Practices that promote environmental sustainability Facing the challenges of climate change and encouraging better use of natural resources at home and at schools Cover picture: © UNICEF/UNI205380/Noorani © United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) December 2020 Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office Building 102, Alberto Tejada St., City of Knowledge Panama, Republic of Panama P. O. Box: 0843-03045 Phone number: +507 301-7400 www.unicef.org/lac @uniceflac /uniceflac Index 1 Introduction 2 Promoting healthy habits at home: hygiene, water conservation and use 3 Solid waste, reduce, reuse and recycle 4 Saving water and energy 5 Children and adolescents: key players in tackling climate change 1 1 Introduction We all have a big house and a small house. The big one is the planet where we live, from which we depend, with which we relate all day long and which is made out of land, water, air, animals, plants and people, among others. We also have a small one. We call it “a house” or “an apartment,” and it is our home. It is the place where we live, grow, and protect ourselves from the sun, rain and wind; where we eat, sleep and share with our family. We have only one planet, so we cannot move from our big house if it gets damaged. We need both houses to be "healthy" in order to have a good life today, and for our sons and daughters to have a good life in the future as well. Keeping proper hygiene habits concerning water and waste handling, and saving water and energy at home are ways of contributing to a better health for children and adolescents and of preserving the resources that we have. Furthermore, since climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, the planet is in danger and, therefore, human lives. 2 This means we are all more and more exposed to the risks created by climate change. We all have to take action and work to ensure children and adolescents live in a clean and sustainable environment now and in the future. It is important to keep in mind that healthy habits related to conservation and proper use of resources, as well as awareness about climate change are more easily assimilated and integrated into the personality during the early years of life, when they consolidate until adulthood. Hence the importance of providing adequate and timely guidance to the family and to the educators responsible for the upbringing and care of children and adolescents. In the following pages, we propose a series of actions that can be practiced to promote healthy use of water, waste and power at home. We wish to support mothers, fathers, guardians and teachers so they can promote sustainable behaviors in children and adolescents, thus allowing us to preserve our natural resources through a more efficient use and, at the same time, to face climate change. In the last section, we will share some ideas about the role of children and adolescents as agents of change for a more sustainable world and how young people participate and contribute to finding solutions to the challenges presented by global climate change. 2 Promoting healthy habits at home: hygiene, water conservation and use Washing your hands with soap and water Washing your hands with soap and water removes germs and dirt. This interrupts the chain of infection of diseases such as diarrhea, pneumonia, skin diseases, eye diseases and intestinal parasites, among others. However, washing your hands with water is not enough. You have to use soap, rub your hands, rinse them and dry them. ez © UNICEF/UN0324434/Fernánd 4 All family members should wash their hands whenever they are dirty, but there are key moments when handwashing with soap is essential: Before cooking After going to the bathroom Before eating After changing a diaper or cleaning up a baby Before breastfeeding If you have the flu, wash your hands after blowing your nose or coughing Children should always be taught to wash their hands before eating, after touching or playing with pets, and after going to the bathroom. Therefore, it is convenient to have clean water and soap near the bathroom, the toilet, and the dining room. You can always create a fun game so children wash their hands or so you can do it together. 5 Water conservation at home When we store or conserve water at home, we have to make sure that the water is always kept potable. First, we must check the water we drink is potable. This requires the family to keep the containers where water is transported and stored clean and covered. In addition, it is important to make sure that the containers where we store water have a tap (so that the clean water that comes out of them does not get contaminated) and that they stay away from waste, from contact with animals, and from containers of paint, gasoline or detergent. Stagnant water and mosquitoes Due to rain, water can remain stagnant or pooled in different areas of the home, such as in flowerpots or garden objects. Stagnant water in tires, bottles and buckets or pots can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Removing stagnant water is the main way to prevent the spread of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, carriers of Zika, dengue and chikungunya viruses. 