5 Ways to Begin Dialog About the Environment l How to Talk About the Environment l Tips to Share on Pollution

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Earth has given mankind many blessings. The interaction is a rocky and beautiful orchestrated dance. However, there has been more taking than giving by humans. In recent history we have began to see the damage, destruction, and influence humans have on the environment. Extinction rates are high. We are degrading lands and forests at epic proportions. Humans are also destroying freshwater systems, adding to greenhouse gases through the uses of chemicals and other toxins. Man is responsible for many disasters that have impacted the environment as well. The Tennessee coal ash spill, the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Gulf War oil spill are just some of the environmental disasters that have eroded a healthy environment. The information is overwhelming, but you don't need to be an expert on the environment to make an impact. Discussions are an excellent way to help motivate and foster collaborations. When it comes to taking care of the earth and the environment here are 5 ways to start the conversation.

Start a Group at School

If you are a student start a group at school. It does not matter if you attend high school or college. School can be a great platform to reach people, and to become active in conservation groups. Talk to teachers and school administrators about your concern about the environment and how to get people involved in the community. Once you get approval from the school, you can start a group. With careful planning there can be discussions set up or you can invite activists to share their tips and they can answer questions from students. Tie the subject to social aspects of caring for environment and how it impacts everyone's overall well-being. Try focusing on one topic. It can be climate change, water pollution or water conservation. The issues impact all of us not just those who advocate for changes in these areas.

Talk About the Future

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We have a habit of thinking of the present and not thinking of the future we are leaving for the next generation. This undermines the future of our children if we leave them with an earth that is depleted, polluted and destroyed. If future generations are to "remember us with gratitude rather than contempt, we must leave them something more than the miracles of technology. We must leave them a glimpse of the world as it was in the beginning," President and conservationist Theodore Roosevelt said. All of us leave a carbon footprint and need to take responsibly for our part. No one wants to pass down a lousy legacy to our children. Engage others by explaining the risks of being neglectful to the environment and the influence it has on the future.