SAVING PLANET EARTH

Today we feature many different environmental clubs. We used five phrases from a conference we attended last year - know it, live it, grow it, share it, and push it - to organize the roundtable discussion giving the readers the idea of the multiple approaches these groups have taken.

Please read the second story for a more complete understanding.

KNOW IT: Kids must know enough to convince others to conserve and save the environment.

ADAM HAWKINS, 9, a member of Dy- namos: I began to notice the problems of the Earth when I was in kindergarten because I'd heard things about pollution. I started looking around my neighborhood and I saw a lot of trash.

GABE FLECK, 9, a member of Green Pieces: I think it's when I was really young and I was thinking, "Why is the air so dirty?" That's when I recognized there was a problem.

JAMES GALLUP, 14, Green Pieces: I recognized it when I went into the country and I could breathe better.

METTA SMEAD, 11, a member of the Nature Club: When I was really little, like 5 years old, we went somewhere . . . the smoke was coming from the factories. It was like downtown Detroit, 'cause my grandpa lives there, and I remember thinking, "How come I can breathe at home and I can't breathe here?"

ROBYN JACKSON, 18, a member of the Green Earth Society: Everybody knows there are problems with the environment, but until you really hear statistics and realize how bad it is . . . (you) aren't going to care.

TRACY CHARLIER, 14, a member of POWER: Anything that we can reuse that won't end up in the landfills and stuff is good. . . . I think we could do better. I think it's in Germany where the compa- nies have to recycle their own stuff. Therefore, they don't package as much.

LIVE IT: Kids will live and help others live in a way that saves the environment and uses renewable sources of energy in our homes, schools and communities.

EMILY CHRISTIANSON, 11, a member of Kids For Saving the Earth: At home, after you're leaving the room, you can turn off the lights to save energy. And if there's not a club at your school, you can start one to help save the Earth or you can just like go on your own, picking up trash, and you can save up to adopt an animal or an acre of rain forest.

MATT GRIFFEY, 9, Dynamos: I think that if (kids) join (environmental) clubs they should do something to prove that they want to clean the Earth instead of polluting it.

ERIN PETERSON, 11, Nature Club: We started picking up trash at the park - our neighborhood park.

ELAINE ELLIS, 11, Nature Club: And one day we went to the railroad and we picked up trash.

There is this craft fair in our neighborhood, and we worked and we made a booth and we made crafts and sold hot dogs and lemonade and stuff like that. . . .

ERIN, Nature Club: It wasn't really helping the Earth, but we gave (the proceeds) to the flood victims.

ELAINE, Nature Club: We bought a whale. In Free Willy, at the beginning of the movie, they have, like, this adoption thing. . . . That was really fun and we have a certificate and lots of brochures, and we have a treasury and we took like $25 of that.

We are going to buy a trash can for recyclables at the park. . . . When we buy the trash can, then I'm in charge of taking care of in there and make sure that no trash is put there and empty out what has (to be) recycled.

SIOBHAN HOGAN, 11, Kids for Saving the Earth: This year we have adopted a timber wolf, and we're taking the rest of our money that we earned and we're adopting a crystal forest, (and) we're continuing from last year a rain forest. And then in the summer we're going to adopt a Florida mantee and that's what Emily's in charge of.

EMMA PITCOCK, 14, POWER: Right now we're working on a petition to get an aluminum recycling bin for our school cafeteria.

ROBYN, Green Earth Society: We were trying to have boxes so, you know, at the end of the (school) year when everybody throws their folders and their papers away, they'll recycle them instead.

(School officials) wouldn't let us because they say it is a fire hazard. They give us a lot of flak, but I think they do that for every club.

GROW IT: By making one big team, kids can make our power grow to protect the future.

TRACY, POWER: I think everyone would like to help the environment. It's just a matter of how many people will go to the (extent) to do it.

Children are really worried about the environment I think. It's about our future. . . . Adults don't have to worry about it as much because . . . they're not gonna be around when it gets really bad, but we are. So we're the ones to change it.

CHRIS FITCHUM, 14, POWER: (We try to) get people to realize they can help.

KYLE VAIL, 10, Dynamos: People can help to clean up the environment by picking up trash, they can recycle and encourage other people to recycle, too.

SHARE IT: Kids will spread the word about renewable energy.

ROBYN, Green Earth Society: I just think that the main goal this year was just to make people aware, and I think that does a lot of good because, you know, if we're educating our peers, when we get older then that'll just be a whole generation of people who recycle and care about the Earth.

TRACY, POWER: I think the biggest threat to the environment is people thinking that it's not a problem. People just see it happening and go, "Oh, well, it's not gonna be that big a deal." But it really is and people not taking any action against it just makes it worse.

EMMA, POWER: (It's important to) inform them. Tell them what they actually CAN do.

ERIN DECKER, 17, Green Earth Soci- ety: People say (why bother) a lot and I would say that definitely you don't think about the future if you believe that way. You have to consider your children and your children's children. I think that's a real selfish approach that a lot of people have. . . . Our parents have grown up with that attitude.

Our generation is more of the people that are becoming the environmentalists.

METTA, Nature Club: After talking about it at school, a lot of my friends would come to school the next day and go like, "Yesterday I saw all this trash on the road and I told my mom to stop to pick it up." . . .

All my friends at school aren't in (the club), so it's like I made the difference by talking about it.

SIOBHAN, Kids Saving the Earth: My parents are really behind me. My mom does all the recycling and buys recycled products. My dad is learning from my mom.

PUSH IT: Kids will press politicians to pass laws that make clean energy happen.

ERIN, Green Earth Society: I think when you're an adult you tend to get into the idea that you just do what you have to do to help your family and make things better for you.

They don't think about the long-term of what they can do, like the influence they could have over their congressman.

TRACY, POWER: We're going to start sending around a newsletter. We got some articles that I wrote. . . .

We're sending a letter to Gov. Bayh offering suggestions to help the environment.

EMMA, POWER: We think that it's gonna make (the governor) aware that people read the stuff that Indiana does and people actually care about it. So he might want our suggestions and send us information. So people CAN help him.

ERIN, Green Earth Society: I think (environmental problems are) probably going to increase because even though there's a big push for environmental movement, it's the government that's really going to have to make the huge difference. And it could be a long time before they're going to be willing to do that.

ROBYN, Green Earth Society: I don't think the government is willing to make the commitment to decide what's really most important.

ADAM, Dynamos: I think the government should continue their efforts and keep up what they're doing now. They're recycling plastic and paper and glass products, and every trash day they have a recycling truck that goes around and picks up everyone's stuff to be recycled.

NATHAN FLECK, 13, Green Pieces: I don't know because I think the government is doing its best to make the world a better place, but I think (pollution) will increase because some people don't care.