I Have the Responsibility to Save Natural Resources

Hi everyone,

Last night at home we had a power failure – no electricity! It’s really quite annoying when that happens. My mom explained to me that Eskom, the company that makes electricity for all the homes in the country, sometimes has to cut power to houses so it can save electricity. The amount of coal they have is very limited, so they have to save electricity whenever they can. Eskom cuts power to different places at different times so they don’t have to cut it to the whole country at the same time. This is called load shedding. This got me thinking that we can help the situation by trying to save electricity in every way we can. This falls under kids rights and responsibilities. I Have the Responsibility to Save Natural Resources.

Gugu and I did some research on the topic and this is what we discovered:

Alternative energy sources are sources of energy other than the regular ones like coal, oil and gas. Coal, oil and gas are known as fossil fuels, formed from plants and animals that lived up to 300 million years ago. They are burned to give humans the energy they need. The problem with relying on fossil fuels for all our energy is that they are a finite resource, which means they will someday run out. Another problem is that when you burn fossil fuels you produce a huge amount of carbon dioxide.

You might ask what’s wrong with carbon dioxide since this is a gas we all produce every time we breathe out. The answer lies in how much carbon dioxide is being produced. Too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is very harmful to the environment. After the rays from the sun hit the earth they should bounce back towards the sun. The problem is that emissions from cars and power stations, contain too much carbon dioxide and this is preventing the suns rays from bouncing back towards the sun. The heat from the sun is trapped in the atmosphere and the earth is getting warmer than it should be. Eventually this warmth could build up until the whole earth begins to dry up. Ponds and streams might disappear and clean water could get even more scarce.

To let the heat out, we need to cut down on burning coal, oil and gas in cars and power plants. That means using less energy to travel places, to heat and light our buildings and to power factories. It also means finding alternative sources of energy such as wind energy, solar energy and hydro-electric power. These sources of energy are kinder to the environment because they do not produce carbon dioxide.

Leaders around the world have signed an agreement called the Kyoto Protocol. Countries now have to make sure they release much less carbon dioxide so the air we breathe can be healthy. People can help by using alternative energy sources, instead of coal, gas and oil. Saving energy at home, school and work is very important. Every bit we save saves our environment.
Here’s another story about a family and how they saved electricity:

Thabo and Palesa’s home had been without electricity for two days. Playing shadow puppets on the first night was fun, but on the second night, after having taken a cold bath, they weren’t in a good mood. Dad called the family together and as they sat by candlelight, he explained that the electricity was cut because he was behind on the payments. With the rising costs of food and petrol, dad said it was hard to keep up with paying all the bills on time. He said if they didn’t do something soon, even the water might get cut!

Scared of living in a dark, cold house without a drop of water to drink, or cook with or take a bath, Thabo and Palesa went to the library at their school to find information on how they could help save electricity and water around the house. This way, dad would be spending less money. There was so much information, Palesa and Thabo couldn’t wait to get home to show mom and dad. The best part of saving water and electricity was that they would not only be helping their father, they would also be helping to save the earth’s natural resources. This would ensure that there was enough electricity for their family and everyone else, even future generations.

As soon as they got home, Palesa and Thabo showed mom all the information they found. Dad would put off the geyser in the morning when they left for school and work, and he would put it on in the afternoon when they got back. He would also get a geyser blanket to keep the water in the geyser warm. This would help them cut about 21% of their electricity bill. Old light bulbs would be replaced with the new compact ones, which used up to 60% less electricity. Mom would also use a hot box when cooking, which was a special box that helped to cook food without using electricity. Everyone, including mom, had to spend no more than 5 minutes in the shower. Dad said it wouldn’t be a bad idea if mom spent less time using her hairdryer. Mom agreed, as long as dad fixed the taps when they had leaks, so water wouldn’t get wasted. Thabo and Palesa had one more thing for mom to do – defrost the fridge when it got packed with ice. This helped the fridge use less electricity. Mom agreed again, but said Thabo, Palesa and dad could take the food out of the fridge while it defrosted. What will you be doing when we do all this hard work, they asked? I’ll be sitting on the coach saving my energy, mom replied!

