GO GREEN KIDS & PARENTS MAGAZINE JANUARY 2023

Go green kids & Parents Magazine

Publisher Ggk

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3 easy ways to make a positive impact on our food ecosystem

(BPT) - Our ecosystem consists of many important elements, from plants to insects and animals to water sources. One of the crucial components of our food ecosystem are the honey bees, as they are responsible for the pollination of more than a third of the foods we eat, as well as the production of the honey we enjoy. Whether you're a fearless foodie or just trying to prepare meals the whole family can enjoy, all of us can play a role in protecting honey bees and the beekeepers that care for them.

The National Honey Board is sharing easy ways everyone can do their part in supporting honey bees by incorporating all-natural honey into their day-to-day lives during National Honey Month this September and beyond:

1.

Eat honey and pollinator foods all day long

As an all-natural sweetener, honey can transform and elevate any recipe, from a smoothie made with yogurt, honey and berries (which are pollinated by honey bees), salad dressings to top off your kale salad (also pollinated by honey bees!), to marinades for fish or chicken. There are so many ways to use honey in every meal of the day.

For the occasions you don't have time to cook, you can still support honey bees by purchasing products that are made with honey, like foods, snacks and beverages from likeminded brands such as Justin's, Mary's Gone Crackers, TEAKOE, This Saves Lives, Sprecher Brewery and Tillamook Country Smoker.

2. Make your yard honey bee friendly

There are many easy ways to make your home a haven for honey bees. One easy way is to plant pollinator plants in your backyard - like lavender, poppies or other wildflowers common in your area. This will attract honey bees and keep your backyard looking beautiful. Additionally, DIY your own bee watering hole with a small pot filled with stones and water to help hydrate honey bees - they need water just like humans do!

3. Spread the buzz on supporting honey bees

It is never too early for someone to learn about how they can help support our planet, and make it fun at the same time! Host your own honey bee-themed party for National Honey Month and share with your friends and family all the benefits honey bees have in our lives. Incorporate honey-themed and sustainable décor, like beeswax candles, or create a signature drink that incorporates honey for your guests to enjoy. Lastly, send them home with some sweet honey-infused treats so they can continue supporting pollinators from the comfort of their own home. All of this will sure make for a meaningful and purposeful soiree.

By incorporating these tips into your daily routines, people from all over can help to support these mighty pollinators. The National Honey Board is initiating "Honey Saves Hives," an educational program aimed to bring awareness to the importance of honey bees and their crucial role in the ecosystem at large and global food supply. Consider partaking in these small but mighty initiatives to help support the bees, and as a result, our planet.

P A P E R C R E A T I O N S

W W W G O G R E E N K I D Z O R G W W W . G G K M E D I A . O R G

Spouting off tips to avoid water waste

(BPT) - Drought conditions persist in the Western United States, leading lawmakers to enact measures designed to reduce water consumption by residents. Homeowners are now having to make significant shifts with how they use water and curb waste.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average person uses up to 82 gallons of water a day in their home. Residential water use such as toilet flushing, showering, faucet use and laundry accounts for the majority of this consumption, costing the average homeowner more than $1,000 a year. This everyday use also causes wear and tear on plumbing systems which can lead to leaks in pipes and drains. Up to 10% of water can be lost to leaks, with some not always easy to detect.

"Homeowners should be vigilant in inspecting and fixing any water leaks found around the home, both indoors and outdoors," said Bonnie Lee, vice president of property claims at Mercury Insurance. "Updating fixtures is an important first step on stopping water loss, as not repairing or replacing aging pipes could lead to more serious complications."

Installing a water leak detection device can help curb water waste. These systems can notify you when a leak is detected and can shut off the water system if a major problem is found. Many insurers, including Mercury, offer a water leak detection discount to qualifying homes that are equipped with these systems.

Curbing water waste can also be done by replacing old appliances with newer models that are not only more efficient, but can help save utility costs.

In the kitchen

Upgrade your old dishwasher. A normal cycle in an energy-efficient dishwasher will use approximately 6 gallons of water compared to older models that use around 10 to 15 gallons. Not only do old dishwashers use more water, they use more energy too. If you are looking to replace your dishwasher, look for models with an Energy Star for energy efficiency.

Replace standard sink faucet aerators with low-flow ones. Low-flow faucet aerators save water by mixing air with the water stream, reducing the amount of water that will flow from the faucet. Limiting the amount of water flowing from the tap also lowers the amount of energy used for water heating, which lowers utility costs.

In the laundry room

Update old washers with a front-loading washing machine. Front loading machines are more water efficient. Higherefficiency washing machines use 25% less energy and 33% less water. They also spin faster than standard ones, meaning clothes need less drying time.

