Community Service Paper on Environmental Education

For my community service, I decided to volunteer at a camp that provides environmental education for 5th grade students. Volunteers are needed to be counselors who watch and support the students’ education while at the camp. By volunteering, I am also supporting the need for environmental education everywhere in the world.

Part I

It has been debated whether or not environmental education or even the basic knowledge of environmental issue in the world are important enough to be included in academic curriculum worldwide. Many believe that both students and adults need to be informed of the issues in the environmental and what communities need to do to help. While others tend to think that the “environmental issues” at hand are merely myths and do not need great attention in schools and in communities. However, there are many people out there who have not made a choice for either side because they lack the resources for gaining the knowledge they need in order to make an educated decision whether or not to include a large part of school curriculum about the environment.

A very popular environmental issue is global warming. The earth is warming at an unnatural rate (Image 1) which, increases the average temperature, change the rainfall amount and patterns, increases water and air pollution, increases the frequency and severity of wildfires and other natural disaster, etc (“Health”). With these important consequences of climate change present and accounted for, this alone should prove that the environment should be taken a second glance at. To give an example of the severity of global warming, the increased temperature of the Earth melts glaciers and increases the sea level worldwide. This means that beaches will eroded into the sea and houses and buildings near the shores will have water knocking down their doors, slowly, but surely. Also, coastal states are warned to be prepared for hurricanes and other water natural disasters. Since hurricanes become stronger when the temperature of higher and there is more precipitation, this climate change will help these hurricanes grow and become stronger (Dean). Although these changes will take place slowly, they are still taking place.

Image 1: In the movie "The Inconvenient Truth," former
vice president, Al Gore, shows a graph that proves that
the warmer temperature is not natural.

An issue that both the environment and people are negatively affected by is air pollution. While air pollution weakens the ozone layer that prevents the Earth from being burnt to a crisp from the Sun’s rays, it also affects humans’ health. Air pollution increases the frequency of respiratory sicknesses such as asthma. And the worse the pollution is, the worse the respiratory problems (“How”). Even recently there has been a severe increase in air pollution in some regions. In fact, in Hong Kong, China there had been a measure of 400 points on the index level of air pollution when 100 points is classified as very high (Wassener). The entire city was covered in a large, dark gray cloud which can only be said to be depressing and shocking (Image 2). This, I believed, was a wakeup call to China. This country needed to act fast in order to inform their citizens of their pollution problem and encourage help to decrease the amount of pollution in the air. However, I also thought that it might be a little too late for the Chinese to act now. But, with no other choice, it is better late than never at this point.

Image 2: Hong Kong has a great amount of air
pollution present which is seen above as a large,
dark gray cloud.

The U.S.’s use of “dirty” energy is not only hurting the environment but it is also inefficient. The fossil fuels that take millions of years to produce (Image 3) are running low and there are many new, “clean” energy utilities that can be used. Still, the world is relying on the unrenewable, cheap resources of energy because it is comfortable with the old ways of getting energy (“Energy”). But the world should at least start to transition to using energy efficient devices. True, the new technology is more expensive, but it will be worth it when both the environment and people can coexist peaceably.

Image 3: This picture show how fossil fuels are
made; it take millions of years of pressure
to create this resource for energy.

These issues and many others should be brought to the attention of students and adults. Requiring teachers to have a unit on current environmental issues and ways to help out the environment and making environmental information more accessible and reliable will help spread the word on the issues.

Part II

The U.S. government has various acts and laws to protect the environment; most of them were passed in the 1970s, a time of extreme environmental consciousness, while Gerald R. Ford was serving as president. The Clean Air Act (1970) and the Clean Water Act (1972) set standards that regulate pollution in the air and water. The wildlife that is endangered or threatened is protected and is trying to recover with the help of the Endangered Species Act (1973) (NRDC). Environmental laws and acts from the late 1940s until the 2000s have helped the U.S. on its way to being completely environmentally conscious.