Kids Remember:

You too have the power to do things to save water and electricity in your home and at school. It’s little steps that make a big difference. Save water and electricity today, so there is enough for tomorrow. You have the right to have water and electricity. It’s your responsibility to save them. Remember, save water and electricity – every bit counts!

For some great tips on how to save electricity just click here.
and
to learn how you can save water click here.

Well, that's it for today, don' forget to write us and let The Justice Gang know how you feel about this right.




Bye for now Sfiso

I Have the Right to Live in a Clean Environment

Hi everyone,

I was walking home from school yesterday and I noticed how much rubbish and litter there was on the pavement, it looked terrible. I got to thinking that we should do something about this mess. We all have the right to live in a clean environment but that means we have the responsibility to reduce pollution.

We received this email from someone who saw our TV show:

Hey Justice Gang,

I wish I could shake some sense into my dad. He’s mad about cars and changes them almost as much as he changes his mind. He just bought a new four by four. He says it’s the best thing to drive up a mountain. He’s never even been near a mountain! My mom isn’t very happy, she says we could’ve used the money for something better. She says the car uses a lot of petrol, and petrol doesn’t come cheap. How can I get my dad to see that his car pollutes the environment? It’s my right to have clean air. The car needs to go!

Regards
Zuki

Sfiso and I decided this was definitely something for the Justice Gang to look into, and this is what we discovered when we did some research:

Have you ever wondered where the petrol that goes in your car comes from and why it is considered pollution? Petrol is made from oil, which is a fossil fuel. Fossil fuels are formed from plants and animals that lived on the earth up to 300 million years ago and are found deep in the earth.. When fossil fuels are burned to make petrol, this is called fossil fuel combustion. During fossil fuel combustion, a gas known as carbon dioxide is released and –if too much is produced - it is harmful to the environment. Excessive Carbon dioxide causes acid rain, which destroys plants, endangers sea life and buildings.


High levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is creating a layer around the earth that causes our atmosphere to hold on to MORE heat from the sun. This POLLUTION is affecting weather patterns around the world
Although the invention of motor vehicles has been useful to modern society, the number of cars on the roads is growing at a very fast speed everyday all over the world. Fossil fuel combustion, as it happens in motor vehicles, is one of the biggest contributors to air pollution in the world, along with the production of electricity through coal burning power plants.

Haven you ever noticed that many cars on the roads have one person in them – the driver. If more people used public transport, like trains, buses and taxis, or lift clubs we would be able to to reduce the number of cars on the roads, making sure that there is less pollution. In many cities around the world, they have a Car Free Day where owners of cars are encouraged to leave their cars at home and use public transport, so there will be less cars on the road and less pollution.

We also need to make sure our Cars are taken care of properly, so that they do not let off a lot of pollution.If your parents are thinking of buying a car, you can tell them they need to think about how their new car is going to affect the environment. A smaller car is better since it does not use as much petrol. They might not be able to afford an expensive hybrid car, but they can buy smaller. Tell them if they want to look after the environment for future generations, they need to start now!

It’s not just people who drive big cars that cause problems for the environment. Everyone uses electricity and making electricity also creates a huge amount of pollution.
We are all responsible for how we treat the planet and no-one is completely free of blame. We’ve all taken a deep bath, left a light burning unnecessarily, left cell phone chargers plugged in.


All of us can do something to help save the planet. Get your parents, friends and relatives to start recycling today. And, it's not just ordinary people who need to take better care of the environment, big companies need to play their part too!

Here's a story our friend and mentor Loveday Constitutional told us:

Zweli had been to the hospital for the second time that month. His chest wasn’t feeling too good. Doctor Ntombela said he would continue to have asthma attacks as long as there was too much sulphur dioxide in the air. She explained to Zweli and his father, Mr Khumalo, that sulphur dioxide was a gas released from factories and if its levels became too much, people would develop respiratory diseases like asthma. Doctor Ntombela said she was worried that many children from Zweli’s school, Roseview Primary, were often in hospital with asthma. Roseview Primary was built not too far from a big oil refinery, PetroFuel.


Later that day, a concerned Mr Khumalo called Zweli’s school principal, Mr Madontsela, to set up a meeting with other parents. They had to do something together as the community to help protect their children’s health. Surely if all this smog from PetroFuel was making their children sick, it was also harmful to the environment. Mr Madontsela agreed, and said learners were falling behind in their school work as they were often off with asthma. A meeting was set up for the next Thursday.

