EkoSkola Malta

We care about our present and our future

We care about our present and our future: A report. Eco- Schools 11th Young People’s Summit… © 2022 Nature Trust – FEE Malta Any part of the publication can be reproduced as long as the source is properly cited and credited. Citation: Nature Trust – FEE Malta (2022). We care about our present and our future: A report. Eco-Schools 11th Young People’s Summit. Listening to children’s voices for sustainability There was a time, in the not-so-distant past, that the notion of listening to and acting on children’s voices was unheard of and even frowned upon. Children were considered as incapable of making value judgements, of evaluating issues and propose solutions to problems unless they were told how to do it by adults. Most of the opportunities offering children a platform were mostly (at best) different forms of tokenism. Children were expected to listen to and uncritically absorb what adults had to say on issues and themes that had a direct relevance to the children’s present and future. Education for Sustainable Development seeks to empower individuals irrespective of age to become active citizens seeking to promote sustainable lifestyles and choices. Nature Trust – FEE Malta sought to actively facilitate this by implementing the international Eco-Schools Programme (locally called EkoSkola). The EkoSkola programme is mainly driven by student initiated and managed actions that start off at school, but then spill over into their households and their community. Since its inception in 2002, the EkoSkola program has worked hard to bring the voice of children to policy makers, both local and overseas. So, over the years EkoSkola has created different fora to achieve this, like: EkoSkola Parliament sessions, consultation meetings with various Maltese presidents and ministers; meetings with the main political party leaders during which they presented a memorandum prior to the General Elections; and countless meetings with mayors and councillors of different localities. Another forum that promotes children’s voices is the annual Young People’s Summit, during which primary and secondary school students discuss various sustainability issues and propose ways how these issues can be addressed. These issues are collated into a declaration that is then presented to members of parliament. There were even cases where these recommendations were also presented to international fora such as during the Informal Meeting of the EU Environment Council; during international conferences about sustainability, and to delegates attending the CHOGM 2015. As part of the COP 26 follow up, the British High Commission sponsored five mini sessions that explored Climate Change from various dimensions that were attended by students from 103 schools (63 primary and 40 secondary). During the online summits, students discussed with local experts the various perspectives of the issues explored and proposed practical actions that could be implemented to address the issues. These proposals were collated in this special publication together with several other inputs from younger children in the form of drawings and craft projects. An interesting spin off from this series of mini summits, was an interest in learning what children from …

A Consumer’s Guide to Reducing Pollution

A surprising amount of pollution starts at home. The car you drive, the household and personal care products you buy, the chemicals and equipment you use to keep your lawn and garden in shape all contribute to water and air pollution. But there are consumer choices you can make that will reduce your environmental footprint.  Click on the link and refer to subtitles below… How to Prevent Air Pollution: The Car You Drive Household Products Energy Use Preventing Water Pollution: Pesticide and Fertilizer Alternatives to Prevent Water Pollution Reducing Landfill Waste 25 Things You Can Do to Reduce Pollution (with infographic)  

Mediterranean Environmental Learning – Free online training courses

Several self paced online training courses are available in this catalogue thanks to MIO-ECSDE.  You just have to sign up for free and choose the courses you wish to do. Catalogue includes various topics such as marine litter,  odour pollution, wetlands, waste management, pollutants, waste water…

21 useful tips to save energy in summer

If you’re one of the many people who transitioned to flexible or full-time work from home, you may have noticed your energy bills creeping up… Here are some COVID energy-saving tips which may apply always actually. Many of us have been mostly cooped up inside our homes. This has resulted in higher spending on gas and electricity, particularly during the height of lockdown. Here are some tips to save water and energy in the house all through the year actually.  Some may not apply for you but others certainly will.

Multimedia animation “The impact of our food”

This multimedia animation is a card game in which you have to sort foods according to one criteria among three: the carbon footprint (greenhouse gas emissions), the water use or the land use. Using this game, you will be able to compare the environmental footprint of different common foods. At the end of the game, you can download a pdf file containing all the cards in a printable version to play in offline mode.