In the bathroom

Replace older-model toilets. While many people may be more conscientious about conserving water in the bathroom by taking shorter showers, they may not be aware that toilets are the main source of water use in the home, and can use up to 30% of the home's water supply.

According to the EPA, toilets manufactured before 1982 can use up to 7 gallons of water with every flush, compared to modern toilets, which use only 1.6 gallons. Toilet manufacturers stamp the underside or back wall of the tank with a gallons per flush (gpf) rating. This will let you know how many gallons of water are being used per flush. The higher the GPF number, the more water is being used.

Saving water outside the home

Outdoor watering accounts for almost 30% of overall residential water use. While lawns tend to absorb more water than plants, many homeowners may not be aware that irrigation controls may need to be adjusted or of the different water needs for the variety of plants in their gardens.

Consider reducing or eliminating ornamental lawns by incorporating native or drought-resistant plants around your home's yard. These plants require less maintenance, less water, and will help lower water costs. Consult a local nursery or landscaping professional to ensure that you choose the best plants for your area.

Adjust your automatic sprinkler system. Set watering times for early in the morning, when there is less of a chance for evaporation. Check sprinkler heads to make sure they are not clogged or broken as that can lead to additional water loss.

Preventing unnecessary water loss begins with a thorough inspection of the home. Inspecting plumbing fixtures and properly maintaining and upgrading appliances when needed will not only save water and energy, it could end up saving you more money as well.

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Stakeholders take note of methane production

Environmental Protection Agency, methane is 20 times more powerful. While carbon dioxide is more abundant than methane, this GHG power is just as destructive, creating a problem for rice growers.

Because rice is the primary staple food for more than half the world's population, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, decreasing rice consumption isn't a viable solution. That's why Kellogg's and Syngenta have collaborated on a sustainable solution that will assist rice growers in

reducing their methane

Stakeholders take note of methane production

Some rice growers are already implementing many methane-reduction

adoption has been slow. practices is a risk that farmers from adopting practices, even if they t from it in the long

Syngenta and Kellogg's have banded together to InGrained. This program will invest $2 million over farmers in Louisiana and the Lower Mississippi River basin with training in irrigation management,

reduction. The companies hope that by partnering with growers and providing financial incentives, it will make it easier for rice producers to adopt new practices for GHG reduction, especially methane.

Rice is an important grain for Kellogg's because many of its products, including iconic brands like Rice Krispies and Special K cereals, rely on rice. When the company reviewed ways to make a big difference in rice production, methane reduction came out as the front runner.

Syngenta is committed to reducing GHG and understands the struggle of implementing new practices on an operation. Through this partnership with Kellogg's, they hope to support growers through the sustainability transition in order to reduce methane emissions.

A more sustainable rice production practice

The Ingrained program aims to help educate and train farmers on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Before spreading the program, Kellogg's needed to test and see if it worked as intended. That's why the program was first piloted at Kennedy Rice Mill, a trusted Kellogg's supplier and very large and prominent grower in Mer Rouge, Louisiana.

During the 2022 pilot year, the company offered growers $20 per ton of GHG reduction. The program also offered agronomic support, GHG quantification, and other resources at no additional cost to farmers. So far, the program has seen a successful reduction in methane emissions on rice farms.

Kellogg's is working to scale the program across more of their rice draw area to show rice farmers the value of adopting methane reduction practices. Ideally, it will help create a greener supply chain from seed to package.

"The impacts of climate change affect us all, but these impacts are of particular concern to farmers, like me, who grow crops to produce the food we eat," said Meryl Kennedy, CEO of 4Sisters Rice and Kennedy Rice Mill. "As rice farmers and stewards of the land, it's our responsibility to address the concerns." Visit

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Come visit us to learn more about how we can encourage and inspire all living beings through kindness, healthy living, and care.

Little ears are listening: The importance of using positive self-talk

(BPT) - Think about how often you say remarks out loud like: "This outfit looks terrible on me," or "I don't like the way my hair looks," or even, "I wish that my nose was straighter." Beyond appearances, oftentimes we can be hard on our abilities, saying things like, "That was so careless of me," or "I'm terrible at math." Comments like these seem innocuous enough, but can have a lasting effect on the little ones who are listening to our every word.

According to an article in Psychology Today, when parents feel good about themselves, they are better able to extend a positive sense of self to their children. That's why it's important to practice positive self-talk to teach your kids confidence and train them to see themselves in a good light.