When Thursday came, the school hall was filled with parents and other community members, who wanted to put an end to air pollution. Some were upset and wanted PetroFuel to be shut down for good. But that would mean many of us would be without jobs, others replied. Mr Madontsela said factories could give off some pollution, but if it went beyond World Health Organisation safety standards, then the community could take action to force the factory to obey environmental laws. A decision was taken to form an Environmental Alliance, that would approach the Department of Health.



The Environmental Alliance went to the Health Department, where the problem was discussed. The Health Department sent some of its workers to have meetings with the big bosses of PetroFuel. After these meetings, samples of the air were taken in the community. These samples were sent for tests at special laboratories to see how much sulphur dioxide was in the air that the community breathed. The test results showed that there was far too much sulphur dioxide, which was making children at Roseview Primary ill with asthma. PetroFuel was found to be in violation of the World Health Organisation safety standards. PetroFuel was forced to do something to clean up the air. They had to add a special substance called a desulphurisation catalyst in its refining operations. This would help reduce the sulphur dioxide in the air. They also had to put in a new system to check how much sulphur dioxide they were releasing into the air.

After a few weeks of doing this, the air for learners at Roseview Primary was much cleaner. Learners could play outside. Parents and teachers were pleased. The Environmental Alliance agreed that this was good, but they would have to keep an eye on PetroFuel by taking air samples every now and then to see if the air was good to breathe. Zweli was pleased with all of this, especially with his father. Mr Khumalo realized that by standing up and taking action with the community, they could protect their children and the environment. Even for future generations.

Zweli’s story shows all of us that nothing is impossible. If you want to make a difference, you have to stand up for what you believe in.

Kids remember:

Forming groups of action is an easier way to make sure that the community’s interests are represented. Everyone can join in to make a difference in their environment. Click here to find out what you can do as a community to protect the environment.

That's it for now, don't forget to write to us with your comments or questions

Bye for now
Gugu

I Have the Right To Walk Lightly on the Earth

Hi everybody,

I hope you are all well, and managing to keep warm in this Winter weather. All of us tend to use a lot of fuel in Winter to keep warm whether it's gas, wood, coal, paraffin, or using double the amount of electricity. Unfortunately, although keeping warm is important, using all these extra natural resources isn't very good for the planet. Did you know that you have the Right to Walk Lightly on the Earth? Let's take a look at what this means.

Here's a letter we received from someone who watches our TV programme on the SABC.

Dear Justice Gang,

These days I can’t seem to stop worrying about all the stuff that gets made in factories every day; all the stuff that’s for sale in the shops. Where are we going to put it all? We’re drowning in stuff!! We seem to be using up more and more of the earth’s resources to produce more and more stuff. Don’t you ever worry that one day the earth is going to be so full of stuff that there’s not going to be any room for all the beautiful things like trees and flowers? Do we really need all the stuff we buy? As I see it, the main problem is that people don’t think twice before buying something. And they don’t recycle!! How on earth are we going to get people to stop and think about the stuff they buy before they buy stuff that’s just going to end up in the landfill in 6 months??!!

Yours Sincerely
Desperately-worried-about-the-planet

Now, here's something interesting we found out, Ecuador, which is a country in South America has become the first nation in the world to grant constitutional rights to the natural environment!! It means that now in Ecuador, rivers, forests, plants and animals have the same rights that humans do. If nature has the same rights as people then any damage to the environment in Ecuador is illegal, whether people are harmed or not! People do not have to prove that environmental hazards have harmed them or their property to make a claim against a polluter. This is groundbreaking!

Let's find out what we can do to help protect the environment:

One of the UN Millennium Development Goals is to ensure environmental sustainability, which means protecting the Environment for Future Generations. Governments can help by making laws to protect the environment, but isn’t it up to all of us to look after the earth, so that we have something to leave those who come after us? Do you ever stop to think about how your own activities affect the earth?

Like many teens around the world, your room is probably full of stuff, right? Okay I know kids in South Africa probably don’t have nearly the same amount of stuff as kids in richer countries, but we’ve probably got more than we really need. Come on be honest with yourself! Now have you ever wondered where all the stuff we buy comes from and where it goes when we throw it out? Do you try to tread lightly on the earth or do you walk heavily, not caring how much of the earths resources you use as long as you have everything you want?

