Belhaven Middle School students showed their eco-friendliness with artwork, poems and essays.

Caroline B. 11
Belhaven Middle School
My teacher’s lessons changed my life. I previously didn’t even think a second about what our world would become, but now that’s all I think about. I used to just throw away bottles and cans if I was not near a recycling bin, but now I save them. I pay attention to what can and can’t be recycled. Sometimes I even ride my bike to pick up litter. I help save the Earth and get exercise too. For hours, I kept on the lights, TV, cell phone chargers, radio and even more things that sucked up and wasted energy when I didn’t need them.  Now, I unplug my toaster, chargers, TV, lights, radio and gaming systems just to save energy. I use reusable cloth bags when shopping and I spread the word also. Cloth bags are durable and better for the environment. Sure they cost 99 cents, but what about when our descendents pay the price of what WE created? I thought so. I prefer locally grown organic food.  You don’t have to agonize about pollution and pesticides half as much. Some might say that I am really making a difference, but Earth needs you also! 
 

Drew Dalzell, 11
Belhaven Middle School
 Roses are red violets are blue be green recycle that’s what I do!  Buy durable products we will need less and in the long run we won’t have such a mess!  We hate a mess so ride your bike or why not just take a hike!  If you do your yard manually you will reduce air pollution annually!  Support organic farmers or farming your harming.  If you switch to solar you will save the polar ice caps.   If you use incandescent you’ll hurt the world for me and you and if you use clf’s maybe more people will too!  I don’t idle my car if you do you’re a fool and why would you waste so much fuel it’s just not cool!  Why use your car your feet go just as far, don’t use the peddle its burning too much metal.  That’s my little green poem and remember be green and keep it clean!

Maggie Dods, 11
Belhaven Middle School
A Little Gift From You
You say, “CFLs aren’t all that bright,
They’re stupid-looking, swirly lights.”
I say, “I use them, they aren’t that bad.
They save me lots compared to what I had.”

Soda-drinkers, here’s a tip for you,
Cut 6-pack rings, creatures want to live too.
They get caught and suffocate,
If you don’t, there’ll be no minnows left for bait.

No, don’t do it! Don’t buy that weed-kill.
It’ll drain to the water, and what’s worse, it will
Get breathed in by some poor, innocent fish,
And when all marine creatures are gone, you’ll wish,
“I wish I’d never done that.”

So, get my point? You HAVE to look out,
You might think we’re fine, but THAT I doubt.
I do these things, and you should, too.
It’s a little gift to Earth,
Just from you…

ConorDroney, 11
Belhaven Middle School
What have I done to be green? I have done many wonderful green things to help conserve non-renewable resources and help the Earth. Let’s say there is a fish in the ocean. The fish is swimming away until the fish meets the six-pack ring. Now the fish is stuck in the ring for a long time, or it could be worse. The fish can choke on the ring! Do you want that to happen? I don’t think so. So, next time you get a six-pack of any soft drink cut the rings before you throw the-ring out. Another GREEN tip is when you go to a grocery store, preferably a store that sells organic food; bring a cloth bag instead of using all those plastic/paper bags! Speaking of paper, you should definitely recycle them! Also, when you go grocery shopping, you should buy in bulk. To buy in bulk means to buy really big things instead of one small pack chips. Let’s take a trip to the beach. You’re walking by the beautiful sand and you see a plastic bottle. Pick it up! Participate in a beach clean-up! So let’s conserve our finite sources and reduce air pollution!

Jacob Epstein, 11
Belhaven Middle School
When I awake, it’s the tooth brush I take.
Using extra water is bad, it makes the earth sad.

I recycle daily; morning, noon and night.
Paper, plastic, glass to renew, it’s a happy sight!
In my hard work to save the earth, I now know how much it’s all worth.

Riding my bike to school and to friends,
is always easy no matter when.
My bike is my friend, until the end.
It saves the earth, my very best friend.

Don’t panic, I buy organic; it’s healthy for me and the earth you see.

So in the end it’s all good, to preserve our earth,
As everyone should!

Jack Fein, 11
Belhaven Middle School
Here some tips on how to be green
Use cold water in your washing machine 
plant a tree and use a clothesline
There perfect to combine
Use energy star it’s really not hard
Ride a bike and manually mow your yard
Global warming is in effect
So you have to give the earth some respect
Make sure you bring a cloth bag when you go to the store
Marine animals are dying you just can’t ignore
Those are some tips you must know to be green
Make sure you help to make the earth clean

Lily Glassberg, 10
Belhaven Middle School
 
Green Poem
I can be green, and you and you! Here’s what I do to keep the water blue… I reduce my use for cans and bottles so they don’t get lost at sea. And I clean up the beach to help you and me. Now it’s time to clean the roads. To start this journey I’ll pick up some plastic bags. Then as I go against my will, I’ll throw them away so they won’t b a drag. But I’m not done yet! Our electrical bill is way too high. So, a CFL is what I’ll go and buy. But now that I’ve learned from my teacher, a green fanatic, I think I’ll go buy some healthy organic. That’s how I participate in helping the earth, how about you?

