# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Habitat

Habitats provide food, shelter, water, and resources that animals, plants, and people all need to survive. People have also found uses for habitats for farms and agriculture, roads, and buildings. However, when one part of the habitat is disrupted or the entire habitat is lost, it can make it very difficult for animals, plants, and people to survive. As resources disappear, animals can become endangered and are at risk of extinction. Some habitats are much more threatened than others, such as rainforests, coral reefs, wetlands, farm fields, and old-growth forests. Thankfully there are ways we can fight to protect and restore habitats!

Climate Change and Habitat Loss

One of the less obvious contributors to climate change is habitat loss. However, after the burning of fossil fuels, habitat loss is the most significant source of climate change. When forests, marshes, grasslands, and reefs are harmed or destroyed for agricultural, industrial, or residential use, this releases even more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This can be made even worse by burning, which is a common practice to clear land in many countries land.

The United Nations concluded in a 2018 report that the most effective way to fight climate change might be to save habitats and plant trees, which can take carbon dioxide out of the air through photosynthesis and carbon sequestration.

Consider This...

How do people use habitat space?

How do animals use habitat space?

Are there similarities or differences in how habitat space is needed?

What are ways we could protect an existing habitat?

What are ways we could restore a habitat that has been lost or degraded?

Is this a good solution for everyone, or just certain people?

How might this affect more than just one animal?

How can we learn more from different perspectives?

How can we use our understanding to help wildlife?

Explore Further

Interested in growing your understanding of changes in a habitat? Check out the activities below! These can be distributed directly to students through your virtual classroom or sent via email, or can be printed and distributed to students in person.

Reporting Your Results

Make sure to keep track of everything you do and share as much of your story as possible, such as:

How many events or programs did you create or host? What were they?

How many habitats did you work on or create?

How many acres or miles were you able to protect or restore?

How many plants did you distribute or plant?

What were you hoping to accomplish?

What immediate and future implications does your work have on local animals and people

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Habitats provide food, shelter, water, and resources that animals, plants, and people all need to survive. People have also found uses for habitats for farms and agriculture, roads, and buildings. However, when one part of the habitat is disrupted or the entire habitat is lost, it can make it very difficult for animals, plants, and people to survive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Waste

In order to accomplish the things we need, people can often create a lot of waste. In fact, Americans create over 254 million tons of landfill waste each year. Landfill waste is defined as anything that we throw out as garbage that ends up in landfills, which are large areas of land where we store trash. Efforts to rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle the way we use material items can prevent waste from ending up in a landfill. In fact, over 75% of all waste can be recycled in some way.

Climate Change and Waste

The waste we produce is also a major factor in climate change. This includes everything from foam take out containers to food waste to clothes that get thrown out. When materials end up in landfills, it decomposes and starts to produce greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane. Production of new products (including harvesting new materials or manufacturing) to replace waste is also a huge factor, as is requires energy and water.

Consider This...

What are some actions that create waste?

What are ways to properly dispose of waste?

How can we rethink, refuse, reduce, reuse, or recycle the materials that we use?

Are there alternative materials that can be recommended to create less waste?

How would these alternatives be helpful to people?

Is this a good solution for everyone, or just certain people?

How can we learn more from different perspectives?

How can we use our understanding to help wildlife?

Explore Further

Interested in growing your understanding of waste? Check out the activities below! These can be distributed directly to students through your virtual classroom or sent via email, or can be printed and distributed to students in person.

Reporting Your Results

Make sure to keep track of everything you do and share as much of your story as possible, such as:

How many events or waste programs did you host or create? What were they?

What were you hoping to accomplish?

How much (quantity, weight, material) waste were you able to divert from landfills?

How many gallons of water were saved?

How many CO2 emissions were conserved?

What immediate and future implications does your work have on local animals and people?

Note: If your group isn't able to weigh the items that you collect, do your best to estimate what the weight might be. For example: A plastic gallon milk carton weighs about 60 grams, or 0.1322 lbs. If you know you collected 50 milk cartons, then you diverted 6.61 lbs. of plastic from landfills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In order to accomplish the things we need, people can often create a lot of waste. In fact, Americans create over 254 million tons of landfill waste each year. Landfill waste is defined as anything that we throw out as garbage that ends up in landfills, which are large areas of land where we store trash.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Water

Did you know that only 1% of the earth's water is drinkable? Some industries, like making clothes, bottling water, and large-scale cattle ranching, can use a huge amount of water every day. In addition, the average American typically uses between 80 and 100 gallons of water per day. We often use water to drink, to clean, and to cook. No all of the water we use is used fully however. In addition, many human activities also result in waste that can then pollute our drinkable water sources.

Climate Change and Water

​Many people do not realize that the water we use every day requires a significant amount of energy to purify, transport, and pump through our homes. The energy used to this contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Polluted water takes more effort to purify, and thus uses more energy. Wasted water is costly for the environment, whether it's in our homes or being used by a large company. Reducing leaks at home, cleaning up a freshwater source, and petitioning companies to use less water can seriously help the planet.

Consider This...

What are ways that people need to use water?

What are some causes of water being wasted?

What are some causes of water being polluted?

Are there alternative actions that could be used to use less water?

Are there alternative actions that could be used to keep water clean?

How would these alternatives be helpful to people?

Is this a good solution for everyone, or just certain people?

How can we learn more from different perspectives?

How can we use our understanding to help wildlife?

Explore Further

Interested in growing your understanding of water usage? Check out the activities below! These can be distributed directly to students through your virtual classroom or sent via email, or can be printed and distributed to students in person.

Reporting Your Results

Make sure to keep track of everything you do and share as much of your story as possible, such as:

How many events or programs did you host? What were they?

What were you hoping to accomplish?

How many gallons of water were saved?

How much did water quality improve?

How many CO2 emissions were conserved? Note: Once you've determined the total number of gallons of water per month that you've saved, you can convert that into the pounds of CO2 emissions reduced by multiplying the number of gallons by 0.009.

What immediate and future implications does your work have on local animals and people?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Did you know that only 1% of the earth's water is drinkable? Some industries, like making clothes, bottling water, and large-scale cattle ranching, can use a huge amount of water every day. In addition, the average American typically uses between 80 and 100 gallons of water per day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Policy

You might think that something is unfair and may want to make a big change in how people do things, whether it's in your community, your state, or the entire world. That's a policy change. Talk to the people around you. What are some issues or challenges that they would like to be changed? We can work together to brainstorm sustainable alternatives, make solutions that positively impact our community, and create a full action plan for your policy campaign. There are a lot of different ways to make your voices heard as you speak out for wildlife. Protests, marches, petitions, boycotts, letters, phone calls, social media, are all ways to amplify our voices. Even the biggest policy changes start small and local but can grow and grow!

Climate Change and Policy

In order to address climate change properly, policy changes are needed to uplift and encourage environmentally-friendly actions. Policy change can help to create guidelines for companies and residences in proper energy, water, habitat and waste use, and can provide support to people that may not have access to sustainable alternatives. In this way, these changes can help reduce greenhouse gas emission long term. Overall, changes in policy can have a big impact on strengthening our country and our world's climate resilience.

Consider This...

What are some things you wish you could change?

Are there people that agree with the changes you want to make?

How can we learn more from different perspectives?

Is this a good solution for everyone, or just certain people?

How can you work together to brainstorm sustainable alternatives?

How can we use our understanding to help wildlife?

What plan create we make to amplify our voices?

Who can we reach out to in order to make a larger impact?

Explore Further

Interested in growing your understanding of policy change? Check out the activities below! These can be distributed directly to students through your virtual classroom or sent via email, or can be printed and distributed to students in person.

Reporting Your Results

Make sure to keep track of everything you do and share as much of your story as possible, such as:

Who did you reach out to? How many letters or conversations did you have?

What were you hoping to accomplish?

What immediate and future implications does your work have on local animals and people?

What measurable impacts does it have on water, energy, waste, or habitat?

How many people were impacted?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You might think that something is unfair and may want to make a big change in how people do things, whether it's in your community, your state, or the entire world. That's a policy change. Talk to the people around you. What are some issues or challenges that they would like to be changed?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Energy

Most energy today is produced by burning fossil fuels, which releases greenhouse gases into the air. Corporations are responsible for a large portion of energy usage around the world, but we also rely on energy for many of our everyday needs: lighting, heating and cooling, charging devices, transportation. However, there are certainly a lot of things we can do to cut down on the amount of energy we use and work towards making change in certain industries.

Climate Change and Energy

​Energy generation operations account for 86% of all greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans, so lessening our energy usage could have a major impact on our climate. In total, 28% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States are attributed to electricity production. Over 75% of electricity worldwide is produced by using energy sources such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Burning of fossil fuels is also a major component in transportation. In the United States it accounts for about 29% of greenhouse gas emissions. This includes personal transportation like cars, planes, and mass transit, but much of this is for shipping of goods. There are alternative energy sources which do not produce greenhouse gases, such as wind, solar, and geothermal, but their use is still quite rare.

Consider This...

What are ways that people need to use energy?

What are some actions that could result in wasted energy?

Are there ways we could use less energy every day?

What are alternatives to using energy?

How would these alternatives be helpful to people?

Is this a good solution for everyone, or just certain people?

How can we learn more from different perspectives?

How can we use our understanding to help wildlife?

Explore Further

Interested in growing your understanding of energy usage? Check out the activities below! These can be distributed directly to students through your virtual classroom or sent via email, or they can be printed and distributed to students in person.

Reporting Your Results

Make sure to keep track of everything you do and share as much of your story as possible, such as:

How many events or programs did you host? What were they?

What were you hoping to accomplish?

How many kilowatt hours (kWh) were conserved?

How many CO2 emissions were conserved? Note: Once you have calculated the total number of kilowatt-hours of electricity you are reducing per month, you can convert that number into the pounds of CO2 emissions reduce by multiplying the number by 1.559.

What immediate and future implications does your work have on local animals and people?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Most energy today is produced by burning fossil fuels, which releases greenhouse gases into the air. Corporations are responsible for a large portion of energy usage around the world, but we also rely on energy for many of our everyday needs: lighting, heating and cooling, charging devices, transportation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Earth has a superpower-it sports an invisible shield.

Earth is surrounded by a cloud of gas called the plasmasphere. This cloud interacts with rings of particles that also surround the planet to create an invisible shield. The "armor" deflects superfast electrons that zip through space and could harm Earth if they were able to enter the atmosphere.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Get the dirt on our planet and what makes it so awesome.

# data[].attributes.headline
How to Throw An (Almost) Zero-Waste Birthday Party

# data[].attributes.subject
How to Throw An (Almost) Zero-Waste Birthday Party

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
From tiny plastic toys that fill your junk drawers to juice boxes that get tossed, the "stuff" of birthday parties can create a lot of waste. And while reaching zero waste might stay a someday-goal, reducing throwaways while amping up your kid's party is totally doable.

"Making an effort is half the battle," says Christa C. Dunlap, program director at California State University of Northridge's Child and Family Studies Center. She runs the Lab School preschool on campus, where she reuses and repurposes materials as much as possible-from turning the university's scrap into drawing paper to composting leftover snacks. "You're teaching how to take care of the planet and think sustainably from a very young age," she says. Here's how to make your party great for both kids and the Earth.

Consider (digital) invitation only

OK, this one might seem obvious. But today's digital invitations do look just like the real thing, but without the pileup in someone's recycling bin. Give the birthday kid a sense of control and creativity by letting her help design the invitation. She can choose the theme, of course, but don't forget fonts, colors, envelope liners, and even the digital stamp.

Have an Earth-friendly food fest

Try these creative ways to trim down on the disposable stuff.

Mix it up. Instead of picking up food in plastic packaging, consider buying in bulk and creating a trail mix buffet. Put dried fruit, chocolate chips, granola, and home-popped popcorn in juice pitchers so kids can pour their own treats-without grubby fingers touching the goods. Guests can pour their mixes into washable bowls or to-go paper boxes.

Grab and go. Cut down on paper plates and plasticware by choosing grabbable goodies like mini sandwiches, cut veggies, or pizza. If your party is at home, kids can make their own pita-bread pizzas that you warm up (and then cool off before sensitive hands grab and go). Disposable palm leaf plates or washable dinnerware are Earth-friendly options for small parties; for bigger groups, think about simply eating off a napkin-maybe even a cloth one.

Pour house. Juice boxes might be convenient, but they aren't recyclable. So consider pitchers of lemonade and water. To minimize those millions of cups, have markers ready to write names on each kid's drink.

Take the cake. Even cake can work without piles of paper plates and plastic utensils. "I always like cake pops-but without the sticks," Dunlap says. "Or you can pre-cut brownie squares." A donut tower is a photogenic, plate-free options too.

Avoid one-and-done decorations

When it comes to decorating for the shindig, you can save the Earth and your wallet by getting creative. Save some time, too, by having the kids participate.

Chain reaction. Even very young children can make paper chains using scrap paper, old wrapping paper, or magazines. Save the chains, then add to them each year.

Art show. Got stacks of your kid's artwork? Clip the birthday child's creations to kite string and hang it along the walls, no tape necessary. (Just make sure you don't have a shy kid who'd be embarrassed by the display.)

Rainbow rubbings. Kids can make these using large, fresh, found leaves. Lay newspaper or scrap paper over the top, then make crayon rubbings in bright colors. Have kids cut out the rubbings and string them up with your help.

Get a real return on gifts

Let's be honest: Most birthday gifts from other kids are things your child could do without, and usually end up crammed in a closet-and then trashed. And though you've probably heard of children who give up presents in favor of charitable donations, the hard truth is that a lot of kids just won't buy in. The trick is to offer a zero-waste alternative that satisfies both the givers and the giftee. Try these tips:

* "No gifts, please!" on the invitation will likely be ignored. Instead, offer an option for guests to donate to a much-wanted single gift, or to an experience like an amusement park trip or a concert ticket.

* Make your wishes clear on the invitation. Add something like "If you must give a gift, this year, Ari is saving his pennies for ... " For little kids, express their passion with something like, " You might already know how much Kemi loves animals ... " Older children can add a personal message about their gift goal.

* Specify a small amount, like "up to five dollars." It adds up fast and will save both time and money for most gift givers.

* Older birthday kids might agree to completely giving up gifts in exchange for a fancier cake or a special venue as the gift.

Do fellow parents a (party) favor

Raise your hand if you could live without your kid bringing home yet another forgettable party favor. Ever. Try these DIY alternatives as both activities and no-waste keepsakes.

Picture this. Start by taking photos of the birthday girl or boy with guests as they arrive. Most chain drugstores have apps that upload your prints, so while the party is revving up, you or a helper can print and pick up the photos-usually within half an hour-for a few cents a shot. Then at a crafting table, give each guest a photo mat to decorate. (Find them at crafts stores.) When the mats are done, each child's photo can be "framed" with a little tape on the back.

Go green. Give each child a mini terra-cotta pot, soil, and seeds. Decorate the pot, then plant.

Paint the rainbow. "Try buying 12-packs of white cotton handkerchiefs that kids can tie-dye," Dunlap says. "They become reusable napkins for lunchboxes." Pre-mixed dye kits come with bottle applicators, so they're low-mess with bright results. Wash the creations in very hot water to "fix" the dye.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to throw an (almost) zero-waste birthday party

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From tiny plastic toys that fill your junk drawers to juice boxes that get tossed, the "stuff" of birthday parties can create a lot of waste. And while reaching zero waste might stay a someday-goal, reducing throwaways while amping up your kid's party is totally doable.

# data[].attributes.headline
How Animals Are Affected by Plastic milk

# data[].attributes.subject
How Animals Are Affected by Plastic milk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Find out how pollution can hurt animals and what you can do to help.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A jaguar paces at the edge of a rainforest in Brazil. The big cat once roamed through a jungle packed with trees, but now part of its home is a working farm with herds of cattle that have taken over the jaguar's territory.

A hundred years ago, jaguars ranged from the southwestern United States to Argentina, in South America. Today their territory has shrunk by more than half, and they live mostly in the Amazon rainforest. And jaguars aren't the only animals losing their homes-according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, habitat loss is the main threat to about 85 percent of all endangered plant and animal species.

LIVING ON THE EDGE

Tropical rainforests cover only about 7 percent of Earth's land, but they're home to an estimated half of all known plant and animal species. Most experts agree that about 80,000 acres disappear every day when trees are cut down for lumber and land is cleared for farms. Trees also play an important role in absorbing the carbon dioxide that contributes to climate change. Fewer forests means that more greenhouse gases remain trapped in the atmosphere.

Grasslands, underwater habitats, and wetlands are also at risk of habitat loss. For instance, the World Wildlife Fund estimates that about half of the world's wetlands have disappeared in the last hundred years due to being drained for farmland or other industries. That means less space for animals to feed, breed, and raise their young.

SHARING WITH WILDLIFE

Finding a balance between what humans and animals need will help prevent habitat destruction. Some scientists think that if we put aside half of Earth's land and water for nature, we could save up to 90 percent of all species. In the meantime, your everyday actions can build a better planet. Check out these tips to find out what you can do to protect Earth's wild places.

Habitat: The area where a plant or animal lives

Wetland: A habitat where water doesn't drain well-think swamps and marshes.

Grassland: A habitat where the majority of the plants are grasses

Sustainability: Using Earth's resources in a way that doesn't permanently harm the planet. For example, sustainable paper likely is made from trees that will be replaced in their environment.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Clearing trees and and draining wetlands destroy habitats and affects the animals that live there. Here's how you can help.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ditch microbeads

Don't use face wash or toothpaste with microbeads. (If the ingredients label lists polyethylene or polypropylene, the item likely contains microbeads.) These tiny plastic beads go down the drain, eventually flowing to rivers, lakes, and the ocean. There they can be mistaken for food by fish and sea turtles-a dish that could be deadly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Meet the teenager whose one-person protest sparked a worldwide climate revolution! Discover more about this young eco-hero in our top ten Greta Thunberg facts...
Who is Greta Thunberg?

1) Greta Thunberg is an environmental activist. She was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2003. When she was eight, she started learning about climate change. The more she learned, the more baffled she became as to why so little was being done about it.

2) At the age of 11, Greta became so sad about climate change that she temporarily stopped speaking!

3) Greta has Asperger syndrome, a condition that affects how people socialise. But Greta views her condition as a positive, calling it her "superpower"! She says it helps her see the world in black and white, and that there are "no grey areas when it comes to climate change."

4) In August 2018, Greta decided to take action. Instead of going to school, she made a large sign that read ' SCHOOL STRIKE FOR CLIMATE ', and calmly sat down outside the Swedish parliament. Her aim? To make politicians take notice and act to stop global warming.

5) Greta was inspired by teenage activists in Florida, USA, who were protesting to end gun violence. Read more about the School Strike for Climate protests that Greta inspired!

6) Greta's strike was picked up by the Swedish media, and the word started to spread. Soon enough, tens of thousands of students from around the world joined her #FridaysforFuture strikes - skipping school on Fridays to protest against climate change.

Greta with her original sign outside the Swedish parliament.

7) In March 2019, climate campaigners across the world, and inspired by Greta, came together to co-ordinate the first Global Strike for Climate. It was huge - over 1.6 million people from 125 countries took part! There are further global strikes planned for September this year.

8) Since her strike began, Greta's life has become a whirlwind! She's given rousing speeches to politicians, to the EU parliament, the UK parliament, to protesters and more. She's appeared in documentaries and had loads of books and articles written about her. She's even been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize!

9) In August 2019, Greta travelled on a wind and solar-powered boat from Plymouth, UK, to New York, USA - the journey took 15 days! Greta will be at the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York, where she'll demand action from world leaders.

10) Greta has named Rosa Parks, the civil rights activist, as one of her greatest inspirations. In the 1950s, Rosa sparked a civil rights movement that improved the lives and treatment of millions of African Americans.

What do you think of our Greta Thunberg facts? Let us know by leaving a comment, below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Who is Greta Thunberg, and is she making a difference? Discover more about this young eco-hero in our top ten Greta Thunberg facts...

# data[].attributes.headline
13 Ways to Save the Earth from Pollution

# data[].attributes.subject
13 Ways to Save the Earth from Pollution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
You might use plastic water bottles, yogurt cups, and straws for just a day, but they can remain in the environment for years. And that pollution can harm habitats and the animals that live there. Cut down Earth's trash with these tips.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
13 ways to save the Earth from pollution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You might use plastic water bottles, yogurt cups, and straws for just a day, but they can remain in the environment for years. And that pollution can harm habitats and the animals that live there. Cut down Earth's trash with these tips.

# data[].attributes.headline
13 Ways to Save the Earth from Habitat Destruction

# data[].attributes.subject
13 Ways to Save the Earth from Habitat Destruction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Just like people, animals need homes. But when too many forests are cleared to plant crops and build roads, and too many seabeds are destroyed to gather fish, critters struggle to survive. This is called habitat destruction. Read on to learn how small changes from you can mean big help for wildlife.

Tech turnaround

Cell phones and computers contain a mineral mined from African habitats where gorillas and chimpanzees live. The minerals can be reused, so always recycle your tech. (Bonus: It keeps toxic chemicals from polluting soil and water near landfills.)

Scrap junk mail

Is your house full of mail from places like banks and utility companies? Ask your parents to sign up for online alerts. And make sure to recycle newspapers, magazines, and other paper in your home.

Flush clean

Flush only your own waste and toilet paper-no medicine, cleaning wipes, cotton balls, paint, or pet poo. This trash can eventually travel into the water system and affect the animals that live there.

Money makes a difference

Work a lemonade stand, host a bake sale, or sell homemade jewelry to raise funds to protect wildlife and their habitats.

Watch your water

Using too much water from lakes and rivers can affect animals' habitat. Conserve this resource by taking five minute showers, turning off the faucet when you brush your teeth, and bugging your parents to fix leaky pipes.

Picky paper

People cut down about 15 billion trees every year, some of it to make paper. Save your sheets by using the back, buying recycled paper, and asking your teacher to sometimes switch from printed homework to online assignments.

Flower power

Ask your parents to plant a garden full of local trees, flowers, and shrubs to provide habitats for native bees, birds, and other animals.

Farewell to fertilizer

Plant fertilizer can dump extra nutrients into the water system, which might create wildlife-killing algae blooms in the ocean. Local flowers, though, don't need as much fertilizer to help them grow. Encourage your parents to plant them.

Sharing is caring

Habitats are often disrupted to create more stuff for people. So try your best to use less: Visit the local library instead of buying a DVD, share games and toys with friends, and reuse school supplies.

Photo credits: Michael Poliza, National Geographic Creative (gorillas);Republica, Getty Images (boots); Jonathan Irish, National Geographic Creative (park); Martin Fowler, Shutterstock (frog); PICSFIVE, Shutterstock (chocolate); CDuschinger, Shutterstock (flowers)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
13 ways to save the Earth from habitat destruction

# data[].attributes.headline
13 Ways to Save the Earth from Climate Change

# data[].attributes.subject
13 Ways to Save the Earth from Climate Change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
13 ways to save the Earth from climate change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What is climate change? What could happen? Get all the facts you need to know.

# data[].attributes.headline
13 Ways to Save the Earth from Declining Biodiversity

# data[].attributes.subject
13 Ways to Save the Earth from Declining Biodiversity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
13 ways to save the Earth from declining biodiversity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
See how you can make a difference, then pledge to help animals.