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Gulf Oil Spill Teaching Resources

Windows to the Universe - from the educators at Windows to the Universe, a compilation of classroom activities for teachers and educators who wish to address oil spills and the effects of oil spills with students. Bird Baths: Cleaning Up Wildlife After Oil Spills, an activity from National Geographic Exploring Effects of Oil Spills on Birds, an activity from the Center for Global Environmental Education Liquid Density and Oil Spills, an activity from National Geographic What ...

Florida’s Great Senator- The Oldest Cypress Tree in North America

Every young student can tell you what are the biggest theme-park attractions in Orlando.  But probably very few can tell you about Big Tree Park, home Florida's oldest and most distinguished resident, the Senator bald cypress tree. Located in Longwood, FL , the Senator majestically looms high as if he could touch the clouds, above a land blanketed with way too many strip malls and concrete. Big Tree Park, part of the Spring Hammock Preserve is a nice reprieve from the modernized world and als...

Climate, Overshoot & Exploring Alternatives to the Mall

As an alternative to being part of the herd at the mall this Black Friday, some celebrated Buy Nothing Day. As I explored in my previous post, our insatiable demand for natural resources now exceeds our planet's ability to meet it. September 25th symbolically marked Earth Overshoot Day, the day humanity began living beyond its ecological budget for the year. A simple economics lesson would show us that when a natural limit is overshot, there is an eventual collapse. How long a throw-away cult...

Living Beyond Earth’s Budget & Happiness

Thanksgiving is a recognizable holiday to most Americans but can anyone remember the event that fell on September 25th of this year? September 25th was Earth Overshoot Day and marked the day when humanity begins living beyond its ecological means. According to the Global Footprint Network, collectively at the present time, humanity is using 1.4 planets worth of resources. Many people in western countries like the US  are using four to five planets worth of resources. Since we only have one...