Michael Gordon
Belhaven Middle School
Listen to me and listen well
The poem your hearing will knock you in your shell
I’m noticing something, something extreme
The problem you’re facing is not a silly dream
Animals poached
And rivers polluted
People are speaking up
But their voices are muted
What you can do is something that takes some power
Ride a bike or take a quick shower
Using plastic bags is not so smart
If you don’t listen to me the animals will depart
If we all recycle the Sunday news
We will save 6,000,000 trees then we would have nothing to lose
The earth is mad and why don’t you see
The people down here are destroying your family
Global warming is also a mess
If you ignore this poem there will only be less
I support organic and you could to
Yes I’m talking I’m talking about you
This is my poem listen to me
And once again it’s not a dream

Dylan Hancock, 11
Belhaven Middle School
I take great pride in the efforts my family and I make to help save our planet. We have recycled for years, but since I have learned what exactly can and cannot be recycled, we are awesome recyclers!  At mealtime, we use cloth napkins instead of paper; we have for as long as I can remember. We carpool with friends to school and soccer games. With gasoline prices so high, this helps in many ways!  Whenever I can, I ride my bike to school and encourage others to do the same.  My family recently joined the local Freecycle Group; an organization that strives to connect with their community to give items away that would otherwise end up in landfills.  We only buy products that are free of CFC's.  We also participate in the NJ Clean Power Choice Program.  All new appliances that we have purchased since we moved to our home are Energy Star Rated.  Additionally, we NEVER buy styrofoam products or paper plates.  Finally, whenever we put six-pack rings in the trash, we make sure that we cut the loops so that no wildlife is harmed by our actions. Compared to most people, I think we are pretty green!

Klea Kalia, 10
Belhaven Middle School
That Problem
There’s a problem out there we’re trying to solve
It’s one in which we all need to get involved.
So here are some tips to make the world green,
So our kids’ future will be clean.
In the morning, carpool.
Or even better, walk to school
Take a short shower instead of a bath,
It saves water, do the math.
Buy organic food,
So you can drink clean water, dude!
Don’t let the hose run,
We really need water conservation
Make a compost pile in your yard,
It’ll decompose, it’s not that hard
Take time to teach,
To keep litter off the beach,
Our animals will die,
So be the good guy.
Use a clothesline
It’ll save energy,
I think I’ll put up mine.
And be sure to use the three R’s
You’ll be an eco superstar!
And finally, I must say,
You have to help the world every day!

Erin Kiernan 10
Belhaven Middle School
To cut down on the cutting-down of trees
Use cloth bags to shop, I’m begging you. Please!
It’s going to help in saving our Earth
You’ll realize how much this deed is worth
When they ask, “Plastic or paper?”
Say, “Neither. You’ll thank me later”.
The plastic ends up in our bodies of water
Not only will it kill our sons and daughters
But it gets caught in sea creatures’ throats
And this horrible treatment makes them choke
And then they die
It upsets the food chain
And to the other animals we must say goodbye
After a while, we’ll die also
And by then, trash will be known as a foe
But by then it will be too late
And Earth will have reached her fate
Of a horrible death caused by mankind
And you may find
That is not the only thing we can do…
Paper bags can kill our world too
It will take all the trees away
When we let our minds roam astray
Let them take all our air away
Then all will die once again
And it’s all our fault my friend
The choice is clear
Use cloth bags each day of the year

Sami Lopez, 10
Belhaven Middle School
What I do to be Green
Here are some eco friendly things I do
You should do it too
Don’t you know that our Earth could fall apart?
So let’s all start
Our Earth is going to have too much heat,
Get up and start to use your feet
Stop driving a Hummer
Or every season will feel like summer
Pull your own weeds
While you’re at it,
Plant some seeds
Clean up after your pets
The beach is not where you throw your cigarettes
Do you fly less?
That’s a test
Did you pass?
Or are you still wasting gas???

