Green Teens Are Saving the Planet Podcast
In 2003, now 13-year-old Taylor M., a home-schooled Boy Scout from Toluca, Illinois, started collecting discarded aluminum cans to recycle for a special badge. “Once I started collecting the cans,” Taylor says, “I wanted to do more.”
Taylor’s mother, Denise, says, “Once Taylor got involved collecting cans, and eventually reclaimed scrap metal, it made me aware of all of the different ways we could work as a team to help the environment.”
Over the past 3 years, Taylor has walked more than 200 miles of roadway, collected more than 22,000 pounds of metal, and donated $11,000 to the Marshall County Habitat for Humanity, a charitable group that builds homes for underprivileged families. But he’s certainly not the only teen going green.
Young people today actually want to stop the destruction of our planet. They aren’t waiting for someone else to do it for them. They are making a personal investment in their future, as few generations have done before---but of course, this is the first time in our history that we’ve really had a “due date” for environmental change. Across the nation, a host of organizations have sprung up devoted to support today’s youth as active participants in working to save our planet.
Jessy Tolkan is executive director of programs for The Energy Action Coalition (EAC), a Washington, DC nonprofit. One of the EAC’s biggest accomplishments is the Campus Climate Challenge. By the end of this year the organization predicts more than 1,000 schools will participate in turning their schools 100% renewable—or using only clean energy.
Tolkan is impressed by the amount of influence she sees teens having when it comes to climate change. “This generation has accepted the reality of global warming, and they want to be at the forefront of the country and the world, developing a solution.”
teri Stanley, sparks, NV 09/24/08
If this is considered a trend then some trends are a good thing! This is something that is not going away anytime soon. They say that kids are our future and the future is "going green" as much as people do not like hearing that catch phrase anymore. Actually people have been doing this forever, they just don't realize it. If you garage sale, or collect antiques, etc. then you ARE going green. That's re-using. It's an old concept. But if Teens feel they are part of a better solution for the future, that is wonderful thing to support. I agree with Patricia, make them feel empowered and motivated! That's our job, isn't it?
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