A Student’s Guide to Conservation and Environmental Science

What is Environmental Science? The term ‘environmental science’ is the academic study of the environment. Environmental science studies include the biological and physical effects on the earth from both natural and natural processes. The environmental science field can include topics of studies such as zoology, oceanography soil science, biology, and plant science, atmospheric science, geology, mineralogy, and so much more. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences – For Students Learning and Teaching about the Environment – US EPA The Environment and Environmental Sciences The GLOBE Program Environmental Science Lessons – TED-ED Earth & Environment Classroom Resources Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides, and Online Environmental Resources for Educators Environmental Education Lesson Plans Lessons – Kids Environmental Sciences What is Environmental Conservation and why is it important? ‘Environmental conservation’ refers to the practice of protecting the earth’s natural environment through organizations, governments, and personal actions by individuals. The study of environmental conservation is so important because it enlightens us as to what we need to do to conserve our planet and resources. As the years go on, the growth of the human population has degraded our ecosystems and has depleted our natural resources. Our earth can only sustain us for so long. Environment America – Conservation Conservation: History and Future National Geographic: Conservation Climate and Environment – US Department of State Conservation & Preservation Conservation, Preservation, and Environmental Activism: A Survey of the Historical Literature Natural Resource Conservation Information United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Forest Conservation & Environmental Awareness Wildlife Conservation Forest Conservation: 14 facts you need to know What is soil conservation? World Wildlife Fund: Forest Initiatives Wildlife Conservation Society Conservation Science Wildlife Conservation Network The Conservation Fund Library of Congress: American Memory Timeline – Conservation in the Progressive Era Global Wildlife Conservation About Soil Conservation Benefits Smithsonian’s Conservation Ecology Center Water Conservation Information Did you know?: On average in America, each household uses over 300 gallons of water every day! That’s a lot of water! It’s important to conserve our earth’s natural resources. Water is wasted every day. (Per capita water use: How much water do you use in your home?) Here are some tips and informative websites to help you conserve water: User low-flow water heads on the fixtures throughout your home. Only water your lawn when it needs it. Consider getting a rain barrel for outdoor water use! Saving Water Outdoors 10 Tips for Outdoor Water Conservation Fix all water leaks throughout your home. These small drips can add up! Water Conservation Tips Water Conservation Stop Water Waste Dishwashers save water! Purchase new dishwashers with the Energy Star label to ensure your conserve the most water possible. Water Conservation Tips Water Conservation and Rebates Water Conservation in the Home Replace older toilets with newer, water-saving models. Water conservation tips for both in – and outside of the home Don’t wash your car at home: Commercial car washes are water-efficient and waste much less water. How To Save Water Information on Conserving Energy Conserving Energy in Your Home: Consider solar …

20 Ways To Go Green At Work

Throughout recent years, more and more people have sought to adapt their domestic lives in order to “go green”. Measures such as reducing home water waste, reducing energy consumption, and opting to buy local produce all have a role to play in helping the environment and have been readily adopted by millions of people. However, while domestic adoption of “green” tactics has been accepted, many businesses have struggled to find ways to “go green” in their business environments. In an effort to remedy this issue, below, we have put together 20 easily-implemented ideas that can help you to bolster your environmentally-friendly activities in the workplace.

Eco-friendly gardens: 7 ways you can help protect the environment with self-sustaining gardening habits.

If you’re looking for a fun outdoor project this spring, planting and taking care of an eco-friendly garden is a great choice. It’s a fulfilling activity that helps you enjoy nature while staying mindful about your environmental impact, and it’s an ideal way to add beauty to your property. There are even more benefits to eco-friendly gardening if you choose to grow vegetables and herbs, as you can use them in delicious, home-cooked meals. You’ll have peace of mind knowing the food you’re using is organic—and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you grew the plants yourself. Ready to do your own eco-friendly gardening? Here are seven tips to help you get started.

