem is to just sit down, grab yourself a Coke, and do some thinking. Action is always better than reaction. Too many of the world’s problems are caused by rushing into something before we give ourselves time to think. The things we do today will affect our future – but most importantly the future of our children. If we taught our children at an early age to think things through before reacting, maybe we would not be facing some of the problems we are faced with today. Our kids can do a lot of things, but unfortunately we tend to leave them out. Let’s step in and start discussions with them about the world. Let’s teach them how to be better people and how they can get involved with important issues. And in these particularly hard times, why don’t we make the time to sit down with them, grab a Coke, and do some serious thinking.

Despite the warning label on batteries, household cleaners, and other various items, many people still throw things out that they aren’t supposed to. These items then end up in the landfills, their toxins seeping into our drinking water and evaporating into the air. Not good! So instead of throwing out these things, why not find a recycling center near you? Earth911.com is a great resource for finding places to dispose of these items. It allows you to type in what you would like to recycle and finds the nearest recycling center for that specific item. I was surprised to find that there were so many of these places that would recycle my old stuff! Here is a small list of things that you should find a special recycling center for:

• Batteries
• Light Bulbs
• Household Cleaners
• Medicine
• Gasoline
• Paint and paint thinners

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Duckey Eco-Essay Contest. We received so many wonderful entries and were blown away by the creativity! From polar bears to krill to clownfish. From super digging to laser beams to telekinesis. There were so many interesting characters and inventive superpowers! Your thoughts on why it’s important to save the world’s oceans and environments were amazing to read. I’m glad so many of you recognize that the world needs our help! We will be announcing the winner and finalists within the next week so stay tuned!

It’s that time of year again. School’s out and already the kids are complaining that they are bored. Instead of parking them in front of their TV or video games, how about planning environmental activities that are so fun that they won’t even realize they’re educational. Here are a few ideas that will get you and the kids out of the house and active in the environment:

• Plant a garden. It doesn’t have to be huge, but a small plot of land that they plow and plant with vegetables of their choice will give them a sense of entitlement and responsibility.
• Adopt a park. If the kids have a certain park that they love going to, have them “adopt” it and take care of it. Help them to pick up litter here so that their park can stay beautiful and clean.
• Recycle. Teach them what items can be recycled and the benefits of recycling. Label separate waste bins to sort out different recyclable items like paper, glass, and plastic. Challenge them to fill their bins by the end of the week and let them keep the change that they get when they take it to the recycling center!
• Have a yard sale. Instead of throwing away old stuff that will just clog our landfills, have a yard sale (or better yet, donate these things to a local church or thrift shop). Have your kids choose the toys and clothes that they don’t use anymore and let them be your helper during the sale. They will be amazed at how much of their “old” stuff can be repurposed by other people.

Stay tuned for more summer environmental activities and ideas that you can do with your kids this summer!

Now here’s something the Ocean Protectors would be proud to hear: NASA scientists have found a way to turn ocean temperatures and tides into electricity! The ocean’s tides and temperature allow the scientists to capture a high-pressure fluid, which can then be turned into electricity on land. There are already many different methods used to turn tides into power, but NASA’s method would be able to work on a much larger scale and would also catch more “energy” from the water’s temperature. I’m glad that NASA scientists are looking for alternate energy sources because contrary to what a lot of people think, our energy sources will not last forever. We are using them up at a rapid rate. Since the ocean’s tides are so powerful and its temperatures fluctuating so much, this hydrokinetic energy idea seems like it could be a realistic solution to our energy crisis. Let’s hope that this clean and renewable energy source concept works and can be implemented without harming our marine life!

It’s safe to say that times are tough. The stock market keeps falling. Houses now sit on the market for months. And families are finding it increasingly difficult to make their money stretch. While it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle of these dismal times, we shouldn’t lose track of the one thing that means the most. It’s not our cars, houses or our money. It’s family. I know it may not seem like it now, but this recession is a valuable learning experience, one that will better our families and make them stronger. Instead of sheltering the kids from it, take time to explain to them what is going on in the world around them so that they are able to respect the things that they do have. Spend time with them and show them that while the news may seem to stress the importance of the housing market, stock market, and the value of a dollar, it’s really a strong family system that counts. An old Burmese proverb put it best: “When in test, family is best.”