Think Globally Act Locally | The Power Of R

It’s amazing how many batteries we actually use. It seems like everything these days is powered by a battery of some kind. Laptops, ipods, cameras, toys, flashlights, and watches are used in many households. The scary thing is that these amazing technologies, that fuel our appetite for batteries, are filling our landfills with poisons.  I’m not saying stop using electronics but I am saying let’s make sure that the dead batteries that run our gadgets stay far away from the landfill.

I found a few old batteries in my garage. You’ve likely seen old batteries before but it only adds to my point of being diligent with your disposal practices. Batteries contain different chemicals that can cause explosions and even burn holes in your skin. That’s not pretty. The batteries here in the picture are the most common sizes. Billions of them enter landfills each year around the world. I don’t know about you but that freaks me right out.

When a battery goes in the landfill it doesn’t take long before its metal casing gets crushed by heavy objects, it rusts in the rain, and then corrodes enough to release the toxic paste inside. The toxic paste dissolves into rain and ground water. Once the poison is in the water, animals and humans might drink it and contract cancer or sickness from the dissolved poison crystals.  

Collect your old batteries in a cardboard box and make sure that they don’t get thrown into the landfill. If you go to a school that has a battery collection program make sure you support it. Tell your friends and family about the dangers of batteries in the landfill. Once your battery box is full or every six months, take the dead batteries to your local Waste Management Centre recycling area. You don’t want to have batteries like the ones in the picture above lying around your home.

I’m really proud of all the schools that are participating in this program. Keep up the great work!

Southgate Middle School has been a real focus for me this year. So far I have presented to over 10 different classes there on various topics and given multiple leadership workshops.  Southgate has been battling a tough mentality around the school that produces more than desirable amounts of litter in the schoolyard. Building a greater sense pride in ownership of the school is important to all of us. We don’t like spending our day surrounded in garbage. It was high time to get serious and rethink the solid waste that is literally making mountains around us at the school yard and in our community.

Good inroads are being made around the school and kids are feeling more empowered to engage the problem of litter head on, in and out of the school. When our consumption habits are compounded by irresponsible waste management, scary things happen around the world.  There is currently a giant island of plastic that is twice the size of Texas spinning around in the Pacific Ocean. This is affecting sea life and our life by getting into the food chain and poisoning the environment. The amount of garbage that makes its way to the ocean is staggering. Over 2 million water bottles are being consumed and tossed every 5 minutes in the United States, and over 4 million coffee cups are being thrown away each day in Canada. Although most of these items sadly end up in our landfills, a percentage of them also make their way to the ocean after being carried by rainwater. Even a small percentage is a huge amount when you’re dealing with numbers like that. That’s why litter is such concern. It’s time to fall in love with tap water and travel mugs permanently. The students at Southgate are now making the move to clean up “the swamp.” Go Gators Go!

“You totally had kid’s attention the entire time – and that says something for Middle School kids. Your knowledge and passion were passed along effectively. The kids really remembered what you said and took to heart your thoughts and ideas.”  - Marjorie George – Teacher

Litter is also a concern for Highland Secondary’s Eco-Team. Highland has been working hard to manage garbage awareness along Guthrie in Comox. Irresponsible customers and the introduction of new fast-food chains on Guthrie have amplified the amount of litter alongside of the road.  Plastic cups and plastic wrappers are making their way into the dairy farm field that spans the stretch between Anderton and Pritchard. It may not seem like a big deal at first glance, but it is… it’s a very big deal. Each year the farmer cuts his field for silage (a fermented grass that is used to feed cows) and sometimes plastic based litter hides in the grass when it’s cut. This plastic gets chopped up and eventually is eaten by dairy cows on the farm. Cows are a ruminant animal, which means that they have multiple stomachs. Any plastic in their food can actually kill them because it lodges between their stomachs and plugs their digestive system. Dairy cows, or any cow for that matter, can get sick and die because people are littering. It’s a major problem that can be easily solved with common sense and diligence. Hold your friends accountable the next time they litter anywhere. You are the solution that the world is waiting for.

This  February and March I had the distinct pleasure of teaching an entire Social Studies 11 Environment Unit to Jouska Lockquell’s Mark R. Isfeld class. This experience was a real honour and thrill for me because I was able to work with youth for six consecutive classes and cover an intense survey of international, regional and local environmental issues involving solid waste, water and pesticides. By the end of the unit, we were taking individual action to better the planet in some way. There were letters written, phone calls made, projects planned and positive strides being made to heal the earth. The experience was amazing and I’m having a hard time finding the words to describe it. After looking over the feedback from the students, I think they say it best. Here are some comments.

“I thought your presentations were very effective and fascinating. There were many things that I learned that changed my point of view in many ways. The presentations definitely made me want to look at ways to make a change. I liked your sense of humour and the fact that you had everyone involved in the discussions.”

 “Your presentation has made me a bit of a paranoid angry mess, and I love that. I have never been so aware of what is going on around me. I have been recycling like mad, and spending my time more wisely. By that I mean not shopping when I’m bored or to make myself feel good. Thank you so much!!!”

“Your teaching style ensured that I will remember this for a long time.”

“I felt that your overall class lessons were superb.”

“I enjoyed the unit because it was presented in a way that made me understand. You definitely know how to get us thinking and get us excited to change something.”

“I enjoyed this unit immensely, thanks so much for coming! I quite enjoyed learning where my clothes were made and how I can shop smart and reduce cotton poison in India.”

“Thanks for sharing your knowledge and stories with us! I thought you did a great job sharing/showing all the different things that go on that we don’t know a lot about. I don’t really think there is much you could improve on. You were really easy to talk and listen to! It was really inspiring!”

“I really like how you could connect with us and keep us engaged. After your presentations I always feel like I have the power, and your personal experiences and movie clips you made showed me that everything is attainable.”

“You were really interesting; you have a good style of teaching.”

“I really enjoyed the story about the Air Jordans. It made me realize how even simple changes in our lifestyles can change the lives of people all around the world.”

“I very much enjoyed these presentations. Your passion is contagious, and many conversations with my friends have opened from the issues you raised in this unit. I can honestly say that I am more knowledgeable now…”