6 Zika, dengue and chikungunya are diseases that affect human beings in various ways. Some of them are serious and can sometimes be fatal. Zika, as well as dengue and chikungunya, is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito that passes the virus on to a healthy person. In particular, Zika is also sexually transmitted: a person with the virus can transmit the infection through sexual intercourse even if he or she has no symptoms at the time. Dengue is a disease that affects the defenses of the human body. If it is not properly treated, it can result in internal bleeding that can lead to death. The most vulnerable groups to these diseases are children, and pregnant women, given the fact that Zika, in particular, can cause problems in the development of the baby's brain. If there is stagnant water outside the house, prevent children from walking or playing in it. Mainly because: Stagnant water can contain a large number of bacteria and contaminants, such as chemicals and wastewater, which cause infections. After heavy rains, there may be sharp debris hidden under water that can cause serious injuries. Fallen high-voltage power lines can hide under stagnant water, and there is a risk of electrocution. 7 Symptoms of Zika, dengue and chikungunya Zika Dengue Chikungunya · Back pain · Headache · Headache · Low fever · High fever · High fever · Red eyes and conjunctivitis · Pain in the back of the eyes · Conjunctivitis · Joint pain · Joint pain · Joint pain · Read spots on the skin · Read spots on the skin · Rashes with white and red spots on the skin · Nausea and vomiting · Severe pain · Aphthous · Weight loss · Photophobia · Weakness · Itching · Nose and gum bleeding · Dizziness © UNICEF/UN029600/Libório 8 Some advice and tips to eliminate and prevent mosquito-borne diseases: Drain off any stagnant water. Once a week, empty and wash, turn over, cover, or dispose of all items that may contain water, such as tires, buckets, dishes, toys, pools, water troughs, flowerpots, or trash containers1. Water stored in large containers should be treated with larvicides to kill mosquito larvae and eggs, in compliance with local guidelines. When in the point of purchase, find out how to use larvicides properly. Wear pants and long-sleeved shirts. Use an insect repellent safe for pregnant women and children that has been recommended by the Ministry of Health or other authorities. To keep mosquitoes away, install nets on doors and windows and make sure they are properly maintained. At bedtime, it is recommended to use an awning or mosquito net that completely covers the bed. 1 United Nations Children’s Fund, World Health Organization and Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, Key Messages and Actions for Zika Prevention and Control: Guide for Schools, UNICEF, OMS, CDC, Panama, 2016. 9 How to engage children and adolescents in the prevention of diseases such as Zika, dengue and chikungunya? Engaging children and adolescents in the prevention of these diseases is very easy, but it must be done regularly. In order for everyone to feel involved and supported, especially in the prevention of mosquito-borne diseases, we suggest emphasizing the importance of the problem and using games and fun, participatory dynamics to educate them about prevention measures. For example, you can create, copy or print a model like the one below and leave it for the children and adolescents to see at home. That way, we will all be on the lookout to eradicate mosquito and larvae breeding grounds by following this checklist: I properly cover buckets, barrels and other containers in which water is stored, inside and outside the house. I keep the yard free of breeding grounds and larvae, because we have removed debris and unusable containers that can accumulate water. I brush and wash the water troughs of my animals (cats, dogs, pigs or chickens) once a week. I scrub in a circular motion the walls and bottoms of the buckets, barrels and other containers in which water is stored, at least once a week, to eliminate mosquito eggs. I use a mosquito net in bed at night. 10 Food handling hygiene Please remember that it is very important to maintain good hygiene at home and particularly of the place where food is handled. It is recommended: To wash (with soap and water) kitchen utensils, such as pots, pans, dishes and cutlery. To frequently change and thoroughly wash the towels or rags used to dry the utensils or clean the kitchen surfaces. To clean kitchen surfaces where food is handled thoroughly, as well as places where food is stored (cupboards, refrigerator, etc.) and where it is cooked (such as the oven). To sweep and mop the floor and keep kitchen surfaces clean of debris, crumbs or spilled liquids that attract insects or mice. To keep the trash covered. See the following chapter for some recommendations on waste sorting and treatment. 