4 Easy, Affordable Ideas for Creating a Water-Friendly Garden

Whether you’re worried about the impact of climate change on future generations or you simply want to save on your monthly utility bill, a water-friendly yard is a great way to reduce your consumption of one of the planet’s most valuable resources. That’s because there are plenty of easy, inexpensive ways to create and maintain a lawn and landscape that require less water. Here are four ideas to help you get started.

My Green Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to an Eco-Friendly Kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in any home. It’s often the beating heart of a household, where people eat, socialize, relax, and congregate. With such a vital role, it should come as no surprise that your choices, knowingly or not, can have an environmental impact. More and more people are making efforts to ‘go green’ at home. By this, we mean making conscious efforts to make their home more eco-friendly. There are many reasons to so; it’s good for the environment, it can save you money, and it can have positive impacts on your health. From recycling to switching to energy-efficient appliances, you can make your kitchen a sustainable place by implementing a few simple changes. Make your kitchen greener and eco-friendly with a few simple steps. If you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint, you can choose more efficient ways of running your kitchen. Similarly, if you’re hoping to lead a healthier lifestyle, you can opt to remove toxins from your home. Finally, if you want to reduce your bills and save money, the kitchen is a great place to start. In this article, we cover the details of all three. Ultimately, you, your family, your finances, and the environment can all benefit from going green in the kitchen. The fact you’re even reading this article shows that you’re willing to at least consider it, which is a great start. Stick with us as we outline how you can overhaul your kitchen to be an eco-friendly hub in your home.

20 Things You Can do to Conserve Energy

Whenever you save energy, you not only save money, you also reduce the demand for such fossil fuels as coal, oil, and natural gas. Less burning of fossil fuels also means lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary contributor to global warming, and other pollutants. You do not have to do without to achieve these savings. There is now an energy efficient alternative for almost every kind of appliance or light fixture. That means that consumers have a real choice and the power to change their energy use on a revolutionary scale. The average American produces about 40,000 pounds of CO2 emissions per year. Together, we use nearly a million dollars worth of energy every minute, night and day, every day of the year. By exercising even a few of the following steps, you can cut your annual emissions by thousands of pounds and your energy bills by a significant amount! Read more below…

How Does Eating Meat Impact Your Water Footprint?

You care about the world’s precious water resources: you turn off the faucet when you’re brushing your teeth and you definitely don’t take twenty-minute long showers. While these acts, along with the use of appliances that save water like toilets and shower heads, are fantastic ways to conserve water … if you really want to make a difference with water conservation, then there is a bigger piece of the puzzle to consider. Every food and beverage product we consume: from soda to pineapples to cheese crackers and pork chops, etc. requires water for its production. Obviously, fruits and veggies need water. That’s a given, but surprisingly, there is another group of foods that is the biggest water guzzler of them all and that is animal products. Meat, dairy, and eggs require more water to “produce” than any other food out there.

8 Water-Saving Home Renovations

Water saving renovations are money saving renovations. Leaky pipes, outdated appliances, and poor irrigation practices hike up your water and energy bills and wreak havoc on your septic system. And, in drought-ridden states, water wasting can be subject to hefty fines and usage audits. Luckily, many water-saving home renovations are simple and inexpensive. The costlier renovations, like purchasing and installing new appliances, offer long term gains by saving thousands of gallons of water a year. Whether you’re renovating to fix an existing water problem or looking to save money with increased sustainability, here are seven of the top water-conserving renovations to consider.

Water-Saving Technology You Should Care About

Did you know 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, but only 1% of that is available for humans to use? The pace of our global society is moving too fast for water to fulfill its potential as a renewable resource. We have made fresh water into a finite resource. Water resources, like groundwater, are being depleted because they aren’t able to recharge at the same rate of our growing population and increased agricultural activity. Basically, we consume water at a highly unsustainable and concerning rate.