Marissa Ognibene
Belhaven Middle School
Things I Do Green
I walk and bike,
With my socks I hike.
I make every day earth day,
To make the sky less gray.
I give my old things to the poor,
To make the Earth clean and pure.
I don’t fly a lot,
Because it makes the Earth hot.
I buy organic,
To help save our planet.
I am very enthusiastic,
About recycling my plastic.
I pick up others trash,
It is gone in a flash.
I reuse paper,
To use it again later.
I reduce my trash,
To save me some cash.
I unplug things I am not using,
That way I am not abusing.
I do not litter,
Because it is bitter.
I care about the place where we dwell,
To make the Earth very well.

Emme Rovins, 10
Belhaven Middle School
My Greenness
Do the yard manually. Let me explain. If you are one of those people who use those big, polluting lawn mowers, you need a talking to. You should use a manual lawn mower. They have a blade that rotates as you push. They aren’t as loud and don’t use gas, so they don’t pollute. 

 Another green thing I do is I use CFL’S. CFL’S are a type of light bulb. They use a quarter of the amount of energy a regular incandescent bulb uses.

When you are washing your clothes, use cold water. It uses less energy because you need energy to heat the water. Don’t forget to hang up the clothes on the clothesline after washing the clothes in COLD WATER!!!!
I have only told you three out of many ways to be green. Please do at least one out of the many ways to be green.
DON’T BE LAZY BE ECO CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!

Rachel Rubinstein, 11
Belhaven Middle School
My family has changed so much since last year to be eco friendly.   Some things we have done are buy green bags at the grocery store.  It is just about the simplest step you can take to help out.  My mom has also started to buy organic foods. They don`t taste any different and it is good for our earth.  She is so proud of herself that she told all of her friends and now they are buying it too.  My dad does a lot to. He bought two recycle bins and a box for our newspaper. He also stopped all subscriptions of the junk mail we never read.  I even got my grandparents to buy cloth bags.  My whole family is adjusting very well to all of the green changes to our house.  I have to go around reminding them to turn off the TV and other electric devices when we are not using them.  They all now realize the consequences that will start rolling around the corner if we don`t start conserving now.  I am so happy that my family knows that earth day doesn’t come just once a year, it`s every single day!

Cassidy Scott
Linwood, NJ
How to Be Green Poem

Here are some things my family does to be green.
Please be a part of this, to keep the world clean.
I turn off electronic devices that are not in use.
I recycle glass bottles and the news.
When I am out and about I use a cloth bag,
and when there is a spill I reuse a rag.
I run the dishwasher only when it’s full.
When there are weeds, I am the one to pull.
Instead of turning up the thermostat, I wear a sweater.
It is not for the worse but for the better.
I use durable products to get me far,
and when it comes to appliances, I choose Energy Star.
When there is school I walk or bike.
I don’t use electric toothbrushes, those I truly dislike.
I wash my clothes in cold water not hot.
This poem was written by Cassidy Scott. 

Courtenay Terrell, 11
Belhaven Middle School
UNLESS SOMEONE LIKE YOU CARES A WHOLE AWFUL LOT
NOTHING’S GONNA GET BETTER, IT’S NOT
If you’re using Incandescent
Switch to Compact Fluorescent
Pick up litter off the street
Or our Earth will have too much heat
Buy organic food
It’ll save the water, dude
Switch to green power
It’ll clean the air every hour
Don’t be shy
Hang your clothes out to dry
Walk, not drive in the car 
Ride your bike if it’s not too far
Turn down your thermostat
And put on your winter hat
Drive and mow your lawn less
And the Earth’s air will be fresh
You should panic
If you don’t buy organic
Pull your own weeds
Because pesticides won’t help us succeed
I ride my bike to school 
Don’t care if the weathers warm or cool
Pick up trash off the grass,
Then, you recycle your cans and glass
These are some tips to get green,
So our Earth can be forever clean.

Maddie Williscroft, 11
Belhaven Middle School
Green Essay
 “If not us, who?  If not now, when?” –JFK
If you cannot answer the questions above then obviously it is YOUR job and NOW is the time. What am I talking about? Saving our earth! What should I do, you ask? Well, just follow these simple tips and you will become a “clean and green” person.
The best place to start would be home sweet home so all those paper towels, replace them with rags ASAP. Also, if you get delivered junk mail the earth will fail to learn to use email which would allow us to prevail and will limit the paper trail and while you’re at it buy some bulk Ginger Ale, so cancel it.
Let’s take a ride to the market, but make sure to ride your bike if it’s not far or maybe drive a hybrid car.
Buy organics and use cloth bags. Plus, you can and should avoid all plastics and disposable plates, cups and utensils at all costs. You also should buy recycled containers because they save you lots o’ green.
My story is done,
use electricity from the sun,
save our world ,
today’s the day,
to make a difference, hip, hip, hooray!