The federal government has recently been taking steps towards becoming more energy efficient because it uses 1.5% of the U.S.’s energy and emits the most greenhouse gases. Different departments have made goals and actually finished energy efficient projects. For example, the Central Intelligence Agency, C.I.A., built two extremely energy efficient buildings that uses 20% less energy than their other buildings (Broder B). It is critical that the government teaches by example. When U.S. citizens see that the government values their effect on the environment, many will become more involved in protecting the environment and will want to spread their knowledge of the issues in the environment the world faces.

Now, the E.P.A., Environmental Protection Agency, was created in order to help: the environment and humans to coexist peaceably, prevent damage or harm to the environment, and encourage the complete understanding of the importance of our natural resources (“The”). However, it seems that the E.P.A. is not helping as much as it can because in 2006 Massachusetts and other states petitioned the E.P.A. to regulate carbon emissions that were coming from new motor vehicles. It was argued that under the Clean Air Act (1970), the E.P.A. was required to regulate the greenhouse gases. The E.P.A. countered this statement saying that the act did not give it authority to regulate the gases. The final decision of the Supreme Court in the case Massachusetts v. E.P.A. ended five votes for Massachusetts and four for the E.P.A. (“Massachusetts”). Still, recent news has shown that the E.P.A. has delayed the requirement of pollution permits for industries; this may end up in a lawsuit against the E.P.A. (Broder A). Some people would think that a government-run program started to protect the environment would actually do that. Although no one knows the real story of why there are so many delays to help out the environment, the states should still support each others’ views on the importance of spreading the knowledge of what is happening to the environment.

Part III

There needs to be a team effort between the government, communities, and schools in order to resolve these environmental issues or, more realistically, better the situations.

The government can help by passing more laws that protect the environment and conserve its resources. Also, government officials should try to lead this environmental revolution by practicing green ways and supporting green projects and businesses. Many look to the government and trust it to lead them where they need to go and to tell them what is important to deal with. Probably the most important government official right now is the president, Barack Obama, has been working with the Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, to reform education of minors by including environmental studies (“Environmental”). Since President Obama has such a powerful voice in the U.S., he can use this to inform Americans that it is important that they need to know about environmental issues.

Communities need to let children and adults have access to knowledge to the issues in the environment. If a community can support one cause, then they can inspire others to come together and support the same cause. Putting on fairs, meetings or other gatherings in the community that focus on gaining knowledge about the environment can help bring people in the same communities together. In Florida on May 1^st, the A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway will put on a environmental education fair that can teach families and others ways to conserve the coastal environment (“Friends”). Even focusing on one type of ecosystem in the environment can help open up peoples’ minds to helping out the environment as a whole.

In schools, teachers should take time to inform their students about current events dealing with the environment and ways to help it. Visual learning for children is popular; so, taking students on a field trip, such as, to a camp that is environmentally friendly, it can have a positive effect on the students’ learning. Environmental camps in New York, hosted by the Department of Environmental Conservation, are available to students 12 to 17 years old during the summer. During these camps, children learn about what is happening to the environment today and how they can help in a fun way (“Youths”). I have learned firsthand that children really open up to what they are exposed to at environmental camp. After a week of being immersed in the environment and being taught, unknowingly, about conserving resources and saving the environment,the children were so excited to know all that they learn and were determined to continue their efforts in saving the environment.

I believe that as long as people are persistent with supporting the environment, the world will become more environmental conscious and everyone will receive education about environmental issues.

Image 4: I'm watching the kids as they play in
the tide pools with the naturalists

Image 5: The sign of Camp Loma Mar where
environmental camp takes place.

Works Cited

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Wassener, Bettina. “Hong Kong Issues Warning as Air Pollution Sets Record." New York Times - Environment. New York Times, 22 Mar 2010. Web. 11 Apr 2010. <>.

"Youths May Apply For Environmental Education Camps." The Ithaca Journal. 08 Mar. 2010. Web. 11 Apr. 2010. .