AN INVITATION TO COLLEAGUES AND STUDENTS
Dear friends/colleagues,
World Ocean’s Day is on June 8th. This is a day when people all over the world celebrate and protect the oceans because they realize/appreciate the fact that the oceans are the source of all life on Earth. Without them -humanity- all of us WOULD NOT be able to survive. That is why it is important to be conscientious about our actions when it comes to plastic trash- because it contaminates the environment, and especially the oceans.
In an effort to raise awareness/interest in the plight of the world’s oceans, I have created a World Ocean Day Quiz for students. Those students who pass the quiz, with a minimum score of 70%, will be placed in a raffle, and they will have a chance at winning a prize (one per grade level). They could win movies, books, and big chocolate bars, which I purchased from bottles/cans deposits. To request hard copies contact me, and I’ll send you one, or go on my personal blog to access it at
http://ottaviolopiccolo.blogspot.com/2018/04/students-ocean-pollution-quiz-contest.html
ŸWhy am I doing this? Because I love the ocean! I grew up near the Tyrrhenian Sea (part of the Mediterranean Sea in Sicily/Italy), and when in 2016 I discovered the level of plastic pollution in the oceans, I decided to act. I started; teaching my students about the importance/beauty/wonder of the oceans, but also about their pollution by plastic trash. So, I raising awareness of the oceans’ condition, but also how we are ruining it with plastic trash and other pollution threats, and so I also began teaching and applying the and everyone to follow the 4Rs- the 4 responsibilities that help us take care of our planet. They are: recycling, reducing, reusing and refusing single-use plastic. I have encouraged the schools where I work (Middleburgh, Jefferson, Sharon Springs, and Schalmont) to apply use the single-stream recycling (plastic, metal, glass, paper and cardboard).
I believe that our schools should be the first places where the 4Rs are applied; to inspire others to follow suit, because the world’s oceans with too much single-use plastic trash (bottles, bags, silverware, dishes, cups, lids, straws, stirrers, lighters, markers, and much more). We also need to be aware that already 94% of all drinking water in the USA is polluted with plastic, and 70% of the world’s water contains plastic too!
(Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/06/plastic-fibres-found-tap-water-around-world-study-reveals )
ŸAdditionally, according to 2017 statistics from National Geographic and Green Peace, only 9% percent of our trash is recycled in the USA- the rest, 79%, is accumulating in landfills; sitting in the natural environment and contaminating our land and water, and at some point, much of it ends up in the oceans. If present trends continue, by 2050, there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic. Scientists estimate that between 8 (U.N. statistic) to 12 million tons of plastic is entering our oceans every year – that's a rubbish truck full every minute!
(Sources: www.greenpeace.org and https://news.nationalgeographic.com/.../plastic-produced-recycling-waste-ocean-trash-...)
Ÿ If you’re wondering how this trash gets to the ocean. The answer is simple; many garbage dumps are near rivers, hence the chemicals that are released from plastic trash seep into the ground and water, and a large amount of it floats to the ocean. In addition, other threats endanger the health of the ocean; discarded fishing nets, pesticides, herbicides (used by farmers), toothpaste, cosmetics, and high level of CO2 emissions.
(Sources: https://takeaction.oceanconservancy.org/ea-action/action and http://nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/
ŸSo, it is important that we DO NOT put plastic items in the trash, and instead we must recycle it; all plastic bottles and containers, jugs, cups, cereal bowls, and cups- those labeled w/the numbers 1-7 inside a triangle can be recycled. We need to know that throwing plastic in the trash is an environmental and health hazard- because plastic trash- unless it is captured and recycled- it eventually contaminates the ground and water and marine animals- because they ingest it (they eat it- unknowingly).
THAT IS WHY IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ALL OF US should RECYCLE ALL PLASTIC IN OUR SCHOOLS, HOMES BUSINESSES (stores, malls), worship places (churches, mosques, synagogues, temples), Gov’t buildings and other public entities like hospital, prisons, retirement homes, etc. The solution is to have INDOOR SINGLE-STREAM RECYCLING BINS- these are for the collection of plastic, metal, glass, paper and cardboard), and should also have OUTDOOR ONES TO COLLECT IT ALL.
Please visit the World Ocean Day site, and learn what people all over the world are doing, and what you can do to make a difference http://www.worldoceansday.org/about
And/or ask your principal to register our school fro next year’s World Ocean Day 2019!
Learn about the plastic pollution problem by watching:
A PLASTIC OCEAN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju_2NuK5O-E&feature=share
This is a short video of the adventure documentary film. It was shot on more than 20 locations for over 4 years. Explorers Craig Leeson (also a journalist) and Tanya Streeter (an Olympic world champion deep-sea diver), and a team of international scientists reveal the causes and consequences of plastic pollution and share solutions.
