I recently took the time (20 minutes) to watch “The Story of Stuff,” an indictment of our unsustainable habits of consumption, and am eager to see this video expand its already impressive (6 million views) reach. In May, The New York Times did an article about how the video by environmental activist video Annie Leonard was being embraced by teachers around the country.

“Many educators say the video is a boon to teachers as they struggle to address the gap in what textbooks say about the environment and what science has revealed in recent years,” the article reads.

The illustrations and simple language put the sustainability dilemma into terms that kids and adults alike can really get their heads around. It’s a great educational tool for a generation that is being bombarded with marketing messages of frighting sophistication. (Might I also recommend, for younger children, Dr. Suess’ “The Lorax”?)

Obviously, one basic way we can conserve resources is recycling. I find the complexity and limitations of our recycling system consternating. The city is looking at building a new center and will take citizen input at a meeting scheduled for at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in City Council chambers, 949 East Second Ave. Maybe some young people out there would like to show up and make their opinions heard, too.

Tags: Education, Environment, recycling

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