The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth

By Sophie Javna and EarthWorks Group

In The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth, Sophie and John have revised the original best-selling book for a concerned and vibrant Web 2.0 youth market. It's easy-to-do and kid-friendly projects show that kids can make a difference, and each chapter is packed with tons of links to groups and resources. What makes this book stand out, though, is that it doesn't just inform kids, it encourages them to make a difference by providing them, their friends and their families the tools to take action.

Together, John and Sophie enlighten, educate, and encourage our children with easy and smart ways to save the earth. Pretty darn cool, huh? We thought so. What you can do: Order now and help save the only earth we've got.

Mother Earth needs our help now. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Mar 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9780740790812

Book preview

A NOTE TO KIDS

There are lots of things that grown-ups are allowed to do, but most kids aren’t: Stay up past 11:30…wear short sleeves when it’s raining…eat chocolate for dinner. The list goes on. But here’s one important thing grown-ups and kids can both do: Take care of our planet.

Is that a surprise? You may think protecting the environment is too big a job for kids to handle, but that’s just not true. If you want to cut back on pollution, or help save an animal from extinction, or help protect a forest, there’s absolutely nothing stopping you! There are lots of fun ways to seriously improve our planet just by replacing a few things around your house, or by changing a habit or two.

For kids who want to know exactly what you can do, this is the perfect book! It’s got lots of great ideas and projects to try at home, at your school, or around your neighborhood. It even has cool things to show your friends. And don’t be shy about sharing it with your teacher. You’d be surprised at how interested grown-ups are in what kids have to say, especially when it comes to saving our Earth.

So, raise your voice and have a say in what’s happening to the planet! You have the power to make a difference, and hopefully have a blast doing it. Thanks for showing you care, and don’t forget: We’re all rooting for you, ’cause it’s our planet too!

Your friend,

Sophie Javna (age 15)

P.S. The computer is your friend! There are lots of awesome links in the book that will help you along the way, so be sure to check some of them out.

TO PARENTS AND

TEACHERS

When we sat down to write 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth 20 years ago, there weren’t many children’s environmental books in print. The ones that did exist tended to talk down to their audience…or to tell kids what they’d be able to do later on, when they were older.

That didn’t make sense to us. As we wrote in our introduction at the time, In our experience, kids are not only willing, but very eager to do their part. But they need information, encouragement, and the sense that they have the power to make a difference.

The challenge, we decided, was to create a new kind of environmental how-to book—one that would give kids real things to do and explain the real results.…a book that could make it clear to young readers that their actions have a lasting effect on the world right now. So the litmus tests for including a Simple Thing in the book became: Is it something kids can do on their own? and Does the action have an immediate impact they can understand?

Apparently, we did something right. There have been hundreds of similar books published since 1990 (some have even tried to appropriate the 50 Simple title), but ours is the best-selling kids’ environmental book of all time. And to our amazement, it has continued to sell, despite the fact that until now, it has never been updated. To keep it relevant, and to make sure it still provides good information, we’ve created this new edition.

THE UPDATED 50 SIMPLE THINGS

It may not be especially good news, but it turns out that most of the issues we included 20 years ago are still valid. So we haven’t had to change the book drastically. We’ve updated stats, of course, and replaced about 20% of the Simple Things with new ones. We’ve also included a little info about school activism whenever possible, and added a feature called Amaze Your Friends. But the biggest change in the book is the addition of web sites. The Internet barely existed when we first published this book; today, it is a primary educational tool.

So, whereas in 1990 we offered addresses and phone numbers to readers who wanted more info, today we offer URLs (web addresses)…and there are hundreds of URLs in this book; we’ve included the best kids’ web sites we could find for each subject. Unfortunately, URLs are sometimes quite long and may be challenging for younger children. So we hope you’ll help them access the web sites. It’s also inevitable that at least a few of the sites will eventually go offline. We apologize in advance, but there’s no way we can control that.

Generally, it isn’t necessary to type in www anymore, so we haven’t included it on our URL listings—unless we know it’s essential (you do need it on some government sites). However, if your kids can’t access a site, we suggest that you try it with either the www, or http:// only. If that still doesn’t work, check to see if your computer is automatically inserting one of these prefixes. Some sites actually won’t work with a www, but your computer doesn’t know that, and might add www to the URL. But don’t worry: If a site goes down, or there’s a trick to access it, we’ll post it prominently on our web site, 50simplekids.com.