Also check out the beauty, importance of oceans, and also the threat of its pollution, and find the answers for the Ocean quiz by reading the Ocean’s 13 Essential Questions/Answers (copy is available in the library. You also can find answers and facts about the oceans by visiting these posts in my DOLCE-AMARO blog- You’ll see amazing pictures, ENL lessons, videos/movies and the Ocean Quiz. WORLD OCEAN DAY EVENTS IN THE USA & ITALY- http://ottaviolopiccolo.blogspot.com/2018/05/world-ocean-day-events-in-usa-europe.html
The lesson is a presentation. To see it, do a search in this blog and type this title: Ocean- Why do we like it? And/or visit, or click, on this link: http://ottaviolopiccolo.blogspot.com/2016/06/ocean-why-do-like-it-lets-take-look.html
This is a very large post, a lesson/presentation on the ocean- located also here, in this blog DOLCE- AMARO. It is both in English and Italian (I have relatives, friends and colleagues in Italy). It is an extensive and informative post with many images, and the following parts: an introduction about the ocean, a list w/explanations of 10 Essential Ocean Facts, how the ocean sustains life, how we benefit from it, but also how we are polluting it and what we can do to save it. In addition, it lists the 7Rs; these are actions that we can take in order to better protect the ocean and the environment), the voyage of Plastiki (a vessel/boat with the hull, underside, made with 12,000 plastic bottles. Plastiki crossed the pacific to raise plastic pollution awareness in 2012). And last but not least, this lesson/presentation has a list of educational and informative videos and two films, on the ocean plastic threat and various solutions to this problem.
OCEANS’ 13 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS & ANSWERShttp://ottaviolopiccolo.blogspot.com/2017/11/oceans-13-essential-questions-and.html
Educational/informative (short) videos; (Note, to view the videos, click on the link. However, if that doesn't work, copy and paste the link in your address browser and press enter)
1. What really happens to the plastic you throw away - By Emma Bryce (4 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6xlNyWPpB8 This is an excellent fun/educative documentary that everyone will understand. We’ve all been told that we should recycle plastic bottles and containers. But what actually happens to the plastic if we just throw it away? Emma Bryce traces the life cycles of three different plastic bottles, shedding light on the dangers these disposables present to our world.
This is an inspiring upbeat video,
although sad, display of ocean trash/destruction video & still images
are used together with music- a great combination that summarizes the actions
we need to take- in order to save our oceans. Catching images and energetic
music will inspire and motivate you to take action now!
3. The World Ocean "Trashed" (10 min.) https://youtu.be/aBOlzTeyTZg
An award winning film. The
world ocean's food chain is being polluted with plastics. This program has won
the Ocean Film Festival Award of Excellence at the NOAA sponsored Gray's Reef
National Marine Sanctuary film festival. This short educational documentary
shows the negative effects of plastic pollution, but it also shows what people
around the world are doing to contain/reduce plastic pollution.
4. How We Can Keep Plastics Out of Our Ocean | National Geographic (3 min.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQTUWK7CM-Y&t=30s
This is an excellent straight to the point video. It shows us how our plastic trash and other pollution reach the sea- and what we can do to prevent and/or stop it.
5. BAG IT 1- (Part 1 of 4) 'Bag it' where the 'ordinary' American Jeb Berrier, a researches the use of plastic.
ITALIAN FILMS/VIDEOS ;
L'inquinamento marino-RICERCHE MARINE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4PhoOJ49qE&t=12s
Published on May 4, 2016
La necessità di diffondere le attività istituzionali ha portato allo
sviluppo di documentari rivolti ai ragazzi delle scuole medie inferiori e
superiori, in degli incontri di sensibilizzazione verso una maggiore
conoscenza del mare come risorsa e su quanto la sua tutela sia
indispensabile.
#EmergenSea - Ognuno di noi può fare qualcosa per salvare il mare. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBj36STz3Zw&feature=share
Marevivo Italia
Published on Jul 7, 2017
L’unico modo per fermare l’inquinamento del mare è essere coscienti e
attivi in prima persona e compiere quei piccoli gesti, anche semplici,
che diventano decisivi. Come raccogliere e riciclare. Per questo
Marevivo lancia #EmergenSea,
la nuova campagna di sensibilizzazione e informazione a bordo di navi e
lungo gli stabilimenti balneari, i marina e i club velici d’Italia, il
cui claim è “Ognuno di noi può fare qualcosa per difendere il mare”.
(Video con citazione di tutti i partner dell'iniziativa)
Eco Fiaba - Salviamo il mare!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IodOAmJEco&feature=shareSotto: un'altra vista da Torretta, provincia di Palermo, in Sicilia (Italia)
This post was written and translated by / Scritto e tradotto da
Ottavio Lo Piccolo (c), 2018. Diritti riservati solo all'autore.
Thank you for caring! For doing your part in keeping our planet, Mother Earth clean/healthy/safe, by applying the 4Rs we’ll reduce the destructive impact of plastic on our environment. This truly shows that we care. THAT IS WHY OUR SCHOOLS and all other public places, Teaching will not be as effective, unless we lead by example by applying the 4Rs ourselves!
GRAZIE MILLE!
Mr. “O”, Ottavio Lo Piccolo. ENL teacher and environmentalist
email: ottaviolopiccolo5@gmail.com
Remember to:
BE KIND TO EARTH AND TO ALL LIVING THINGS! Including people!
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