Eco Heroes

Helping young people to save our world by being responsible for the environment.

It is now evident from many systematic studies from many credible earth scientists from many nations that global climate change is an unfortunate reality with potentially disastrous consequences for all of us. The major contributor to this crisis is human behavior—by individuals, corporations, and nations. We are all leaving an indelible carbon footprint on the globe with excessive reliance on fossil fuels that pump carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. Big businesses and many nations contribute in a big way by not being willing to invest in expensive processes that could reduce the carbon residue from their manufacturing of concrete, steel, and other high energy-consuming products.

What can you do to help save your world from potential ecological disaster?

Here are some starter recommendations:

–Learn more about the dangers of climate change so that you are well informed and can be an advocate for your family, school, community, business, or your nation.

–Check out and share information and action ideas on international climate action groups like 350.org and climaterealityproject.org.

–Encourage responsible use of energy sources that are viable alternatives to oil and gasoline including reducing your energy use and using energy more efficiently.

–Commit to helping to conserve water use, as well as electricity and gas in your home and school and business.

–Promote recycling of paper, cardboard, glass, plastics, and other recyclable products in your neighborhood, school and business.

–Use recyclable shopping bags or special carry bags instead of plastic ones, which add to the permanent garbage dumps, and consider not using plastic bottles by carrying your own refillable water bottle.

–Check out programs that trade “Trash for Cash” in schools and businesses, so that instead of dumping trash into the garbage it gets recycled professionally and your organization can get a cash fee.

–Volunteer for, or better create your own team competition to clean up your local parks, beach, river, or neighborhood-blighted area.

–Such Environmental Cleanup Comps can be between nearby schools, or clubs, or any organized groups, with local businesses offering prizes to the winning teams, as well as notifying local media to report on the event.

–Explore further possibilities for environmental action by promoting an essay competition in your school on What Can YOU do to save the environment?

–Support political candidates who offer sound environmental policies.

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Eco Heroes News

Recently, Dr. Phil Zimbardo gave a lecture in the city of Puebla, Mexico, for a major conference entitled, Ciudad des Ideas. He discussed how these problematic environmental issues, such as those outlined above, are in part sustained by people who either tend to be present or past oriented in terms of their time perspective, rather than future oriented. It is obviously essential to have a focus on the future consequences of current decisions when it comes to working for a sustainable local, national and global environment. He invited the High School and college students in attendance to write essays on what they could do in their hometowns to promote better environmental practices. One hundred of those students with the essays judged most meritorious won prizes to attend the next year’s conference. Many met with Dr. Zimbardo at that time to outline their plans. They were initially organized by one of HIP’s Mexican advisors, advanced student, Rodrigo Lopez. We had expected to get funding from several Mexican businesses to further coordinate and extend these constructive efforts. So far, that promise has not been realized, but we are still hopeful, that it will be forthcoming.

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More coming soon!