Tips To Powering Eco-Responsibility (NAPSA)—Think of the future and many concerns come to mind: health, stability, money...but what about the environment? Environmental responsibility is an increasingly important part of our lives. Recycling programs and alternative fuel vehicles are gaining in popularity, but will this be enoughto safeguard the planet for future generations? In aneffort to increase environmental awareness, Ford, maker of the Escape Hybrid, is challenging America’s elementary schoolchildren to follow its lead and take eco-responsibility to heart. With the help of Paul DiMeo and Constance Ramos of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” the companyis calling for entries in its Radical Renovation: School Edition contest. By visiting www.nationalgeographic.com/go green/ford, schoolchildren nationwide have the chance to win $100,000 for environmentally responsible school renovations. Children across the country have been challenged to bring their families and classrooms together and live a more ecoresponsible lifestyle through the following activities: At school: Prevent pollution by asking Mom or Dad to turn off the car when waiting to give you a ride home. Open the curtains or blinds of your classroom and use sunlight insteadofelectricity. e Arrange a car pool to school with three of your friends. Put a recycling bin in the cafeteria. (By recycling just one can a day for a year, you could supply enough energy for 18,000 American homes!) Bring lunch in a reusable Kids who care and a car company are teaming up to aid the environment. bag, instead of throwing a paper bag awayeveryday. Plant trees around your school’s grounds to put more oxygen in the atmosphere. At home: Consider a gasoline/electric hybrid vehicle, which will minimize harmful exhaust emissions andprovide improved gas mileage. Turn off the lights, the TV or the radio when you leave a room. Instead of using your car’s air-conditioning, open a window for somecool, fresh air. Recycle newspaper, plastic, glass and other waste. (You'll be reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which contribute to global warming by up to 850 pounds a year!) Replace standard lightbulbs with fluorescentlights. For additional information about Radical Renovation: School Edition, including entry forms, visit www.nationalgeographic. com/gogreen/ford. A Proud Partner of America’s National Parks, the car manufacturer is heavily involved with preserving the environmental and cultural resources of the National Parks for the enjoymentof future generations.
