To accompany Playhouse Disney’s Playing for the Planet Awards for budding eco-warriors, Bill McGuire has drawn up a list of tips to help pre-schoolers and their parents reduce their own and the UK’s carbon footprint.
If the estimated 1.1 million preschoolers and their families in the UK make a few simple changes to their lifestyles, the impact on their own and the UK’s carbon footprints can be huge:
Tip 1 - How preschoolers can help cut pollution:
Ask your parents to walk to nursery once a week instead of driving. Much more fun and better for the environment too! If all preschoolers walked to nursery just once a week instead of driving, we’d save 28,270 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
Tip 2 - How preschoolers can help save electricity
Make sure that all your gadgets such as TVs, videos, DVD players and computers are not left on stand-by mode when not in use. If the 1.1 million preschoolers across the UK got involved to save energy by turning off gadgets, 41,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year could be saved.
Tip 3 - How preschoolers can recycle
Make sure you throw all your empty cans, bottles and plastic containers into the recycling bin and not the rubbish. Tell mummy and daddy to do this to! If all preschoolers pitch in to help increase recycling at home, and recycling increases by just 10 per cent, this would help to reduce carbon emissions by 108,900 tonnes.
Tip 4 - How preschoolers can help save water
Fill your water bottles / glasses with water from the tap instead of using bottled water
If all preschoolers and their parents filled their water bottles from the tap, this would save 12,650 tonnes of carbon dioxide, plus saving more than one billion litres of water – or the equivalent of 1000 Olympic sized swimming pools.
Tip 5 - How preschoolers can spread the climate change message
Tell five friends today what you are doing to help the planet and how they can play for the planet too!
The message is simple, if kids all around the country join together to care for the environment, they will have a huge impact.
The total carbon dioxide emissions saved through these easy steps would result in a saving of 191,620 tonnes – the equivalent to taking 87,100 cars off the road - a hugely positive impact by any measure.
Commenting on the findings, Professor Bill McGuire said: “It may seem straight forward, but by teaching our children from an early age to take these small steps towards a better world, they can make big changes as a generation. If every family with preschoolers across the UK takes these simple steps, it will stand our children in good stead for a brighter future.”
The Playing for The Planet campaign launched in May 2007. One year on, The Playing for The Planet Awards aim to celebrate the planet-saving achievements of Playhouse Disney’s young viewers, their families and nurseries across seven categories: Disney Eco Hero, The Big Idea, Greenest Family, Greenest Nursery, Planet Saver, Local Eco-Warrior, and Greenest Star. Supported across Playhouse Disney and its website www.playhousedisney.co.uk/playingfortheplanet, the Awards will tie in with bespoke, green-themed segments on the Channel, which will help to educate and encourage families to lead eco-friendly lives.