KILLING
THE GREEN BY TERRY OLD
We rely on healthy forests and trees every day. It is in our best interest to appreciate, respect and preserve them. We need to make sure that we are harvesting them sustainably so that they will be around for future generations of humans and wildlife to enjoy and use. Fortunately, there are things that every one of us can do! Planting trees is an easy way to help. Ask your parents if you can plant some in your yard or ask your teacher if your class can plant some trees in your schoolyard. It is important that everyone knows about forest issues. Tell your parents what you learned. Maybe you could even talk to your class about it. The more people that know, the more changes we can make!
We can also live in a way that creates zero waste at school, home and in our everyday lives. When we do this, we can help prevent deforestation, species loss, pollution and other environmental problems. We just need to remember and practice the “3 Rs:�Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!
OUR LAND
Where to start! Rhossili Bay is the first beach to be awarded Britain’s Best Beach by TripAdvisors Travellers’ Choice for the second year running, not to mention the 3rd best beach in Europe and 9th best in the world! Quite an accolade when you think that the competition includes Australia, Bermuda and Brazil. The awards cabinet is really filling up, as Rhossili has also been described as ‘The supermodel of British beaches’ by The Independent and has also won accolades from UK Travel Writers and awards for being the best spot to have a picnic! And not forgetting our four legged friends, The Times nominated Rhossili as ‘The UK’s No.1 dog-friendly beach’. So, it’s pretty much universally agreed that you won’t find a more beautiful spot in the UK (and who are we to argue!).
So what’s all the fuss about? Well, you will find 3 miles of sandy shore, encompassing one of Gower’s most famous landmarks, Worms Head; watersports and in particular surfing, benefit from the Atlantic swell, whilst sand-castle builders benefit from the fine golden sand. The views are incomparable and are best enjoyed from one of the many walking routes, which feature the beach, Worm’s Head and the cliffs, you may even see some basking seals or dolphins playing in the surf. And of course, Rhossili Bay is part of the Gower Coast Path.
So how do you get there? Rhossili Bay is accessed via steps from the small village of Rhossili. It is a fair way down, and unfortunately there is no access by wheelchair this way. The breathtaking views are definitely worth the walk. Catch it on a sunny day and don’t forget your camera!
So how do you get there? Rhossili Bay is accessed via steps from the small village of Rhossili. It is a fair way down, and unfortunately there is no access by wheelchair this way. The breathtaking views are definitely worth the walk. Catch it on a sunny day and don’t forget your camera! Parking, public transport and refreshments are all located roughly 400m from the bay itself. Stay Safe! When crossing over to Worm's Head, please report to the Coastwatch Centre before you go. If your return journey is cut off by high tide, it is very important that you do not attempt to swim back to shore. surfing at Rhossili, watch out for shipwrecks below the waterline.
Until now no one’s been particularly bothered because we’ve always had plenty of other fuel sources and it wasn’t thought financially viable to extract this untapped supply from rock.
Here, near the commuter line to London and under the flightpath of Gatwick Airport, an energy company wants to begin looking for the fuel.
Now as energy prices soar and the hunt is on for new ways of powering our homes and factories, the village of Balcombe has become the latest battleground over fracking.
The fight is set to intensify after the Government yesterday allowed shale gas extraction to recommence in Blackpool. It had been banned following two earthquakes linked to fracking.
DRI F T When we reduce the amount of products we use and buy, fewer trees are cut down to make new products. If we take care of the things that we already have, and repair them when they are broken, we don’t need to buy more. It’s also good to think about product’s packaging. Many products use too much packaging: more than necessary. Some boxes that products come in are made from wood that comes from at-risk forest areas. You can make a difference by reducing the amount of packaged products that you buy. When we reduce the amount of energy we consume in our homes by switching off electrical appliances that we aren’t using (such as, lights, TV, radio, computer), or when we walk or bike instead of taking the car, we use less fossil fuels.Using fossil fuels creates air pollution, which can result in acid rain. If we reduce the amount of fossil fuels that we use, we can help save some forests from being damaged by acid rain.
Every time we reuse an item (use it more than once), fewer replacement items are needed. This helps to preserve important natural resources (like forests). It also reduces waste because fewer items are thrown away (or recycled).
We save trees from being cut down every time we borrow, share or donate books, every time we reuse scrap paper, and every time we use refillable lunch containers. Want another way to save trees? Have a stuff swap! If you have any clothes, books or toys that you don’t want, ask your parents if you can trade with your friends. If there’s anything left over, you can donate it to a charity for someone else to use!
When we recycle products like paper, (after we can no longer use and reuse them) we prevent new trees from being cut down. About 1/3 of the wood from trees that are cut down is used to make paper and paper board. That’s about 300 000 hectares of land each year. If we can reduce, reuse and recycle, we can make that amount much smaller! By recycling and buying products with recycled material whenever we can, we’re protecting Canada’s forests.