A Letter to The Albany Times Union. Schools need to do more!
Updated/Revised 4-22-18

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EARTH DAY is this Sunday April 22^nd. I know that I care for Mother Earth because I appreciate the fact that she gives life! And like a loving mother she gives and gives- she provides most of all our needs; with water, air, food, creatures and beauty- to make our life fun/happy/fulfilling… both in mind and body! 

I often ask myself, my family, my friends and my students these questions. DO you LOVE and CARE for our planet earth? If you really think that you do, HOW do you show your love and care that mother earth deserves? What do you actually do to confirm that you really love/care for this planet? And why do most of us refer to our planet as Mother Earth?

The answer isn’t complicated, it’s simple. To really show our love for mother earth, we have to put into action our feelings! We need to apply the 4Rs in our life. In case you do not know what the 4Rs stands for, let me explain them to you. 4Rs stands for; recycle, reduce, reuse and refuse single-use plastic. I also call them the 4 responsibilities and/or actions that show me, and others, that I truly do care and love Mother Earth.

I’m sure that we all say we love the earth, but according to the research that I have seen on the Internet- it doesn’t show- ours is only lip service- we say we love this planet, but in reality we don’t do enough to protect her! Facts show that American society- doesn’t love earth- we do not care! Although, it may not be our fault because the vast majority of people doesn't know of the effects that single-use-plastics has the environment. In fact, most people do not know that almost 80% of our plastic trash washes into the oceans. Hence, we are trashing our planet.  But now we know (I found out in 2016 by chance), and we need to take swift action now to correct this wrong. At any rate, let me present a few alarming statistics. 

I’m a public school teacher, and I have been reading/researching ocean plastic pollution since May 2016. And this is what I have found out. We are polluting our oceans, at an alarming rate with our single-use plastic trash; plastic bottles, plastic bags, plastic silverware, dishes, cups, lids, straws, stirrers, lighters, markers, disposable razors, and much more. This trash gets to the ocean because many garbage dumps are near rivers, hence the trash floats to the ocean. But that’s not all! There are other threats that are also polluting the ocean; discarded fishing nets, pesticides, herbicides (used by farmers), toothpaste, cosmetics, and high level of CO2 emissions/pollution.  
  

We’re also degrading it with sewer waste that contains micro plastics (tiny particles of plastic), that are found in face scrubs, cosmetics and even in some toothpaste. Micro plastics are now also in the air we breathe- they are released from motor vehicle tires and from clothes dryers (from drying polyester clothes)! 

The facts are clear; National Geographic and Green Peace’s 2017 statistics, tell us the ugly truth: only 9% of our trash has been recycled- the vast majority—79%—is accumulating in landfills or sitting in the natural environment. This means, that at some point, much of it ends up in the oceans. So, if present trends continue, by 2050 there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic- a garbage full of trash per minute is dumped in the ocean!

These statistics on ocean pollution have shocked and inspired me to act. This is what I have done. In addition to recycling plastic, metal, paper and cardboard, in 2016 I also  began recycling plastic bags, and I also began teaching my students about the beauty/importance of the oceans, but also how we are destroying it with our trash, and what we can do to protect it.

I hope that from now on, every single day, it will be earth Day for you too, but I also hope that our schools, our communities, our stores/businesses, churches, hospitals, prisons too- inmates can make money by recycling too), and of course our government (at all levels; the local, county, State and Federal). I hope that all of us will show love, care and respect for Mother Earth. Schools can do that by teaching, supporting and encouraging students to apply the 4Rs of recycling, reducing, reusing and refusing (plastic and foam) in our school. Students should put all plastic water bottles and containers, soda cans, plastic juice cups and plastic cereal bowls in the recycling bins!
In addition, we can also show your love/care/respect for our planet Earth by going outdoor and clean up an area in your neighborhood and pick up plastic trash; plastic, glass and metal containers. I do this often, when I am driving, or when I go running, or biking my bike. I pick up plastic bottles and soda cans from the ground and put it in plastic bag- which I keep on my bike, an one inside  a cardboard box in my car trunk.

So, if you want to help the earth, and learn about making it cleaner/safer for all of us, I invite you to challenge yourself! Take my Ocean Pollution Quiz on my blog DOLCE-AMARO, by visiting; 

http://ottaviolopiccolo.blogspot.com/2018/04/students-ocean-pollution-quiz-contest.html
(If you are an educator, I encourage you to share my quiz and my ENL lessons on the ocean and plastic pollution. If you want hard copy lessons, contact me- my email is at the bottom).

Soon I will also organize an Earth/World Ocean’s Day and Social/Environmental contest at the schools where I work. I’m an itinerant ENL teacher at Schalmont HS, Middleburgh Elementary & MS, and Sharon Springs’ MD & HS. Students will be asked to write essays/articles/stories, make artworks (sculptures, paintings, drawings, illustrations, photographs, collages, etc.) that will talk about/discuss the above themes- question/answer some these;
a. Why I care about our planet- earth, our home.        
b.    What we must do to take care of the environment, and save our planet.
c.     Why doesn’t the US  recycle as much as other developed countries? For instance northwestern European nations.
d.    Why is there so much pollution in our world?
e.   Why is there so much plastic in the oceans? What can we do about it? Do you have any solutions?
f.   Is there any hope for our planet? Can we save the oceans, and our planet, from plastic pollution? From a global environmental catastrophe? Do you have any suggestions on what need to be done to keep our planet clean, safe and healthy?
g. What are the causes of poverty? Violence (abuse, bullying)? War? Intolerance? Discrimination? Hate?
h. How can we create a peaceful world?

I will give out prizes (only to students at my schools- funds will be raised by raffling/selling some of my artworks-I'm an artist too) to contest winners, which may include books, cash, gift certificates, music, movies, and/or toys/gifts! 

If you want a hard copy of this quiz, you may request it by writing me via email, at  Ottaviolopiccolo5@gmail.com
 

So, I invite everyone to celebrate earth day every day- by applying the 4Rs, and I invite students to start creating now! Write if you like to write- if you’re a writer! Make an artistic statement- if you’re an artist! We may publish your work and/or have art show!

I invite everyone to become a 
P.O.P.E., a Protector Of Planet Earth!
Take the Pledge! To care/defend all living things! 
"I promise to be kind to the earth and all living things (including people!), and I also promise to do my best- all I can- in protecting earth's oceans and its environment from all types of pollution and/or any other threat." Ottavio Lo Piccolo

BE GOOD TO OUR PLANET AND TO EACH OTHER! 
THANK YOU 

Text copyrighted by Ottavio Lo Piccolo (2017). All rights reserved.  Images are taken from Google. Teachers and/or anyone is are free to use this letter- as they see fit- to teach/support and/or inform our government leaders about this topic. People are free to share freely this post/and info., to inform others. However, when sharing this letter or parts of it, you are not permitted to change the message and/or to profit- the only objective must be to inform, educate and motivate others to protect our planet earth from the threat of pollution/global warming. THANK YOU for being kind to the earth and to all living things! Including me!! Us! And all others too!

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