We live on a finite planet, which means there are only so many natural resources available to make all the stuff that we own. And the truth is, we are using too much stuff and the planet is running out of resources. In the past three decades, one-third of the planet’s natural resources base has been used up. Gone!

Not only are we using up natural resources but over 100,000 synthetic chemicals are being mixed in with the natural resources to make the stuff. Hardly any of these have been tested for effects on human health. But you can be sure that if toxins are going into the stuff, it’s sure to come out and that will be in our homes, workplaces and schools.

If you are curious about how your activities affect the planet (and you should be!!), you can take a quiz that will show you what your ecological footprint is.

Definition:
Your ecological footprint is a measure of how much of the earths natural resources are needed to support your lifestyle.

Everyone has an ecological footprint because we all need to use the earth’s resources to survive. But we must make sure we don’t take more resources than the earth can provide. The quiz will show you how many planets would be needed if everyone in the world consumed the same way you do. You might find that it will take between 3 and 7 planets! But of course we don’t have 7 planets, or even 3. We only have 1 and we need to take care of it. Tread lightly on the planet, my friends, tread lightly!

1. To measure your environmental footprint visit http://www.earthday.net and click on Environmental Footprint. Or just click here.

2. If you are worried about Stuff, and want to find out more about the things you buy, where they come from and where they go, Google The Story of Stuff to watch a 20 minute animation by Annie Leonard. Or just click here.

Here's a story about a boy who helped his family to walk lightly on the earth. Maybe you can do the same.

"My name is Temba and I am 13 years old. The other day I measured my ecological footprint and was shocked to see that if everyone used the same amount of energy and resources as me, to live, then we would need 4 planets to support all the people in the world. I wondered how this could be possible? After all, I live in an ordinary family, in an ordinary house. We are comfortable but not super rich. How come it would take so many planets to support us? Then I started to look around my house. The bathroom light was on, even though there was no one in it. The outside porch light was on, even though it was broad daylight. My Dad’s cell phone charger was still plugged into the wall even though his cell phone was fully charged. My Mom drove my sister to her friend’s house, which was three blocks away. Then she came back, and five minutes later she went out in the car again because we needed bread and milk. I began to see how it was possible that 4 planets are needed to support families like ours.

I looked at all the packaging and empty containers, and plastic bags that ended up in our rubbish bin. If everyone has rubbish bins like ours, imagine how much rubbish must end up in the landfills each and every day. I found out that each household in South Africa produces about 1 tonne of waste each year! I also found out that 500 billion plastic bags are used in the world every year and that it takes about 400 years for plastics to break down in a landfill, and when they do break down, they release harmful toxins into the environment. Just look at all the rubbish that ends up in landfills:


That night I sat my family down and I told them about my ecological footprint and I invited them to sit at the computer and do their own. They were as shocked as I was to find out they were over-users of energy and resources.

Then I let them know a couple of hard-hitting facts:
About 550 000 tons of waste glass finds its way into landfills in South Africa each year
It takes one million years for a glass bottle to break down in a landfill.
Only 26% of all glass containers produced are taken for recycling
The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can run a 100-watt light bulb for four hours. It also causes 20% less air pollution and 50% less water pollution than when a new bottle is made from raw materials.

We decided, as a family, to make a greater effort to recycle as much as we could. The first thing we did was to set up a compost bin in the garden for all the vegetable peels and other organic waste. Next we set up a number of bins in the garage so that we could separate out our waste at the source to make it easier to take it for recycling. We also think about ways we can re-use things so that they don’t end up in the trash or in the recycling.

Recycling and Reusing, help to reduce your ecological footprint because energy is saved and pollution is decreased. Now our new family motto is: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle."

That's it for this week. Don't forget, we'd love to hear your stories, and if you need any help with questions, we'd be delighted to answer them.

Bye for now
Gugu

I Have the Right To a Sustainable Future

Hi all,

It's me Gugu here, and today we're going to be finding out about your Right to a Sustainable Future. This right was mentioned in the Millennium Development Goals. One of these goals is to protect the Environment for future generations. Protecting the environment for future generations means exactly that. All living things are connected and if anything in the environment is removed too fast or removed completely, it destroys the balance. When an environment is out of balance, many living things may have trouble surviving.