11 When cooking, we must take into account the following recommendations: Always use water that is safe for consumption. Wash your hands and nails thoroughly with soap and water before you start cooking. If you cook with children, teach them the importance of washing our hands before cooking and do it with them to motivate them to do so. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, in particular if they will be served raw. Wash them with potable water. Cook food properly, including meat, chicken, fish and eggs, to eliminate any microorganisms they may have. Do not eat expired food. Do not mix utensils for handling raw food, such as red meat, poultry and fish, with those used for handling fruits and vegetables. Likewise, do not mix utensils for cutting raw food with those used to cut cooked food. 3 Solid waste, reduce, reuse and recycle It is important to promote a conscious use of resources to help reduce the amount of waste we produce every day. This means avoiding buying excessive quantities or single-use products. Handling our waste: reduce, reuse and recycle The three “r’s” (3Rs) are a proposal on consumption habits known worldwide that seeks to develop responsible practices of consumption that protect our environment, in particular by reducing the volume of waste or garbage generated. © UNICEF/UN077843/Llaurado 13 Reduce “Reducing” means consuming differently. First, we should not consume more than we actually need. Furthermore, we should minimize the number of products that, after being used, will become waste: everything that is bought and consumed is directly related to what is thrown away as waste. For example, instead of buying 4 individual boxes of milk, try buying a large box, because you will get the same product, but with less packaging to take care of when you finish consuming it. Reuse To reuse is to be able to utilize things again, for the same purpose or another one, before getting rid of them, in order to reduce our volume of garbage. For example: buckets and bottles that can serve as plant pots, glass, plastic or cardboard containers that can be reused to store other objects in the house, etc. Recycle Recycling is the way of processing used materials and transforming them into products that can have a new use. At home, as soon as we produce garbage, we must sort it out. We should put organic waste on one side and inorganic waste on the other. 14 Organic waste is made up of shells, food residues and plant material. These wastes decompose easily in the environment and, if not handled properly, they attract and facilitate the proliferation of disease-carrying animals such as flies, cockroaches and rodents. Inorganic waste consists of all waste materials produced from chemicals or minerals through industrial processing and manufacturing. Inorganic waste is not biodegradable, that is, it requires special treatment for disposal. Organic waste Inorganic waste 15 Why should we reduce, reuse and recycle? Reduce your amount of waste It reduces pollution: Using recycled materials entails no longer using virgin materials to make new products. This avoids launching new processes in metal mining, oil drilling and massive tree harvesting. For example, using white recycled paper creates 75% less air pollution and 35% less water pollution than making new paper2 It saves energy: everything we reduce, reuse or recycle helps companies cut down on the energy used to manufacture new products from raw materials It reduces the size of landfills: it helps reduce waste in landfills that can take hundreds of years to decompose It saves money: Selling or donating recycled materials offsets the additional costs of processing and collecting waste 2 Lober, Douglas, 'Kids guide to recycling', ReduceThisBag.com, October 26, 2017. <www.reusethisbag.com/articles/kids-guide-to-recycling/>, accessed 5 September 2019. 16 Recycling at home Recycling at home is easy and does not require much effort if you establish a routine. This routine starts with having places to store recyclable materials separately, whether it is a box, a wastebasket or a bag. Having containers for each type of waste will encourage recycling and remind everyone at home to recycle as much as possible. Sorting and recycling. Here are some simple tips to recycle more effectively at home: ©U ra NICE F/UN037173/Bind Organic waste Organic waste should be kept in durable plastic or metal containers with lids to avoid the appearance of flies, cockroaches and mice. It is almost always possible to reuse containers that we already have by adding a lid to them for this purpose. Compost: the process consists of burying the organic waste in such a way that, over time, it becomes a fertilizer for the garden or plants. You can ask your city council for support in teaching interested local families how to make compost. 