Speaking of our web site: We encourage you to use 50simplekids.com. You’ll find lots of great new entries for kids (constantly updated!)…plus a special resource section for teachers and parents, along with blogs where you can discuss environmental education with other adults.

Twenty years later, it’s more important than ever to give our children the tools and motivation they need to take care of our planet. We hope this new edition of 50 Simple Things will assist you in that crucial task.

WHAT’S

HAPPENING

CLIMATE CHANGE

HOT BLANKET

The Earth is surrounded by a blanket of gases that acts like a greenhouse—it lets the sun’s heat in, then traps it close to the Earth. That’s good—we can’t live without warmth.

WHAT’S GOING ON

Factories, electric power plants, and cars are putting too much of one of these gases—carbon dioxide (CO2)—into the air.

MANY CHANGES

Scientists believe this extra layer of CO2 is changing the planet’s climate, because the blanket is holding in too much heat. People call this the greenhouse effect, or global warming.

WHAT CAN HAPPEN

If the Earth’s temperature gets hotter by just a few degrees, polar ice can melt, raising the level of the ocean and wiping out islands and coastal areas.

THAT’S NOT ALL

Other things can happen, too. For example, when the ocean warms up, sea life can die…there can be more hurricanes…places that grow most of our food can get too warm to grow crops.

THE LATEST REPORT

Polar ice is melting today…and much faster than scientists expected. What will happen next? No one knows, but we have to do something!

Every kid can help stop global warming by using less energy, protecting and planting trees, and recycling. This book is full of tips on how to do it.

WATER POLLUTION

WATER, WATER

The planet Earth is mostly water. Oceans cover the biggest part of it—and there are lakes, rivers, streams, and even water underground. All life on Earth—from the littlest bug to the biggest whale—depends on this water. It’s precious.

But we’re not doing a very good job of keeping water clean. In many places, the water has become polluted.

RIVERS AND LAKES

Rivers and lakes are polluted by garbage, or by poisonous chemicals that are dumped right into them.

UNDERGROUND

Underground water can be polluted by gasoline or other harmful liquids that seep into the ground. Some fertilizers and pesticides used on farms or lawns leak down through the dirt, too.

THE SEAS

The ocean, which is a home to so much life, has been used as a place to dump garbage and poisonous chemicals for a long time. It’s getting polluted, too.

OUR MISSION

We need to save our water, to keep it clean and healthy so people, plants, and animals will always have some to drink. And so fish and other creatures will have a place to live.

To learn more about what you can do to save water—and keep it clean and healthy—turn to Preserving Our Oceans, Rivers, Lakes, and Streams.

WASTING ENERGY

IMPORTANT STUFF!

Practically everything we do uses energy. We need it for lights, stoves, refrigerators, hot water, heating, air-conditioning, cars, trucks, planes, and lots more.

IT WON’T LAST

Where do we get our energy? Mostly from oil, natural gas, and coal. These things are dug out of the Earth. There is a limited amount of each…so in the future, we will run out of them. That’s one reason we need to be careful how we use energy.

POLLUTION HAPPENS

Another reason to be careful about wasting energy is that when we burn gas, oil, and coal (and some other sources of energy), we create the pollution that causes global warming and smog. So, using less energy means a cleaner environment.

SAVING ENERGY

The easiest way to use less energy is to conserve it. That means not using energy we don’t need. Another good way: we can use efficient products that are especially designed to use less energy.

EXTRA ENERGY

There are many ways to conserve energy. Every time you turn off a light, or walk instead of drive, or turn down the heat, you save energy and reduce pollution.

OTHER CHOICES

Another way to be energy-smart is to support people who are working to create clean energy from the sun, wind, and water. This energy doesn’t pollute or use up our treasures the way oil, coal, and gas do.

Can you save energy? Yes! Go to Using Energy Wisely and Guarding Our Buried Treasures to get started.

AIR POLLUTION

THE OLD DAYS

Until about 150 years ago, the air was pure and clean—perfect for the people and animals of the Earth to breathe.

FACTORIES

Then people started building factories. Those factories and many of the things they make, like cars, put a lot of harmful gases into the air. Then people started driving cars, which added more pollution to the air.