Let's look at an example:

Rhino’s are on the Endangered wildlife list, which means that there are not as many rhino’s in the world as there should be. When rhinos start to disappear from their habitat it changes the landscape and makes it difficult for other species to survive. For example, black rhinos in Africa only browse on tips of shrubs and small trees and this helps to prune the plant which is very helpful to other species. Fewer rhino’s mean that bushes and trees take over the land and species like antelope will have to leave the area to search for more suitable food. There’s another reason we need to protect rhino’s -rhino’s also eat a LOT and this means they POOP a lot.

Rhino poop is dry, and if you pick it apart you can often see some of the things the rhino has been eating; like seeds that will eventually germinate and grow into plants. By pruning bushes and small trees and spreading seeds through their poop, rhinos play a very important role in maintaining the health of the habitat they live in. This shows how everything is connected.

What you can do to help:

Doesn’t it seem sometimes that the world is in a big mess? Does all the work that needs to be done to solve the world’s problems sometimes weigh you down? Worrying about the big issues is all very well, but only Taking Action will make you feel better. If you would like to become a Doer instead of a Worrier, here’s how to take your first steps:

Identify the issue that matters to you most. Action needs a sharp focus to be effective. It’s hard to take action on big issues so try to focus on a smaller issue that helps the big goal. For example “Saving the Planet” is a Very Big Issue. But you can help out in your own neighbourhood by planting trees.

Do your research: once you have decided which issue you care about most, you will want to find out all there is to know. The more you know about your issue, the more effective your action will be.

Choose your approach: Much can be done as an individual but there is strength in numbers. Join an existing school, community or other local group working in your chosen field. If there is not an existing group, you could form your own group or club but remember this requires a lot of work and a long-term commitment.

Get Organised: Talk to people you know to see who will support you. Find out where you can get the money and other resources you will need. You could ask for permission to talk about the issue at school, or at your place of worship, or at a community gathering.
Set up a meeting: This is a good way to gather support. Ask for permission to put up posters announcing the meeting at school. The day before your meeting, remind as many people as you can about it.

Build Your Team: It’s nice to do things with your friends but you may need to get others involved.

To be effective you will want to have people with different skills in your group. You need people who are:

creative to think of good ideas for campaigning, fundraising and other forms of action;

artistic to help create posters and displays;

organized to help plan events and make your group function smoothly and efficiently;

good at writing to compose letters, speeches, press releases and so on;

logical to help solve problems; and make sure your goals are realistic

good at maths to take care of finances;

passionate and enthusiastic to keep people motivated and aiming high;

good communicators to negotiate, help overcome personality clashes, and run meetings;

Lastly you will need to elect, or agree on who should be responsible for specific roles and jobs in the group and establish rules that you all agree on.

Remember it is easier to work on issues that affect your own neighbourhood.

Think Global. Act Local!

You can also help by planting trees, and this is how to plant a tree:

Dig a square hole, half a metre wide by half a metre wide. Keep the dark topsoil separate from the lighter soil beneath it. Put the topsoil in the bottom of the hole.
Remove the plastic bag from the sapling and place the tree upright in the hole, so that the base of the tree is just below the ground level.
Next to the tree’s roots, plant a 2 litre plastic cool drink bottle, cut holes in the bottom of the bottle. The top of the cool drink bottle must stick out of the ground.
Mix a small amount of compost or kraal manure with the left over lighter soil, and pack it firmly in the hole.
Measure one spade length in distance around the tree. In this area, remove all grass and weeds. Water the tree and add 10 cm layer of mulch (leaves, straw, or strips of newspaper). The mulch must not touch the tree.
Place a wooden stake next to the tree, and tie it loosely to the trees trunk with soft material, such as a stocking to help the tree grow straight.
Fill the cool drink bottle with water once a week. Once you have watered the tree, put the lid on the bottle, to prevent evaporation.

Well that's all for now, remember to think local, act global and do your bit for the planet!

And don't forget, we'd love to hear from you, so drop us an email or leave us your comments!

Cheers
Gugu