17 Cardboard and paper Recycle all types of paper and not only newspapers. Envelopes, birthday cards, phone books and all kinds of cardboard, including paper towel and toilet paper tubes. Cardboard boxes can be flattened so that they occupy less space and more materials that are recyclable fit into your container. Cans and metals Many of the metallic items we have at home can be recycled, especially empty aluminum and soda cans. Glass and crystal Glass is endlessly recyclable. It does not wear out after several recycling processes, so always be sure to recycle your glass bottles and containers. Remember: you can always reuse glass rather than recycling it! Plastics and plastic containers Recycle all plastic bottles and containers. Remember to flatten them too so they leave more space in your recycling bin. To help your recycling center and reduce odors, make sure you wash your plastic or glass containers before putting them in the recycling garbage can. 18 How can you engage children in recycling at home? Some suggestions: Make recycling containers for paper, glass, plastic and cans and let children decorate them. Make recycling garbage cans easy for children to recognize by using images of what they will contain. A good idea is to set recycling goals for them. The one who recycles the most every day could be rewarded for having good recycling habits. Note: Find out how recyclable waste is sorted in your city. For example, whether plastics are delivered to the recycling center all together or separated into different types of plastic. Show them examples of materials you are using that come from a recycling process, such as recycled paper, recycled bags, etc. Finally, remember to take your children with you to the recycling center to drop off what is going to be recycled so that they get used to this habit. At school, to reinforce the initiative at home, teams can be organized to focus or specialize in certain types of recycling. For example, some can take care of the cans, others of the glass, others of the paper and cardboard, etc. 4 Saving water and energy Using water responsibly Potable water is necessary for our survival, but it is a limited resource. 97.5 percent of the Earth's water is saltwater and must be treated before being used in daily life for drinking, cooking and washing. Only 2.5 percent is freshwater. Out of this fresh water, the largest part comes from ice caps and glaciers, followed by groundwater. Lastly, 1 percent is freshwater found on the surface³. Because it is a limited resource that is becoming increasingly difficult to provide, we all have to do our part to preserve the water we have. By saving water, we help others because: We make this resource available for others to use. We all need water to live. We decrease the use of the energy required to process it. ©U NIC EF /UNI 18932 8/Gilberts on VII Photo We decrease the burden on an area's wastewater treatment plants, so they are less likely to overflow and pollute local water sources during storms or the rainy season. 3 Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente, `¿Dónde se encuentra el agua?', Tunza: La revista del PNUMA para los jóvenes, vol 6, no. 3, 2008, p. 12. 19 Climate change and water Climate change has been shown to increase the frequency and intensity of droughts, floods and hurricanes. In many Latin American countries, drought is a major concern, as we have seen the reduction in the amount and frequency of rainfall, rivers drying up, and the reduction of groundwater and water in reservoirs. This, along with rising temperatures, increases the need to irrigate crops, thus intensifying the water requirement. Likewise, it is raining more intensely, which leads to large floods. Floods can contaminate freshwater resources. In addition, climate change has resulted in rising sea levels that infiltrate freshwater sources, making it unfit for drinking. For all these reasons, preserving the clean water we have at home is crucial to save this resource that is currently at risk and that is essential for everyone on this planet. The challenges raised by climate change force us all to be much more careful with the use we give to water. ©U NIC i v ita EF/UN 03 2 7 6 9 5 / R a l a 20 Tips to make better use of water at home Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. Check that taps and toilets are not dripping or leaking. If you detect a water leak, repair it as soon as possible. Also, check your water bill. If it is high, there could be a leak. Switch to water-saving showerheads and shorten the shower time by one or two minutes each day. Install a low-flow toilet or place a bottle of water in the tank to reduce discharge. Use the “environmental mode” in both washing machines and dishwashers, if available. If you use a dishwasher, make sure it is full before you start it. If you do the dishes in the sink, fill a small bucket with soapy water and use it to wash the dishes instead of opening a constant stream of water. Wash pans in a bucket of soapy water instead of under a tap. Grow a garden with plants that require less water. Collect rainwater to use when watering trees and plants. Consider installing a rainwater collection system that can be used, for example, in the bathrooms, for dishwashing, cleaning and laundering clothes. 