It's also essential to pay attention to your tone and the way you speak to your children, as that is how they learn to form their own self-talk abilities. A study from the University of Amsterdam found that children whose parents speak warmly to them have higher self-esteem, which means that not only are our children learning from the way we speak to ourselves but the way that we speak to - and about - them as well.

Experts at Kiddie Academy Educational Child Care recommend three ways parents can help their children develop positive self-talk practices.

Say encouraging words and positive mantras

Joy Turner, vice president of education at Kiddie Academy, says it's important to model daily affirmations, which you can turn into a game. "When you're sitting down to dinner each night, develop the habit of going around the table to say a positive thing about your day and something you did well. Don't just have your children do it - make sure to include affirmations about yourself, too," said Turner.

When you start thinking of things in a positive light or looking on the bright side, it creates less stress and anxiety in your children. Focus on using encouraging words and family mantras that will pop into your children's minds when they're feeling down on themselves. Don't know where to start? A family mantra could be as simple as, "We are Smiths, and Smiths always try their best!"

Set attainable goals and expectations

The same can be said for both parents and their children - setting attainable goals and expectations is essential to higher selfconfidence and satisfaction. If you only were to set goals that you could never achieve, you would always feel like you're coming up short. Your self-esteem would be low, and you would probably not speak very highly of yourself. The same goes for children whose parents place unrealistic expectations on them. Let your children set goals and encourage them to meet them, but always stay positive. Find ways to reframe negative thoughts to help your child develop this skill to carry into adulthood.

Leave room for mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes; it's how we deal with them that determines the lesson we will learn. Remember that every mistake your kids make is a learning experience and an opportunity for them to grow. "The best way to teach children to love themselves is to let them know they are human and to remind them of this when mistakes are made," said Turner. "Positively reinforcing that they can do better next time or that they can try again will help them to cope with failures in the future without affecting their self-esteem."

Children are watching and learning from their parents constantly, which means it's important to model the behaviors you want your children to develop. Focus on the good in your children and speak nicely about yourself, and you will show your children the importance of treating themselves with kindness and grace. And, you may just get your own confidence boost in the process.

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In Global Race for STEM Leadership, Private Investment is Necessary for the U.S. to Win

(As America races to accelerate innovation across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), public and private sector investments are essential to advancing new technologies. The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 represents a solid step forward in the country's path to investing smartly in STEM education and programming. Notably, the act allocates investments in STEM at K-12, community college, undergraduate, and graduate levels. It's one way to ensure that more people from all backgrounds, regions, and communities around the country gain access to STEM education and training opportunities.

However, the responsibility to expand access to STEM resources does not rest solely on the government's shoulders. Commercial and private institutions, as well as individuals (especially teachers and parents), continue to shore up the country's competitiveness by working to educate and inspire future generations to explore STEM careers. And good thing, because STEM occupations are projected to grow at twice the rate of all other occupations in the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2019-29 employment projections.

A thriving example of a private program that helps prepare young people for STEM careers, one awardwinning online collection of hands-on STEM activities attracts thousands of visitors each month. Offered by 4-H, America's largest youth organization, in partnership with HughesNet, the world's largest highspeed satellite Internet provider, the platform presents hundreds of interactive activities designed for students from Pre-K through high school. As easy to do at home as they are in a school setting, here are just a few of the activities available on the platform to ignite student interest in STEM:

* With the How Do Satellites Communicate Augmented Reality (AR) Experience, viewers explore an animated model of a satellite and how it connects people to the Internet.

* In this Space Exploration Experience, a virtual astronaut explains how to grow food in space, operate a lunar terrain vehicle and see firsthand what it takes to live and work among the stars.

* Code Your Communication educates budding computer programmers about coding through this fun activity creating a bracelet with a message in binary code.

* Science Bug: Electrical Circuits has children exploring how circuits work and even making their own light-up "science bug" necklace.

* Get in Gear! teaches students about the power and mathematics of gears as they assemble and test different sets to see how small actions can create big movements.

"The STEM students of today are tomorrow's technology leaders. These 4-H activities make high-quality STEM education materials available to them no matter where they live," said Peter Gulla, senior vice president of marketing at Hughes. "The innovative engineering behind HughesNet requires a strong science, technology, engineering, and math foundation, so we understand the importance of STEM. We proudly support 4-H in inspiring the new generation of STEM professionals."

HughesNet delivers a fast connection for people who live beyond the reach of other Internet services. Recognized as the Best Rural Internet Provider of 2022 and Best Satellite Internet Provider of 2022 by U.S. News & World Report 360 Reviews, HughesNet high-speed satellite Internet connects millions of Americans to STEM education and much more. Visit hughesnet.com/4H to access a world of online STEM resources.