TODAY

Today the air is so polluted in some places that it’s not always safe to breathe!

THE BROWN STUFF

Many cities around the world have air filled with a pollution called smog. This is so strong in some places that the air, which should be a beautiful blue, actually looks brown.

DOWN WITH POLLUTION!

Polluted air is is not only bad for people and animals, but for trees and other plants as well. And in some places it’s even damaging farmers’ crops—the food we eat. So it’s important for us to clean up our act, and clean up the air we breathe.

Everyone can help keep our air clean and safe. It’s even fun! You can plant a tree, ride your bike, and even send an e-mail about clean air to a newspaper editor. For more ideas on how to clean up our air, keep reading!

DISAPPEARING ANIMALS

THE PEOPLE BOOM

Every day, there are more and more people living on Earth. All these people need room to live. So, they move into places that are already homes for plants and animals. Forests are cut down, and wild areas are filled with houses and stores.

WHAT HAPPENS

When people move into new land, the plants and

Reviews for The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth

[bopeep_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very strong American bias led to some confusing conversations with my British five year old, but he enjoyed reading it nonetheless. We discussed a number of topics as a result of the book but to be honest there were very few things we could actively do or change, given the different lifestyles involved. He was impressed that books like this are aimed specifically at his generation, however.

[seldombites · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The New 50 Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth concentrates mainly on America and it would be nice to see more Australian content. Despite that, this book is well-written - simple for kids to understand without being boring for adults to read. It is filled with fascinating facts and helpful tips. As an adult, even I learned a lot from this book. I particularly like the inclusion of websites for us to look up further information. This is a great resource for parents and teachers because there are loads of activities and experiments to do with kids. Whether you believe the argument for global warming or not, most people cannot deny that we are damaging the environment in many areas and overusing the world's resources. This book can shows us dozens of ways to reduce our impact on the Earth, leading healthier lives and saving money in the process. The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth is a great addition to any bookshelf.

[geniaus. · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The strong American bias in this book immediately put me off. If it is to be marketed in Australia there needs to be inclusion of more international references and statistics additionally metric measurements should be included.When I received this book I thought that I had seen it before and maybe, in my former life as a children's librarian, I had seen the earlier version. I think it seemed familiar because it is similar to a number of other good books in this genre that exhort young people to become responsible citizens.For access to the material in the book there is a comprehensive contents section at the front of the book but sadly it lacks an index. A non-fiction book without an index is like a treasure hunt without a map!But all is not doom and gloom. This book is attractively presented with the publishers demonstrating their commitment to the environment by using eco friendly ink and paper.Whilst it is full to the brim with activities and experiments I do not think that it would appeal to the hundreds of kids I have met professionally as leisure reading. It would be a fine addition to school and public libraries and will be very popular with teachers as a source of environmentally friendly classroom activities. Young persons would use the book as a resource when seeking activities to undertake for projects in science and geography. Frazzled parents trying to help their offspring select a project will find this book a valuable resource.

[razzbelly_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is a wonderful introduction to the simple things kids can do to protect our planet. From recycling to making better choices when purchasing items, to experiments to see what your impact on the earth is, this book gives many ideas for kids to take an active role in saving our earth.

[jrlibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There are a lot of environmental books written with kids in mind since they will be the generation that helps stem the tide of planet destruction. Often however, the content of these books merely explains the problem in depressing detail, and provides one or two unoriginal suggestions as to how to help such as ride your bike rather than asking your parents to drive you places. Enter “The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth” by the EarthWorks Group and Sophie Javna.One of the strengths of this powerful book is in its organization. The book is broken into sections, each addressing an environmental concern. The sections include: Earth Resources, Water, Animals, Keeping Earth Green, Energy, and Communication. Each section contains numbered tips. The tips (and yes, there are 50!) are organized with a title followed by a multiple choice question related to the topic with three possible answers. The incorrect answers are quite obvious, but the question serves the purpose of activating the brain and getting kids interested in the topic. Humans hate to be wrong, so if the choices were really difficult, that wouldn’t be very enjoyable. Next there’s a paragraph that introduces the topic in a way that shows why it’s important to care. Then, to hook the reader even more, there’s my favourite section called, Did You Know and my guess is that you didn’t know the fascinating information contained in this section. It often contains numerical data, which is quite mind boggling and disturbing. For example: Americans throw away 380 billion plastic bags a year, and 2.7 juice boxes. Americans throw away 3000 tons of paper tower every day. 20% of all toilets leak and most people don’t even know. The tip then follows with a What You Can Do section, which contains some very feasible and in most cases original ideas. What I liked most about this section was that there were several ideas rather than just one or two. The tip then has two more sections – one called Amaze Your Friends which still contained action ideas, but ones that would make your friends ask, “What are you doing that for?” Finally the tip concluded with a See For Yourself section which contained a fantastic collection of URLs leading to informational web sites, videos, ideas for projects, and authoritative sites. Someone has obviously spent a long time ferreting out great informational sites that are well worth checking out. This section alone could save you hours of searching.I own the original edition of 50 Simple Things, but for others, like me, who own the first print, the updated version is so well done that I encourage you to get the new version. For those for whom this title is completely new, if you are remotely interested in how you can personally, on a small, simple scale, help the environment, you won’t need any other book! It would make a great gift for any environmentally conscious child in your life, or one who you want to make more Earth conscious!For any teachers contemplating running an environmental club, this book could fuel your activities for the next five years. You could focus on one simple thing a month, and promote it school wide, or you could ask each environmental member to adopt one of the 50 things, and run with it. What are you waiting for? Run to your nearest book store and buy a copy of “The New 50 Simple things Kids Can Do To Save The Planet” and get started today.

[aarch235 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a nice way to get an interested mind moving towards action. A lot of the ideas are well known and in practice here in the UK, but I'm an adult, and have been reading stuff like this for decades (sigh). I have passed it to my nephew to see if it inspires him.

[ceinwenn-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received this from the Early Reviewers & I think it's a brilliant book! It's packed with excellent ideas that kids (and adults alike) can do & the little quizzes at the top of each section add to the fun! I especially liked the "Amaze your friends" sections as it gives really good ideas of things kids can do to get other kids involved. My sister is studying to be a schoolteacher & has 3 kids of her own, so this is being sent to them to "road test"!

[a2jc4life_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am not a fan of the "global warming" rhetoric described at the beginning of the book and referenced throughout, or of the comment about dinosaurs that lived "many millions of years ago." (Legitimate science disproves both. In fact, the average temperature of the earth actually is currently DEcreasing.) However, both of these were also to be expected, and neither comprises the bulk of the book.What does comprise the bulk of the book is a collection of practical, hands-on things that kids can do. These include recycling, saving energy, and more. The ideas are subdivided into sections: guarding our buried treasures (coal, etc.); preserving our oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams; protecting animals; keeping the earth green; using energy wisely; and spreading the word. The book is written directly to the children, with respect for their intelligence. It includes ideas for use at home, at school, and in the community, along with trivia and web links. And there are more than fifty ideas in the book, when it really comes down to it. Each "idea" is actually a section heading, with specific information listed below it, and most of these sections include more than one practical idea.As an added bonus, there is one more section at the back of the book: Eco-Experiments. These seven eco-experiments would be great activities for children to do on their own, or to use as class or homeschool projects.All in all, I think this is a great resource.

[mariah2_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a copy of this book through the Library Thing’s early reviewers program, and enjoyed it so much that many of my family members in the 9-12 year old range will soon be receiving a copy from me. This is a must have book for any 4th -7th grade class room, or library. The authors take a complex and important topic and present it in an understandable, informative, entertaining, and age relevant fashion. Instead of being made aware of the environmental problems we are being faced with today, and then being left to feel helpless about what one can do about them, this 208 page book shows that one person, or should I say one kid, can certainly make a difference. Imagine what would happen if thousands or millions of “just one kid” read this book and felt empowered and hopeful enough to do something about the environmental issue. This one book can certainly provide that hope and feeling of empowerment. I thought the simple black and white illustrations displayed throughout the book were well done, and relevant to the topic at hand. Each chapter started with an enlightening and often humorous question were the reader must “take a guess” as to the answer. I thought this feature was a wonderful way to present the theme of each chapter. The authors provide numerous and realistic activities that children can do, as well as an impressive list of credible websites that children can visit to find more information.

