Environmental Education for Our Children: The Solution to Planetary Survival?

One of the ironies of the environmental lobby is that it seems sometimes that they want the inmates to run the asylum.



They push and push for Congress to enact new programs to protect the environment, as if any kind of government-run program is going to be efficient enough or effective enough to actually help the environmentalists achieve their goals.



Francis T. Perry Williams, author of "Pollen and the Ring of Harmony" (Greenleaf Publishing, www.pollengreenarmy.com), knows better. He believes that if we are going to make any significant impact toward preserving the environment, it’s going to come from independent individual action. People, not government, will make the difference. Perry takes the "Gandhi approach" to ecology – showing the way rather than legislating or protesting for it. In his book he shows the desirability of kindness and caring about the environment, with special attention to the younger generation.



Here are some tips to parents can use to get their kids interested and active in saving the environment:



• Identify Which Environmental Issues Interest You the Most. Figure out what you want to do to help save the planet (if you haven’t already.) Decide what area you most want to improve, whether it is global warming, energy waste, recycling, or hugging trees. The Internet is full of ideas – see which ones you agree with. Take a look at what you can contribute: time, intellect, money, or just willing hands.



• Now That You Have “Talking Points”, Talk! Education takes many forms; help spread the word. Find a group with similar interests, and start contributing! Sort out good data from bad and forward it to friends, family, local media – and don’t forget the children. They communicate incessantly, so give them information worth spreading.



• Don't Just "Talk the Talk", "Walk the Walk", Too! We can't all convert our homes to solar, or buy a hybrid car, but there are many simple ways to help. Turn off lights when not in use. Use power strips with a button you can easily push to shut down devices such as computers, cell phone chargers and entertainment equipment – they all use a lot of energy even when their “on” button is "off". Most power companies will do an energy home-audit to advise you of simple improvements you can make to save both energy and money.



• Invest Your Vote to Help Improve the Environment. In this political season you can find plenty of information about which candidates (local, state or national) feels pretty much the way you do. If you like a candidate, but are not sure of his or her viewpoint about the environment, check their voting record.



Perry wants to start a whole different movement addressing this task of getting people to care about our planet. He dedicates his book to the “Army of Green trying to protect our world,” Perry says, “Awareness leads to beauty, and beauty leads to harmony.” As an eco-advocate, Perry is actively teaching the younger generation to be more eco-friendly so they can live in harmony with nature and the world around them.

About the Author

Francis T. Perry Williams attended San Diego State University for a degree in drama with minors in art and music. He wrote, directed, and acted there. Upon graduation, he appeared in several sitcoms, including "Happy Days", "Bosom Buddies", "Laverne and Shirley", and "MASH", writing one of the "Laverne and Shirley" episodes. A certified personal trainer with twenty-five years experience, Perry keeps it "all natural, no steroids," for himself and his celebrity clients. www.pollengreenarmy.com

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