Who we are

The Friendship Circle is today’s fastest growing organization for children with special needs. With over 79 locations worldwide, the Friendship Circle has cultivated friendships between 7,000 special children and close to 11,000 teen volunteers. The Friendship Circle’s unique approach brings together teenage volunteers and children with special needs for hours of fun and friendship. These shared experiences empower the children, our special friends, while enriching the lives of everyone involved.

FLOWER Plubago Plant

You Need To Know This Month

Plumbago auriculata, It is sometimes called Cape Plumbago, leadwort, or sky flower. The names Plumbago and Leadwort have been passed down through history from an ancient Roman naturalist, Pliny the Elder,. Something about the ethereal bluish hue of the plant reminded him of the lead, thus plumbago. Latin for “resembling lead.” is the classic blue plumbago, native to South Africa. Though non-native, this species is considered a Florida-Friendly plant.

Flower Facts

Plumbago is used extensively as a magical plant and for treating wounds, skin disorders, and headaches. It is a popular eco-garden plant that attracts birds and butterflies.

Plumbago’s tendency to cause rashes gives the plant one of its common names, blister leaf. It gets its toxic properties from the chemical compound Plumbagin, which it produces in its roots. Plumbagin is currently being studied as a cancer treatment. Although most Plumbago varieties have blue flowers, some cultivars may have white or even pinkish flowers.

FRUIT You Need To Know This Month Lemon

Lemons, botanically classified as Citrus limon, are actually a hybrid fruit, not a naturally-occurring fruit. This means they are the result of a genetic cross between two other fruits. Specifically, lemons are a hybrid between the bitter orange and citron fruit.

Medical Uses

Lemon is also used for the common cold and flu, H1N1 (swine) flu, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), Meniere's disease, and kidney stones. It is also used to aid digestion, reduce pain and swelling (inflammation), improve the function of blood vessels, and increase urination to reduce fluid retention.

Benefits

Lemon contains antioxidants called bioflavonoids. These bioflavonoids might be responsible for the health benefits of lemon. People use lemon for hay fever, high blood pressure, obesity, morning sickness, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

ANIMAL

You Need To Know This Month

Mountain Yellow Legged Frog

Lesser Prairie Chicken

California Tiger Salamander

Private Property and the Environment: Two Views

In the May 1988 issue of The Freeman we published John Hospers’ review of Property Rights and Eminent Domain by Ellen Frankel Paul. In the following essays, Jane S. Shaw and John Hospers exchange views on some issues raised in that review.

Editor’s Note: Jane S. Shaw:

People concerned about freedom recognize the importance of property rights as the foundation for a system of cooperation and mutual exchange. Often, however, they abandon their convictions about the value of property rights when they address environmental issues. Yet a more thorough understanding of property rights would lead them to recognize that private rights offer the best hope for protecting many components of the natural environment.

Many writers have expressed concern about environmental devastation such as the loss of wild animals in africa and the destruction of tropical forests in Latin America. In the May 1998 issue if The Freeman, for example, John Hospers shared his alarm about these losses and suggested that private property rights are part of the problem: "And here the property rights in lead conflict sharply with the need for retaining the natural links in the food chain….”

It’s right to be concerned about environmental harm, but we need to understand that solutions will occur when private property rights are strengthened rather than weakened.

Wanton destruction of animals occurs primarily because no one owns wildlife. Contrast wildlife with cattle: No one worries about the destruction of livestock and the reason in simple–cattle are owned and the owner has a direct interest in protecting them.

It is lack of ownership, or common ownership, that leads to destruction. Aristotle observed this more than 2,000 years ago. He noted that "what is common to many is taken least care of, for all men have greater regard for what its their own than for what they possess in common with others.”

As James Gwartney and Richard Stroup wrote in The Freeman in February 1988, the devastation of the American buffalo on the Great Plains came about because no one owned the buffalo. Without ownership, it was to the advantage of Indians, and later white men, to kill whatever buffalo they could. Without ownership, no individual could benefit by saving more buffalo — someone else could easily go after any buffalo an individual refrained from killing. Had the buffalo been owned, it would have been in the interest of the owner to assure than enough buffalo remained to reproduce for the future. While ownership of the buffalo was not practical then, Gwartney and Stroup point out that other Indians successfully turned to as system of private rights to protect other animals such as beaver, which did not have the nomadic characteristics of Plains buffalo.

