When it comes to the environment, you might be able to learn a thing or two from your teenager. Today's teens are coming of age at a time when we understand more about the problem of diminishing resources, the effects of greenhouse gases, and the importance of taking care of the earth for future generations. They are a future generation, after all, and many of them worry about the planet they're inheriting.
School and community programs that teach about the environment give teens info about green issues and ways to get involved. Whether your kid is already environmentally savvy or cares more about playing video games than saving the earth, here are some ways to share your passion for green living with teens:
Have a conversation. Ask your teen her thoughts on the state of the planet, and whether she has ideas for making your household greener.
Suggest community service projects. Many high schools require some community service before kids can graduate, and college admission offices like to see meaningful volunteerism on applications. Encourage your teen to pick a project that helps the environment, like cleaning up a park or teaching younger kids about recycling. The EPA has suggestions for such projects at www.epa.gov/highschool/community.htm.
Encourage activism. It's important for teens to know that they can make a difference. Getting involved—and seeing the fruits of their actions—is empowering. Several websites offer ideas, support, and communities for budding activists:
Do Something (www.dosomething.org) encourages teens to go offline and get involved in their communities, with suggestions for activism for the environment, animal welfare, health and fitness, and lots of other causes.
Idealist.org (www.idealist.org) suggests ways for folks of all ages to get involved. Kids and teens can find an area of the site that's just for them at www.idealist.org/kt/index.html.
TeenActivist.Org (www.teenactivist.org) describes itself as "a place for teens who volunteer, advocate, mobilize, [and] protest" about stuff they care about, from civil rights and peace to environmentalism and animal rights. Teens who register can submit journal entries describing their activism and participate in online discussions.
YouthNoise (www.youthnoise.com) fosters young leaders through support, mentoring, and giving teens a voice on issues they care about. International in scope, the site has ideas for action and encourages debate with forums and blogs.
One place students can practice activism is at school. They can campaign to reduce the amount of paper the school uses; improve recycling; replace toxic cleaning products with eco-friendly alternatives; plant a school garden; or start a composting program and advocate for using compostable trays, plates, and utensils in the cafeteria.
Get creative about fundraising. Sports teams, drama clubs, and other school groups are always looking for ways to raise money. Instead of (or in addition to) the usual bake sales, car washes, and raffles, consider a recycling drive (Cellphones lists companies that recycle cellphones, for example) or raising money through one of these green fundraising companies:
Equal Exchange (www.equalexchange.coop/fundraiser.php) is a food cooperative that promotes fair-trade and sustainable farming practices. It lets organizations buy fair-trade products like coffees, teas, cocoa, nuts, and dried fruit, at wholesale prices and resell them at a 40% profit.
Go Green Fundraising (www.go-green-fundraising.com) offers flower bulbs, tree kits, natural foods, reusable shopping bags, and "smencils"—scented pencils made from recycled newspaper. The more items you sell, the higher the percentage of profits you keep, from 25 to 55%.
Greenraising (www.greenraising.com) stocks a wide range of earth-friendly products such as recycled wrapping paper, green cleaning supplies, fair-trade coffee and tea, and reusable bags. Fundraisers keep 25 to 40% of sales.
Before you sign up with any fundraising program, make sure you understand its payment structure and how much of the profit your group gets to keep. Twenty-five percent isn't much of a return on the group's efforts. Many programs use a sliding scale—the more your group sells, the higher the profit.
Teach green driving. One of the major rites of passage of the teen years is getting a driver's license. Most parents encourage safe driving practices, but what about green driving? Why We Need New Energy Sources explains how car emissions affect the environment. Talk about this with your teen and go over the tips listed on Driving Smarter. If your kid is saving up to buy a car (or if you're going to buy one or help out with the cost), do your research (Fuel-Efficient Cars) and buy the most fuel-efficient car in his price range.
Find mall-ternatives. Hanging out at the mall encourages consumerism and limits the time your teen spends doing more constructive or creative things. Help her find and participate in other activities: sports, music, dance, drama, photography, volunteering—whatever grabs her attention. Then, support her interests and hobbies: Go to games, recitals, and plays, or volunteer for the booster club.
Green the prom. Challenge teens to come up with ways to make the prom (and other events) more environmentally friendly. Here are a few ways to do that:
Decorations. Instead of buying flowers flown in from thousands of miles away, go with local growers. (Same goes for corsages and boutonnières.) Green Party Goods (www.greenpartygoods.com) sells biodegradable crepe paper, garlands, and tableware.
Tableware. Go for reusable over throwaway: Choose cloth napkins, china, glasses, and silverware, which can be washed and reused. Or go with biodegradable plates and utensils, and make sure they get composted instead of thrown out.
Favors. Think about replacing party favors with a donation in the class's name to a good cause. At the prom, attendees can vote for the cause they want to support.
Transportation. Arriving by limo is one way to make a grand entrance; sharing the limo with several couples cuts down on greenhouse gases. Or be creative: Decorate the family car or rent a horse and carriage to get to the prom in style. If the dance is held at a site far from the school, arrange for a shuttle to run between the school and the venue so everyone arrives in the same ride.
Attire. When it comes to promwear, the guys already have it green—renting a tux is a great way to reuse instead of buying new. But most girls spend lots of money on prom dresses, wear them once, and then stuff them in the back of their closets. Greener options include buying vintage, renting a designer dress, trading with friends, or organizing a dress exchange, where girls donate their once-worn dresses so that others who can't afford new dresses can get a great one for free. For more information, go to www.donatemydress.org. If your daughter buys a new dress, ask her to consider donating it after the big day.
Cleanup. Encourage the prom committee to put recycling bins at the prom site. If the school has a composting program, arrange for food scraps to get composted instead of thrown out.