21 Using energy responsibly at home Saving energy is an efficient way to preserve natural resources and save money. Energy conservation and energy efficiency benefit you, but also your country and the world, by conserving natural resources. Therefore, it is important to learn how to save energy at home. How? Use energy-saving bulbs instead of low-efficiency ones. Do not put your computer into “sleep mode”. Turn it off when you are done using it. Turn off heaters and coolers when you do not need them. Turn the heater down a few degrees during the winter and use less air conditioning in the summer months. The windows, doors, vents and roof can be insulated to maintain heat when temperatures drop in cold weather. Open your windows instead of relying on a fan for cooling, so you do not use electricity or spend money. 22 Unplug chargers, TVs and electronic devices you are not using. When they are turned off but remain plugged in, they still consume energy. If your washing machine does not have a half-load setting, be sure to fill it with clothes to its full capacity. When buying appliances, try to find models that have an automatic shut-off function, thus helping to save energy and, in some cases, water. Consider installing a solar energy system. ICEF © UN /UN n row 7/B 694 032 23 How can children and adolescents be engaged in sustainable water use and management at home? Reinforce the messages about turning off the lights and taps. It is even more effective to show them by example. Remind children and adolescents that as soon as they recognize a leak or drip at home, they can help fix it if they report it. A combination of small rewards and compliments is the best way to educate children about responsible water and energy use at home. Help them understand the importance of sustainable water and energy use with simple examples and games. By clicking on the image on the right, you can access videos produced by UNICEF and Cartoon Network aimed at children that show the value of recycling and saving water, as well as the negative effects of unsustainable resource management at home. 5 Children and adolescents: key players in tackling climate change The impact of climate change Climate change affects children and adolescents in very specific ways. For instance: As the temperature of the planet increases, the intensity of extreme natural events rises. These events interrupt the education of children and adolescents. Their schools and educational centers are damaged, thus preventing them from attending. Additionally, very often, these children and their families are forced to migrate, which has the same negative effect, because it also interrupts their access and right to education. Children are more vulnerable to diseases, including those related to climate change. Disease patterns can change, increasing the threat of diseases becoming epidemics, such as cholera and other diseases that particularly affect younger children, like malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia, or mosquito-borne illnesses. Children are more vulnerable to air pollution because of their physiology: pollution has a greater effect on their health because their respiratory and immune systems are not fully developed. At the same time, they breathe faster and inhale more air per unit of body weight. Why are children and adolescents key players in tackling environmental challenges and climate change? 25 Children and adolescents are not the ones who make political and social decisions, but they can influence decision makers. Ultimately, they are the ones who will have to live with the consequences of those decisions in the future. Therefore, it is key that they are heard and that they get involved, that they can give their opinion, discuss and ask questions. By doing so, they will gradually build up their own opinion on how to tackle the challenges of climate change and will be able to participate in concrete actions to address these challenges. Likewise, engaging children and adolescents in the adoption of sustainable practices with the environment, such as reducing consumption, reusing or recycling, and preserving resources such as water and energy, not only has a direct impact on their own © UNICEF/UN0341609 /Pinhe iro practices, but also positively influences the behavior of their parents, relatives and families. By motivating them to become agents of change, their entire family and social environment are being influenced. 