Of course, common ownership does not always pose an environmental problem. At earlier periods of human history, when human beings were scarce, grazing land could be held in common. However, even with extremely low levels of population, people could barely subsist on it! Similarly, as long as Indians didn’t have horses or weapons such as guns, they couldn’t threaten the bu of living was extremely low and their population sparse. Once people got beyond a primitive standard of living, common property became a serious problem, one that private ownership corrected.

trees to promote pastureland and encourage settlers to turn forests into farmland. (In addition, the government subsidizes the forest products industry.) "By supplying virtually free money, the federal government invited investors to acquire and clear large tracts of forested lands," says Repetto.

Under a system of true private ownership, where owners were required to pay the full cost of their activities, the Amazon forest would be far more likely to be preserved. Yes, tree-cutting would occur, but no on today’s scale. With so much forested land, some conversion of trees to pasture does not pose an environmental problem; some land undoubtedly will be more productive as pasture. However, where cutting is excessively costly, owners would refrain from cutting trees. In the U.S., recent economic research has shown that contrary to received wisdom, cutting down forests in the Midwest during the 19th century was not wasteful. The trees were simply quite valuable when cut; to keep them standing longer would have been wasteful to society.

Furthermore, in a system of private property, individuals who believe that the forests will be valuable in the future have a strong incentive to protect them. Some might be speculators who believe that the value of endangered species in the future will outweigh the current cost of preserving the land from cultivation. Under the present scheme in Brazil, the cost of preservation is high because taxpayers are subsidizing so many of the costs of devastation.

Others would preserve the rain-forest in a private property system are likely to be private groups and individuals concerned about ecological balance. In fact, today, non-profit organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund and The Nature Conservancy are taking steps to save tropical forestlands in Latin America. (Since they have to work with governments, however, they face a number of difficulties they probably wouldn’t face if the land were privately controlled.)

In conclusion, what causes environmental destruction is the lack of private property rights, when resources are owned in common or by the government. Strengthening private property rights will improve the chances for wildlife and forests.

John Hospers replies:

Jane Shaw seems to assume that my quarrel is with private property. But it is not: the deforestation of the Amazon basin would be an ecological tragedy regardless of by whom or under what auspices it is done, whether by private owners, communal owners, or government owners. If Brazil had a Homestead Act similar to that of the U.S.A. in the nineteenth century, and the new owners destroyed the forests, the result would be the same as it now is under a government program of resettlement. It is what is done that portends disaster, not by

But, one may say, property is in private hands. wasteful and the environment, a matter of priorities. Still, this issue happens the other way Botswana I found (and all leopards, giraffes, zebras, those large areas national parks. In the areas

Under private ownership, ecological intruders which protection they need native animals are immune impossible for the wild the habitat of the native roam free to find food and

You can, indeed, preserve some species of plant or animal by owning a tract of land and growing the plant or animal on it. But this won’t do in the case of migratory animals whose primary need is to roam and who would be shot down the moment they crossed the boundary into someone else’s land. And it would hardly apply at all to birds, which fly over people’s lands. You can raise condors on your ranch, but unless there are strictly enforced conservation laws, the birds will be shot down by the owners of other land who have no soft spot in their heart for condors.

"Individuals who believe that the forests will be valuable in the future have a strong incentive to protect them," writes Ms. Shaw. (1) Yes, and not to protect them if for one reason or another they do not believe this. (2) Or they may believe it but not act on it — perhaps they want quick profits now; there are, surely, people who care less about their children and grandchildren than they care about themselves. (3) Or, like the Botswanan cattlegrowers, they may not have the luxury of thinking all that much about tomorrow, because they desperately need the game today, just to survive at all.

The point I was making in the essay was that the vast ecological damage has been and is being done through the misuse of land in one part of the world, which affects soil and weather patterns in other parts of the world — that the fate of these parts is interdependent. (See my paper, "Ecology and Freedom," in the September 1988 issue of Liberty.)

Thus, the main problem is not whether you make wise use of your own land for the sake of your own future and that of your children; the ecological problem I was trying to dramatize occurs when the use of your land may have catastrophic effects on the use of other of their lands, which may be many thousands of miles away. How does one provide a motivation for taking care of your own land, not in order to preserve your land but to preserve that of others?

-Foundation

https://www.wildanimalsanctuary.org/facility

About Us...

The animals, staff and volunteers at The Wild Animal Sanctuary are grateful you want to learn more about us and the work we do to help solve America’s captive wildlife crisis. Thank you!

Jane S. Shaw

Jane Shaw is president of the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy.

John Hospers was the first presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party and stood in the 1972 general election.

FEE

for Economic Education

John Hospers

If you wish to know the divine, feel the wind on your face and the warm sun on your hand.

~Buddha

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