Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska

Wanda's Diary Entries

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

On Monday, I spent much of the day at my son’s school, briefing students about the lessons of simple living. What I came away with was my own variation on Robert Fulghum’s best-seller, “All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten.” After my six presentations — given to third through eighth graders — I came up with: “All the Lessons You Need to Save the Earth Are Found in Grade School.”

What an inspirational day! I started out by asking the third graders questions such as, did they believe that global warming was a problem that should be handled by “the government,” or by making smart choices themselves, or by some combination of the two? Most everyone picked the last option (my personal favorite) and expressed the belief that they could make a difference with their everyday life choices.

When asked about what they could do to make healthier, more eco-friendly choices around heating, the students all decided that putting on extra layers of clothing or snuggling up with a big dog should be the first order of business before raising the thermostat. When it comes to transporation choices, the children all understood that walking or biking — or even carpooling — would be a better choice than being driven individually to school. (Unfortunately, almost none of them walk to school.) They volunteered that to save carbon emissions surrounding food choices, they’d have to reduce fast-food consumption, plant gardens, raise chickens, clean their plates and eat lower on the food chain. One sixth grader even volunteered that we needed to eat more locally grown food — as opposed to long-distance food purchased in supermarket chains.

To reduce the waste stream coming out of their kitchens, the students agreed that they needed to shun single-use items, such as disposable plates, cups and foam doggie boxes. When I held up a travel mug and styrofoam cup and asked them which choice was more eco-friendly and why, every one got it right. Same goes for the paper bag, plastic bag, and reusable bag choice. (Parents, forgive me.) I urged them to be “nudges” and nudge their parents to make small changes that add up to a big deal in the aggregate. (Having an 11-year-old at home, I well know the power of youthful nudging.)

I came away from my day feeling optimistic. These children have most of the answers we need. They are our gurus. If only following their wisdom were as easy as tapping into it.