26 The voice of children and adolescents, and climate change Here are some examples of how the voice of children and adolescents is increasingly being heard on climate change: Between September 20 and 27, 2019, 6 million people, mostly teens and young adults, in 4,500 locations in 150 countries, called for stricter climate policies as part of #FridaysForFuture, a movement launched by the 16-year-old student and environmental activist Greta Thunberg, which has so far triggered weekly student strikes in 150 different countries4. On September 23, 2019, young people of 16 different nationalities, along with Greta Thunberg, filed a formal complaint with UNICEF in New York to challenge their governments on their "inaction" on climate change and how this should be considered a violation of children’s rights5. UNICEF, together with ECLAC and América Solidaria, and as part of the CONCAUSA 2030 initiative, has launched the campaign "1000 actions for change", in which adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean are invited to share different projects related to climate measures. An interactive map shows the number of projects presented, the number of young people involved, photos, countries of origin, etc. Access these examples through the following link: www.concausa2030.com/espanol/1000acciones. 4 <www.fridaysforfuture.org>, accessed 27 October 2019. 5 16 children, including Greta Thunberg, file landmark climate complaint to UN, video, United Nations Children's Fund, 2019, <www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGf-SBar_r4>, Visited on October 20, 2019. 27 What can parents and educators do to promote the participation of children and adolescents in the fight against climate change? Helping children understand the problem of climate change. What is it? What are the implications for their country and, if possible, for their city or region?. Invite them to research their country's commitments and actions on climate change and how to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Encouraging children and adolescents to talk to their friends and share what they know. If children and adolescents want to take action, support them in doing a project at school and put them in contact with other groups or associations, including safe social networks and groups that can be a positive influence for them. Finally, we present a video that can be an excellent tool to motivate children and adolescents to participate in actions to stop climate change from their own environment. References 16 children, including Greta Thunberg, file landmark climate complaint to UN, video, United Nations Children’s Fund, 2019, <www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGf-SBar_r4>, visited on October 20, 2019. United Nations Children’s Fund, World Health Organization and Centers for Diseases Control, Key Messages and Actions for Zika Prevention and Control: Guide for Schools, UNICEF, WHO, CDC, Panama, 2016. Fondo de las Naciones Unidas para la Infancia, Seres de cuidado, UNICEF, Bogota, 2015. Fridays for Future <www.fridaysforfuture.org/>, visited on September 14, 2019. Lewis, Akenji (IGES), Huizhen,Chen, A framework for shaping sustainable lifestyles, United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, Nairobi, 2016. Lober, Douglas, 'Kids guide to recycling', ReduceThisBag.com, October 26, 2017 <www.reusethisbag.com/articles/kids-guide-to-recycling/>, accessed on September 5, 2019. World Health Organization, News Room, Chikungunya, October, 2017, <www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ chikungunya>, WHO, accessed on October 30, 2019. World Health Organization, News Room, Dengue and Severe Dengue, April, 2019, <www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/ detail/dengue-and-severe-dengue>, WHO, accessed on October 20, 2019. World Health Organization, News Room, Zika Virus Disease, July, 2018 <www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/zika-virus , WHO, accessed on October 22, 2019. Programa del Medio Ambiente de las Naciones Unidas, '¿Dónde se encuentra el agua?', Tunza: La revista del PNUMA para los jóvenes, vol. 6, no. 3, 2008, p. 12. Quiet Hut ‘Green guide for kids at Home’, November, 2017, <www.fridaysforfuture.org>, accessed on Tuesday, September 10, 2019. United Nations Children´s Fund, Climate, Energy and Environment: Strategic Momentum of reflection, UNICEF, September of 2018. United Nations Environment Programme ‘Green Up! Daily Actions’, <www.greenup-unep.org/greenup-tips/daily-actions.htm?lng=en# .XVblQLpFwpQ>, n.d., accessed on September 5, 2019. © United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) December 2020 Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office Building 102, Alberto Tejada St., City of Knowledge Panama, Republic of Panama P. O. Box: 0843-03045 Phone number: +507 301-7400 www.unicef.org/lac @uniceflac /uniceflac
