Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

How To Save The World From The Ground Up

It is easy to become overwhelmed by the difficulties we face in trying to save the world from our destructive tendencies - the inertia of the mindset that is causing so much of the devastation that is occurring to our environment can sometimes seem too much.

That we all contribute what we can, and share our eco-tips, is of vital importance in halting this catastrophic slide, but I can empathize with anyone who feels occasionally that our efforts are just dealing with the symptoms. More eloquently said by biologist J Griffiths "Environmental problems are promoted everywhere as the great ‘Save the World’ issue, but the truth is we have only been focusing on the symptoms not the cause of the devastation of our world and the disintegration of society that is happening everywhere we look, which is us humans" (http://www.worldtransformation.com/save-the-world/). None of us will accept defeat, but I suggest the light at the end of the tunnel if we are to save the world lies in the most important natural resource of all – our children.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/21/34012/

Children are the building blocks of the future. They are the key to stopping the seemingly unstoppable problem of environmental devastation occurring in our world. Instilling appreciation and education of the natural world in our children is essential in dealing with the problem at its roots - because at the end of the day, it is people that are the problem. Today we can mount a rear guard action to minimise the damage that others of our kind are causing; but in the long term we have to change our kind.

To do this we need the next generation to stop creating the problems; to do this we need to capitalize on our children’s natural affinity with the environment before they become desensitized to the damage that transpires every day (like us adults). A generation of people with this new mindset will create a stable foundation to undertake the critical remediation and ongoing sustainable management of the world and its resources that saves the world – this is what we all dream of.

Advice on how to go about this:

Allow our children to experience nature. The most important thing you can do to develop an appreciation of the natural environment in your children is letting them spend time in it. Camping is the obvious thing to do, but day trips to the beach or into the woods are great too. Their innocent souls will be more at home out there than you are, so all you have to do is make the effort to get them out there, make sure they are safe, and nature will do the rest. You can rest assured that you are instilling in them a love that will never leave them; and you will be spending quality family time too!

Teach them natural love. All children are fascinated by living creatures so whether you live closer to a coast or forest ecosystem, school yourself up on the local organisms so that when you go there you have facts on hand to foster their interest. There is oodles of material out there to fuel their growing minds as well –make it fun – watch the wildlife DVDs available on a vast array of different habitats, take them to the aquarium or San Diego Zoo, get out and about and use the local library. Nourish their enquiring minds!

Set an example. Children are very observant so it is important to behave in a way you would like them to emulate. They will naturally pick up your habits so the old saying “do as I say, don’t do as I do” will not cut the mustard. If you are serious about cultivating a respect for the environment and awareness of our impact on it you need your actions to reflect this.

Educate them about the problems. If children have knowledge of their environment and can understand the consequences of not looking after it properly they are more likely to incorporate this knowledge into their decision making process, whether consciously or unconsciously, and ultimately behave in a sustainable way. This doesn’t mean constantly lecturing them on the do’s and don’ts, as that is most often counter-productive; it means showing them genuine steps they can take, and the ramifications of not taking them, and the genuine satisfaction that comes from living a life devoted to saving the world.

All of us can employ some or all of these activities regardless of whether you are a busy mum or dad or a retired grandparent. Just remember there are many recipes for encouraging and nurturing children’s empathy and passion for the living world, and at the end of the day they are our most precious natural resource – they are tomorrow’s eco-warriors; and there is nothing we can do that is more important than instilling a love and understanding of the environment in them.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/21/34014/

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Big swordfish, big marlin, and big money

Trout opener at Santee Lakes

It is easy to become overwhelmed by the difficulties we face in trying to save the world from our destructive tendencies - the inertia of the mindset that is causing so much of the devastation that is occurring to our environment can sometimes seem too much.

That we all contribute what we can, and share our eco-tips, is of vital importance in halting this catastrophic slide, but I can empathize with anyone who feels occasionally that our efforts are just dealing with the symptoms. More eloquently said by biologist J Griffiths "Environmental problems are promoted everywhere as the great ‘Save the World’ issue, but the truth is we have only been focusing on the symptoms not the cause of the devastation of our world and the disintegration of society that is happening everywhere we look, which is us humans" (http://www.worldtransformation.com/save-the-world/). None of us will accept defeat, but I suggest the light at the end of the tunnel if we are to save the world lies in the most important natural resource of all – our children.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/21/34012/

Children are the building blocks of the future. They are the key to stopping the seemingly unstoppable problem of environmental devastation occurring in our world. Instilling appreciation and education of the natural world in our children is essential in dealing with the problem at its roots - because at the end of the day, it is people that are the problem. Today we can mount a rear guard action to minimise the damage that others of our kind are causing; but in the long term we have to change our kind.

To do this we need the next generation to stop creating the problems; to do this we need to capitalize on our children’s natural affinity with the environment before they become desensitized to the damage that transpires every day (like us adults). A generation of people with this new mindset will create a stable foundation to undertake the critical remediation and ongoing sustainable management of the world and its resources that saves the world – this is what we all dream of.

Advice on how to go about this:

Allow our children to experience nature. The most important thing you can do to develop an appreciation of the natural environment in your children is letting them spend time in it. Camping is the obvious thing to do, but day trips to the beach or into the woods are great too. Their innocent souls will be more at home out there than you are, so all you have to do is make the effort to get them out there, make sure they are safe, and nature will do the rest. You can rest assured that you are instilling in them a love that will never leave them; and you will be spending quality family time too!

Teach them natural love. All children are fascinated by living creatures so whether you live closer to a coast or forest ecosystem, school yourself up on the local organisms so that when you go there you have facts on hand to foster their interest. There is oodles of material out there to fuel their growing minds as well –make it fun – watch the wildlife DVDs available on a vast array of different habitats, take them to the aquarium or San Diego Zoo, get out and about and use the local library. Nourish their enquiring minds!

Set an example. Children are very observant so it is important to behave in a way you would like them to emulate. They will naturally pick up your habits so the old saying “do as I say, don’t do as I do” will not cut the mustard. If you are serious about cultivating a respect for the environment and awareness of our impact on it you need your actions to reflect this.

Educate them about the problems. If children have knowledge of their environment and can understand the consequences of not looking after it properly they are more likely to incorporate this knowledge into their decision making process, whether consciously or unconsciously, and ultimately behave in a sustainable way. This doesn’t mean constantly lecturing them on the do’s and don’ts, as that is most often counter-productive; it means showing them genuine steps they can take, and the ramifications of not taking them, and the genuine satisfaction that comes from living a life devoted to saving the world.

All of us can employ some or all of these activities regardless of whether you are a busy mum or dad or a retired grandparent. Just remember there are many recipes for encouraging and nurturing children’s empathy and passion for the living world, and at the end of the day they are our most precious natural resource – they are tomorrow’s eco-warriors; and there is nothing we can do that is more important than instilling a love and understanding of the environment in them.

http://sandiegoreader.com/users/photos/2012/oct/21/34014/

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Up, Up and Away

Next Article

Nostalgic Nauseating

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader