We breathe air every minute of every day to stay alive. That's why it's so important to keep the air clean! Unfortunately, many of the things we do every day make pollutants (millions of tiny specks of dirt or chemicals) that get released into our air.
Explore Environmental Elementary to learn how you can help keep the air clean so we can all breathe easier!
- We need to breathe clean air to live, play and stay healthy. It makes sense to want to keep the air as clean as possible!
- Trees are awesome. They can filter carbon dioxide (a gas that can make air dirty) right out of the air and give us clean oxygen in return.
- Does your schoolyard have trees? Ask your teacher if your class can plant a tree!
- When heat and light mix with air pollution (millions of tiny specks in the air) it makes smog. When a lot of smog gets in the air, you should try to play inside so the dirty air does not get in your body and make you feel sick.
- Riding your bike is great for the air! You don't pollute at all because a bike uses kid-power instead of gasoline to make it go.
- When the air quality is poor it means the air is really dirty from pollution. This makes it really hard for people with asthma, babies and the elderly to breathe. Help your community! Remind people to limit their time outdoors when the air quality is bad.
- Riding the bus can help prevent air pollution because it reduces how many cars are on the road! Cars run on gasoline, which is a fossil fuel. Burning fossil fuels makes a lot of air pollution. Ask your family to leave the car at home sometimes and take the city bus instead.
- We all know smoking is really bad for your body. But did you know it also pollutes the air? Thankfully, the government has laws that say people can't smoke inside restaurants, public spaces and schools (of course)!
- Did you know a lot of people drive their cars just a few blocks? Ask your family to walk instead of driving for short trips. It's better for the air and you get exercise, too.
- Did you know that using electricity can pollute the air? Power plants burn fossil fuels to make the electricity we use at home and at school. Using less electricity means power plants burn less fossil fuels. So turn OFF those lights!