[northernstar_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is an updated edition of a book first published in the 1990's. I haven't read the original, so I can't compare them, but I was sure impressed with this little book, which I got through the early reviewer's program. It is in an attractive paperback format, with a nice bright cover. Charming line drawings illustrate almost every page, and true to its message, it is printed on recycled paper. The book starts off with some background information (What's Happening), then gets into the 50 things, broken down into 6 major groups. Each of the 50 things starts with a little quiz question and a bit of background information/teaser, followed by sections titled Did You Know, What You Can Do, Amaze Your Friends, and See for Yourself. These really are things most kids can do, (and most adults should do). I've never yet met a kid who didn't love the possibility of amazing their friends. The book finishes up with a section on Eco-Experiments, and one of Quick Quizzes. I thought it was well-written for its target audience, but not too juvenile for an adult to enjoy. This is full of practical and fun ideas for families to do together, and for teachers to get their classes involved. There are URLs to lots of interesting websites, and a website to go with the book. The stats (not referenced, but this is aimed at kids) and references are mainly American, with measurements in gallons, quarts, miles and degrees Fahrenheit, but the websites referred to are from all over the world. I really liked this book, and will recommend it to families and teachers I know.

[deslivres5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Happy Earth Day! The message of New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth is that simple things you do can make a big difference. I found the layout of the book to be excellent, very easy on the eyes. Right at the start of the book, one environmental issue is discussed in a one-page synopsis. Succeeding chapters discuss lifestyle changes/projects to easily tackle each one of the environmental issues previously introduced. Each chapter has the same format, which makes for easy reading: A quick quiz question Did You Know (the problem) What You Can Do (solutions) Amaze Your Friends (Interesting facts to share) See For Yourself (websites for more info)The intended target audience grade level is probably 5-8th graders, but the projects/tips are useful for any age!A few comments I had on the actual tips - some of the water conservation facts mentioned milk cartons as a standard of measurement for comparison purposes, but I think the size of the milk carton should be explicit (1/2 gallon, quart, pint?). It was hard to visualize without knowing which size carton was being used. - reuse of AL foil. While I can stand behind recycling AL foil after a quick rinse, personally I would waste excessive amount of water in an attempt to clean AL foil sufficiently for reuse in the kitchen. - Tip 38 which deals with hot water heaters should probably have also mentioned new tankless, on-demand hot water heaters as an option for energy conservation.

[tututhefirst_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a well organized, interesting, appealing book directed at youngsters from about age 9-15. Parents, grandparents, scout leaders, teachers, and even baby-sitters will also love it. Topics covered include recycling, water and air pollution, wildlife preservation, climate change, keeping the earth green, and energy conservation.But forget the topics, it's the layout that is so terrific. Each section begins with a quick multiple choice question called "Take a guess" It sets the tone for short presentations on the topic: Did you know? What You Can Do, Amaze Your Friends (what kids can resist that?) and See for Yourself. What You can Do includes projects for both home and school, things to do alone, or with a group. It's full of games, quizzes, experiments, and puzzlers. It is easy to read, doesn't talk down to kids, and interesting enough for all of us grandmas. Also, it has an incredibly well researched list of web pages for more information.

[jackiewark · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lots of great suggestions for kids (in kid terms) for helping out our planet. From suggestions to solutions, dectective work to quizzes, this guide is practical with doable projects. Even seemingly small fixes can add up to a great impact when trying to save the Earth. Written in an appealing format, kids will get into the language and their committment to ecology may begin with the perusal of this book. Thank you to The EarthWorks Group and LIbrarything for this arc.

[cmbohn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This just arrived yesterday and my son and I had a good time, looking through it to see what changes we could make in our home. To my surprise, I found that I was already doing a lot of the things recommended in the book - we recycle paper and plastic, we try to buy items with less packaging, we reuse our plastic bags, we have a water saving toilet. But we had plenty of things that we could change, too. I need to make sure to bring a reusable water bottle along, so I don't need to buy more bottled water. And I would love to have an energy audit, to see where we are losing heat from our home. Some things we can't change too much - I still need to use my car, and we have no place nearby that recycles glass. Other things will take a bit more thought or time, like starting a compost pile and donating to nature groups. This was a fun book that was an easy read. My only complaint is that there were a lot of statistics presented, and I wanted to know where the authors got their numbers. Some of their claims seemed a little hard to believe. But it was good for starting a discussion, which is the purpose of the book. Thanks!