Our Green Streets Blog

This guest post from Lauren Bailey provides readers with a thoughtful perspective on the green or ecological impacts for children growing up with some of these animated movies.

While it may be easy for you, a parent, to change your old ways and convert your lifestyle to save the planet, living “green” may be bit of a complicated idea for your young child to grasp —it’s hard for them to truly understand the impact humans have on environment at such a young age. While you can try explaining it to them, it may resonate like a boring teacher’s lesson: in other words, one ear and out the other. But an easy (and fun) way to introduce your child to the importance of conserving the earth’s natural resources is via animated movies. There are tons of available that concentrate on eco-themes. To learn my top 5 favorites, continue reading below.

5. Finding Nemo (2003): Featuring the voices of Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres

One of Pixar’s more popular films, this movie follows a clown fish’s journey to recover his lost son (Nemo) who is abducted by a fisherman and turned into a pet fish. While trapped in his tank, Nemo discovers that “all drains lead to the ocean”—this is a good thing as it makes way for a plan of escape, but it also suggests that all trash and rancid materials can be submerged into the ocean as well.

4. Yogi Bear (2010): Featuring the voices of Dan Aykroyd and Justin Timberlake

This combo of live-action and computer-animation might not do the classic cartoon justice in terms of being as witty as the original, but it can serve as a greater purpose for younger audiences unfamiliar with the characters—it teaches them the importance of preserving wildlife and endangered species. As a way to compensate loss funds due to mismanagement, the mayor of the town tries to sell Jellystone Park to loggers in order to reap some big cash. The “pic-a-nic” basket-stealing Yogi and his loyal sidekick Boo Boo are then prompted to find a way to save their home.

3. Over the Hedge (2006): Featuring the voices of Bruce Willis, Steve Carell, William Shatner, and Avril Lavigne

While this light-hearted film is made to make your children laugh, there is a serious underlying eco-message that is brought to light throughout the movie—human wastefulness. The movie follows a group of wild animals who embark on a dangerous trip from the woods across the street and over the hedge to forage for needed food, which according to a mischievous raccoon, is something humans take for granted.

2. Wall-E (2008): Featuring the voices of Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, and Jeff Garlin

This futuristic computer-animated film gives children fair warning of what could happen if we are not eco-conscious, no longer recycle, and deplete all of Earth’s resources—it can ultimately become unlivable. Wall-E is a small robot who picks up trash and other waste humans have left behind in order to diffuse his boredom and give him purpose. One day he stumbles upon a lady-robot friend and a key ingredient that may just be able to restore planet Earth to normalcy. This family-adventure film is a great segway to implement recycling programs within your own home.  To see the film’s short trailer, click here.

1. FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992): Featuring voices of Robin Williams, Tim Curry, Christian Slater, and Samantha Mathis

It may be the most dated animated movie of the bunch, but FernGully is still one of the most effective movies when it comes to explaining the ramifications of deforestation and the destructive nature of pollutants—after all, the main villain is a clump of oil named Hexxus who not only sings of toxic love, but grows larger, more powerful, and more evil the more smog he absorbs.  It’s Crysta’s responsibility (a magical Australian rainforest fairy) to help ward off human loggers who are helping Hexxus thrive. Take this opportunity to discuss the effects that pollutants and emissions have in the air and why using different forms of transportation and energy can help save the Earth.

Runner Ups: The Lorax, A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventure, 9, Once Upon a Forest, and Happy Feet.

Which movies did we miss?

This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for best online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99 @gmail.com.

I have not met Barry Cohen, executive director of the National Algae Association, based in Woodlands, Texas, nor discussed with him any of the challenges facing his nascent industry. But the challenge he made to his membership caught my attention:

“I am issuing a challenge for the year 2010: Build out a 100 acre turnkey algae production facility (growing, harvesting and extraction) without any local, state or federal grant funds.”

Mr. Cohen’s greeting to all for the beginning of 2010 is well worth reading, especially by all who want to see alternative fuels gain more solid footing on the American (and world) energy charts.

The accounting of his challenge ias worth the read:

“When this (American oil production) all started in 1859, nobody had all of the answers. 150 years later, the oil industry is still looking for answers. A 100 acre turn-key commercial-scale algae production facility will allow algae producers to look at real commercial algae production and operations as well as economies of scale issues. It will give algae researchers a much better understanding of commercial-scale algae production issues to work on as opposed to small raceway ponds and desk-top lab photobioreactors. It is, at this point, useless to continue to fund algae research without seriously funding commercial-scale algae production farms. As some have already learned, intellectual properties have no practical use if there is not an industry to use them. In order to create any value in existing algae technologies, we must have commercial-scale algae production facilities that can use them!

“Commercial-scale algae production is key to our industry and is one solution that helps to reduce dependence on foreign oil, to create new jobs and reduce CO2 emissions. The NAA challenges the algae industry to build a 100 acre commercial-scale algae production plant without any local, state or federal grants – this will be the true test of algae production farming and algaepreneurism at its finest!

“I would like to see the first 50 acres of production with proven benchmarked results – totally designed, developed and put into production without a single dollar of government money. The next 50 acres can be improved by making minor changes based on what was learned from the first 50 acres. I know it can be done, and you know it can be done – it´s time to do it!”

The entire document can be read at the association’s website .

Meet Planet Blue! source: SavePlanetBlue.com

An interactive online game site, SavePlanetBlue.com has been launched. After one year of development, children around the world are invited to come register and become Planet Blue Savers. Registration is free.

According to the launch announcement, children today are more aware of  environmental issues than at any other time before. Site visitors will encounter an animated 3-D website that provides customizing options. Read more of this >>