211 Sherman Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07307-(201)217-6771

Environment

Dear Liberty Academy Charter School Family

Our planet is drastically changing. The choices we make now affecting it are becoming increasingly more important. If we continue abusing the planet as we have been-chopping down forests, wasting energy, polluting the air-we will begin seeing our planet deteriorate in ways that are irreversible. We are already seeing the change. Everyday, more and more forests are chopped down destroying animal habitat and leaving us with less oxygen in the air to breathe and more carbon dioxide ruining the atmosphere. Everyday, we burn more oil and release pollutants into the air that ruin our air quality creating more people with severe asthma or other breathing problems. Everyday, another organism or species gets added to the endangered or extinct list. Some of these plants, animals and organisms that are disappearing may hold the answers to a cure for Cancer, HIV or any of the other life-threatening diseases that are plaguing our society. Imagine a world where your children or grandchildren have no idea what tigers, polar bears, wolves or dolphins are because they have been wiped off the Earth because of human negligence. Everyday, our fresh water supply diminishes more and more-so much so that, if we don't find ways to conserve it soon, we may not have any left-AT ALL.

That's the bad news!

The good news is: SOMETHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT! We can work to lessen our carbon footprint by making a few simple decisions each day: recycling, changing to CFL lightbulbs, walking to the store instead of driving, taking a shorter shower-these are just a few of the ways that we can GO GREEN and change the future of the planet. But, we have to do it together. Conservation International has an initiative they began called "Team Earth." Let's join together and become a part of it, because TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Team Earth video

http://www.youtube.com/user/ConservationDotOrg#p/u/4/p5APwBNzqHc

Team Earth

http://www.teamearth.com/Pages/default.aspx

In the coming months, we'll be putting together a committee to address the areas that we can become Greener here at school. Our hope is, to not only make our school have a lesser impact on the environment, but also to educate our students and community of the importance of continuing these practices at home. We will incorporate environmental education into the curriculum. We will be holding contests and fundraisers geared towards organizations that deal with Conservation and Sustainability. We will have our students doing projects that will enhance their understanding of the environment and how important it is for us to protect it. Part of our Go Green initiative is to join "Eco-Schools," a branch of the National Wildlife Federation. It will provide us with the information and resources needed to green our school. It's not going to be a 1-2-3 process, but I'm a firm believer that when you have enough passion to see a project succeed-IT WILL!

Below is the link to "Eco-Schools," as well as some other organizations that are doing some amazing work in the field of environmental conservation. In these links, you can find the hard facts about why this is such an important step for us to take, as well as, some resources to help you become greener at home or work.

There's an old American Indian proverb that explains our NEED to take on such an endeavor that states: "WE DO NOT INHERIT THE EARTH FROM OUR ANCESTORS, WE BORROW IT FROM OUR CHILDREN." So let's join together and make sure the Earth continues on to be a safe and remarkably beautiful place--FOR OUR CHILDREN!

Eco-Schools

http://nwf.org/Global-Warming/School-Solutions/Eco-Schools-USA.aspx

Calculate Your Carbon Footprint with Conservation International's Carbon Calculater

http://www.conservation.org/act/live_green/carboncalc/Pages/default.aspx

Conservation International

http://www.conservation.org/Pages/default.aspx

Endangered Species

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/

The Water Crisis

http://water.org/

National Resources Defence Council "Green Living" Guide

http://www.nrdc.org/greenliving/