10 Reasons Why We Should Not Waste Water

At least 55% of our bodies are made of water. The surface of the Earth, on the other hand, is 71% water. With water being so necessary, yet at the same time, a common substance in our ecosystem, do we need to conserve it? Here are 10 reasons why you should:

Questions & Answers About Drought & Water Conservation in Plant and Tree Care

Through these questions and answers one will find guidelines on how to use less water and keep your plants and trees alive.  though based in California hints are valid for all. Obviously,  it all depends on the type of trees and plants you have.  Ideally you grow indigenous plants and trees since they need the least water depending on the country.

My Green Kitchen: The Ultimate Guide to an Eco-Friendly Kitchen

Why Go Green in the Kitchen?   The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in any home. It’s often the beating heart of a household, where people eat, socialize, relax, and congregate. With such a vital role, it should come as no surprise that your choices, knowingly or not, can have an environmental impact. More and more people are making efforts to ‘go green’ at home. By this, we mean making conscious efforts to make their home more eco-friendly. There are many reasons to so; it’s good for the environment, it can save you money, and it can have positive impacts on your health. From recycling to switching to energy-efficient appliances, you can make your kitchen a sustainable place by implementing a few simple changes.

Water use information by topic

Water is everywhere, which is fortunate for all of humanity, as water is essential for life. Even though water is not always available in the needed quantity and quality for all people everywhere, people have learned to get and use water for all of their water needs, from drinking, cleaning, irrigating crops, producing electricity, and for just having fun. There are many links and much more to discover, discuss and learn. don;t forget to explore the many tabs at the top menu and in the page menu.

Water Pollution

This link provides facts on what causes water pollution, and the effects of water pollution, such as how more people die from unsafe drinking water each year than from any form of violence, as well as ways that we may be contributing to the problem at home.

Think before you drink: The environmental cost of bottled water

Save water when travelling!

Bella, a girl attending Baker County Social Club suggested this website!  Thanks! Water conservation has always been an important part of our role in society. While water is a renewable resource, we must be careful with the amounts that we use on a daily basis because water is not a sustainable resource. Many people are conscious of the ways in which they use water at home, but what about when they travel? Most of the time, people who are traveling on a family vacation or similar types of getaways tend to forget about the realities of everyday life and waste food, water, and electricity during their time away. A vacation day should be treated just like every other day when it comes to conservation, particularly of water.

Saving Water, Saving Money and Saving the Earth – Water Conservation Guide

Fresh water is a limited resource and while 70% of the Earth is covered in water, only 2% of it is fresh water.  As fresh water becomes scarcer, it will not only become more difficult to get fresh, clean water, but it will also become more expensive.  Conserving water is a great way to reduce costs while doing something positive for the environment and future generations.

Grey water reuse suggestions for the house and yard

Using grey water for many of the water needs in a home or garden that don’t require potable water can help reduce stresses on water supplies, lower home water usage and costs, and support a thriving landscape.

Water in Malta – Documentary

Water – the source of life. In Malta, water is a scarce resource. Consumerism and short-sighted policies are driving us to dangerous levels. It’s time we took action; before it is too late. This documentary which is just under 13 minutes long is in Maltese with English subtitles. This video was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this audiovisual production are the sole responsibility of KOPIN and its project partners and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. This documentary is offered free of charge for education purposes. It may not be edited and must be shown in its entirety. For any other use, prior clearance must be obtained from KOPIN and Mediacoop Ltd.

Water Conservation & the Possibilities – various links, games and information

A couple of kids attending the Brenham Community Center in Texas suggested adding this link to our resource section after using our same section for a project they were working on. Thanks to Brenham Community Center for their input!

Water Conservation at Home… and lots more

What if you wanted a glass of water one morning and all of the water was gone? What would you do? Our water is an important natural resource that is steadily being used up… This page actually provides more information about water conservation plus quite a few other links and a number of games too!

Water Explorer

Water Explorer is a fun, inspiring and educational programme that empowers thousands of students across the world to lead joint action on water issues for their schools and communities.

