Energy Lesson 8 : Leaving Smaller Footprints

About the Great Lakes, a page on the web site of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes

National Program Office, has links to Lakewide Management Plans (LaMPs) for each of the Great Lakes and information about various Great Lakes topics. Retrieved October 20, 2010, from http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/lakes.html

Environmental Law and Policy Center has a page of Michigan news. The site also raises awareness of a household’s contributions to pollution based on the average monthly electric bill and the power supplier. Retrieved October 20, 2010, from http://elpc.org/category/in-my-state/michigan

Global Footprint Network is a California-based organization that promotes a sustainable economy by advancing the Ecological Footprint, a measurement and management tool to make decision makers aware of planetary limits to human activities. The group’s web site links to information about Ecological Footprint Analysis, national footprints, development of footprint standards, and other resources. Retrieved October 20, 2010, from http://www.footprintnetwork.org/. Additional resource where students can see historical trends in the estimated footprint for a substantial number of individual countries: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/footprint_for_nations/

The Institute for Market Transformation to Sustainability has links to sustainable product standards and certification programs for various types of products and services (e.g., forest products, organic foods, electric power, buildings) that meet third-party social, economic, and environmental criteria. Retrieved July 11, 2018, from http://mts.sustainableproducts.com/

Project Learning Tree: Green Works! is the community-action, service-learning component of the American Forest Foundation’s Project Learning Tree, built around action projects that partner educators, students, and communities. GreenWorks! blends service activities with the academic curriculum and addresses real community needs as students learn through active engagement. Links go to the guidebook and to information about project grants. Retrieved October 20, 2010, from http://www.plt.org/greenworks/

Sustainability Education Handbook: Resource Guide for K-12 Teachers was created to help K-12 teachers incorporate sustainability concepts that balance economic, social, and environmental concerns into their classrooms. Activities are correlated with Michigan State Framework Standards and Benchmarks. Jones, D. (2004). Sustainability Education Handbook. East Lansing, MI: Urban Options. Retrieved July 11, 2018, from http://wupcenter.mtu.edu/sustainability/resources.html

Turn the Tide, an innovative program from the Center for a New American Dream, offers nine simple actions almost anyone can take and then instantly shows the positive environmental impact of each reported action. Retrieved October 20, 2010, from http://www.newdream.org/c3/

U.S. Green Building Council has a section on a green home, with some ideas about reducing the impact of an individual house. Retrieved October 20, 2010, from http://greenhomeguide.com/