Teaching children to preserve
the future is at the heart of this year’s Living Lightly Fair in Muncie, IN.
Organizers have deemed “Educators for Sustainability” theme for this year’s
fair at Minnetrista Park. The fair, open
to the public and free, will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday,
Sept. 20.
As a former teacher, fair
co-founder Annette Rose emphasizes the importance of advancing environmental
education in schools and capturing the energy of youth in advancing sustainable
practices.
“When you’re young, you can
see a clear path and a vision and pursue it with energy,” Rose said.
“That’s an exciting prospect in the pursuit of sustainability.”
The call for addressing sustainability
issues amongst a new generation is heightened on the heels of a new Hoosier Environmental
Council (HEC) study in Northwest Indiana that found extensive “environmental injustices”
in Northwest Indiana.
The report indicates residents
in Gary, East Chicago and Hammond live amongst the highest concentration of
heavy industrial activity in the state.
"These environmental and public health issues compound the
social and economic problems faced by the residents of these mostly-minority
populated cities," said Kim Ferraro, HEC senior attorney and co-author of
the report in an interview with the Northwest Indiana Times. "These
communities collectively provide an especially powerful example of a nationwide
problem in which poverty begets pollution and pollution begets poverty."
According to the HEC, those
surveyed in the region identified living with at least three environmental hazards
in their community, including air pollution, sewage overflows and garbage
dumps. Only one in five surveyed had
success in trying to address environmental threats.
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