Consumer Classroom – also in Maltese…

Consumer Classroom is a new collaborative website for teachers about consumer education. It provides free, high quality resources for teachers along with interactive and collaborative tools to help teachers prepare lesson plans to share with students and other teachers from across the EU. Sign Up now on www.ConsumerClassroom.eu

Presentation about Water Conservation – compliments: Catch the Drop Campaign

This presentation was prepared and shared by Catch The Drop Campaign within the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs.  Slides include information about the following topics: Water use Saving water Why should we conserve water? Ideas to save water Water usage habits Facts about water (Did you know?) Global water shortage Water scarcity Water as a raw material Saving water without buying new appliances Reusing water Why we should not waste water

The Earth Dog Story – Earth Dog returns to Save the Environment

The Earth Dog Story, first published in 1992, returns as an app in iTunes and an eBook as part of the U.S. Department of Energy environmental outreach program with Weekly Reader. Earth Dog is a superhero who teaches kids about taking care of the environment.

Save Our Water website

A website packed with information – how to get real about water. Ways and means to save water, how to build a water wise garden, fun ways for children to save water, and loads of water wise games.

Saving Water Outdoors and Indoors

Water is essential to each of us every day. But it’s a limited resource, so we all need to rethink the way we use water on a daily basis, indoors and outdoors. There are lots of ways to save water, but reducing the water you use outdoors can make the biggest difference of all. By making a few easy changes to the way we use water outside our homes — like watering lawns only when needed, adjusting sprinklers to avoid watering sidewalks and using a broom instead of a hose — you can save a significant amount of water every day. This website is managed by the Russian River County Water District. This is a public water system established under the Water Code of the State of California. It provides fresh, safe, high-quality water for both domestic use and fire protection to just over 1,200 Forestville households nestled along the Russian River in western Sonoma County, California.

Take 2: The Student’s Point of View

The Take2 Youth Media Program takes advantage of today’s youthful fascination with technology to motivate active learning in environmental science, English, and media literacy. Working individually or collaborating in teams, students create short documentaries or public service announcements that are designed to inform, entertain, or advocate on issues illustrated by the footage provided.

Catch the Drop Campaign – HSBC Water Programme and Ministry of Energy and Health

Without water, there would be no life on our planet. It is a basic requirement for all life. Yet water supplies are facing increasing demands from users. It has become a limited and vulnerable resource which is vital to protect.

EkoSkola f’Tagħna t-Tfal – Jannar 2012

Rain water. Where does it go? Is it collected in reservoirs or valleys? Or does it run of to the sea? This story is aimed to raise the children’s curiosity about all this. How can we collect rain water?

Games Page on the United States Environmental Protection Agency

This webpage contains links to loads of games, videos and quizzes related to the environment, energy, water, mystery solving, science, recycling, waste and much more…

Water On the Table

Water On The Table features Maude Barlow, who is considered an “international water-warrior” for her crusade to have water declared a human right. The film asks the question: is water a commercial good like running shoes or Coca-Cola? Or, is water a human right, like air? The camera shadows her life on the road in Canada — including an eye-opening visit to Alberta’s tar sands — and the United States over the course of a year as she serves as the UN Senior Advisor on Water to Fr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, President of the 63rd Session of the United Nations.  

HSBC Climate Initiative Newsletter 4

This month’s issue is all about water: what kinds of water there are, availability of fresh water, where does our tap water come from, effects of climate change on water, and hints about what we can do to consume less water.

Eko-Kif? – Dokumentarju ta’ Kulleġġ Sta Tereza, Skola Primarja Sta Venera

EkoKif? is a 19 minute plus documentary produced in Mlatese by the students of St Theresa College of St Venera about the importance of an ECO-Friendly Life with the students themselves proposing  ways to reduce electricity and water consumption.  

The story of stuff

Where do things we buy come from? How are they produced? Where do they go when we throw them away? That’s the story of stuff… Also there’s the story of bottled water, the story of electronics and the story of cosmetics…

Energy and water saving tips short video in Maltese

Want to know more on how to save electricity and water at home ? A video just under 8 minutes where two children tell their mother what they learnt from school about how to avoid wasting energy and water at home.