By Emily Young
Staff writer
March 02, 2008 07:52 am Most adults would say North Andover mom Denise Greaves is doing her part to save the environment. She turns off lights when she leaves a room. She's taken part in the town's recycling program since its inception in the 1990s. She even composts. But she was surprised to learn her 14-year-old son, Ian Springer, routinely unplugs electronic monitors when he's done playing video games or using the computer. He explains they still waste electricity, even when they're not turned on. "He does unplug the computer monitor when he's done. I was never really sure why, but now I know. Huh," Greaves said. Say "hello" to Generation Green. They're young, well-researched, inspired — and being targeted. Al Gore, the former vice president and Nobel Peace Prize winner for his environmental work, released a young-adult book companion to his wildly popular film, "An Inconvenient Truth," that ends with dozens of practical solutions. Popular Nick Jr. character Dora the Explorer took on an evil garbage-dumping octopus to save Marianna Mermaid's underwater kingdom in a recent hourlong "Dora Saves the Mermaids" DVD. In the picture book "When Santa Turned Green," the roly-poly guy urged children the world over to take action after discovering his leaky roof meant a melting North Pole. While adults like Greaves are relearning daily tasks to be more environmentally friendly, children like Ian started saving the planet as toddlers. Literally. Ian's family has recycled since he was at least 4 years old. Now, these kids are challenging their parents to do more, do better. "I feel a little ashamed, in a way, that my son is teaching me," said North Andover mom Uma Yalamanchili of learning how to live green. "My son started all these projects at school and was talking about saving energy to me. I thought he was right — why waste energy the way we all do?" Yalamanchili's 13-year-old son, Subbarao, and Ian are members of the North Andover Legotrons. The six-member team recently analyzed the electric bills of the North Andover Middle School and Kittredge Elementary School. Based on their research, they informed the School Committee it could save as much as $34,000 a year by installing energy-efficient lights, occupancy sensors that darken vacant rooms, and exit signs with efficient LED (light emitting diode) bulbs, Ian said. Subbarao also urged his own family to install motion sensors and efficient lights in their home. "Yeah, of course I have to educate my parents. My mom doesn't know a single thing about saving energy," Subbarao said. "I find people my age know more about saving energy than the adults." His mother got on board, however. She discussed her son's suggestion with her husband and they decided to install motion sensors in four rooms, as well as in the backyard. The project's total cost was less than $200. "It's not at all difficult. The satisfaction you get when you're doing it and to see my son's happiness is wonderful," Yalamanchili said. "Of course, we will see the savings in our bills. We will get that investment back." While parents might want to share their young eco-warrior's passion, compromise is key, said Julie Ross, a parent and family therapist who has written three books on child rearing. Not every family can afford to install solar panels, but they can put on a sweater and turn down the thermostat, she suggested. If a new car isn't in the budget, a hybrid is out of the question, but car-pooling to school or turning off the car rather than idling when stopped in the pickup line might work. Some parents think composting toilets are way too big a hassle, but they're willing to share a flush. "I told my dad to buy a hybrid. I wish he would — they're better for the environment and they are cute," said Lawrence resident Gina Santana, a 17-year-old member of the Groundwork Lawrence Green Team. "I've been trying to get my mom to switch to green cleaning products. She's the one who buys the products, so I'm going to the store with her the next time. I also gave her a list of how to make her own green cleaning products at home, but she hasn't done it yet — she's always working. It seems like people around me don't even know about what's happening to the environment." But no matter how guilty your child might make you feel, Ross counsels parents not to beat themselves up. "This is a relatively new arena," she said. "It's obviously a hot topic. Hear their ideas, concerns, criticisms and brainstorm with them. Write down their suggestions. Some are going to be completely impractical, but put them down anyway. Make a list and pick a few things that are manageable." — The Associated Press contributed to this report. Getting eco-friendly Parents faced with the challenges of raising eco-warrior kids just need to take a little time to process their concerns, says Julie Ross, a family therapist in New York. Keep the acronym RRAC in mind, for Respect, Research, Acknowledge, Compromise: r Respect your child's point of view by listening. r Research your environmental options if you can't say "yes" to a request. r Acknowledge with pride your child's desire to create change. r Compromise when possible by taking "baby steps" toward a mutual goal. Here's how that could work: r Your son wants you to install solar panels, but you don't have the money to pay for them. Compromise by either setting aside a jar where you (and he) can contribute toward solar panels and/or agree to take action on another energy-saving front, unplugging appliances and turning off lights and computers when not in use, for example. r Your daughter begs you to buy a hybrid car, but a new car of any kind is not in your family budget. Research the cost of hybrids with your child so that you're not operating on assumptions, but on facts as well. Create a step-by-step plan to earn/save money to put away for a hybrid and use the car you have less by car-pooling with others. r Your children want you to ride a bicycle rather than drive the car. Research other ways to reduce your consumption of fossil fuels. Acknowledge that pollution from cars is a big issue. Examine ways you might be able reduce consumption in this area. r Plastic bags drive your kids nuts. But you're constantly shopping on the fly and forgetting to carry the nifty canvas bag they gave you for your last birthday. Do you promise to do better or explain that plastic is a fact of life? Acknowledge that you haven't been as conscientious as you should have been with regard to carrying the bag they gave you. Agree to use paper instead of plastic when you forget. r Your 8- and 12-year-old kids want to become vegetarians, but you're not convinced it's the right thing for your family. Provide research on free-range foods and see whether it makes a difference in their thinking on meat and poultry. Offer to cook some vegetarian dishes and give the children responsibility for some of the cooking. Source: Leanne Italie, Associated Press Web sites for green kids Many Web sites cater to kids who want to make the world a better place. Here are a few: r Adventures of Riley, adventuresofriley.com Learn how to tag and track Bengal tigers in Asia or print out a Cap Buffalo cutout on this companion Web site to the popular "Adventures of Riley" books that follow 9-year-old Riley, Uncle Max, Aunt Martha and Cousin Alice as they travel around the world learning about animal conservation. For a one-time fee of $3, children can join "Riley's World" and receive a membership kit complete with "passport," stickers and a quarterly newsletter. r Meet the Treetures, treetures.com Aimed at young children, nine small creatures are the "guardians and spirit of the tree." "Twigs," a grandfatherly character with an acorn-topped branch for a walking stick, instructs how to plant a tree, and "Mama Greenleaf," in a purple gingham dress, knows everything there is to know about leaves. Through the America the Beautiful Fund, the site offers free vegetable and flower seeds for community planting projects, though shipping and handling costs must be paid. r Global Warming for Kids, globalwarmingkids.net This portal for kids and teachers alike features an "energy action" kids corner with games, photos and downloads in four languages. The game "Climate Challenge" allows older kids to imagine themselves president of the European Nations as they attempt to persuade competing regional blocs to reduce carbon emissions. Elsewhere there is video, including Blue Man Group's head-bopping "Earth to America" skit warning of the dangers of global warming. r People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, petakids.com From profiles on "Xtreme Veg Athletes" like BMX rider Taj Mihelich to tips on becoming a vegetarian, the animal rights group targets kids of all ages. For $1, you can buy 60 anti-dissection "Respect All Life" stickers or play "Lobster Liberation" for free. Source: Associated Press
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