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Editor’s note: The following letters are from students at Winnona Park Elementary. The letters were provided by third grade elementary teacher Katie Woodbridge. 

 

Dear Decaturish Reader,

Imagine a world without wetlands. We need to protect wetlands. You might be thinking, “What is so special about wetlands?” Wetlands take away trash, prevent flooding, & are home to many endangered animals. Wetlands function as a natural sponge that trap & slowly release surface water, rain snowmelt, ground water and flood water and make flood waters slower. They also make flood water lower.

Wetlands also have many endangered animals. I mean 43 percent of USA endangered animals live in wetlands. There are many egrets & cranes are endangered.

Wetlands also give us food & medicine. They give us fish, shellfish, blueberry, cranberry, timber & wild rice.

I urge you to protect wetlands.

Sincerely,

Finn Bracy

 

Dear Decaturish Readers,

We need to protect national parks. I will give you three good reasons.

First, national parks save endangered species from being extinct. Like the black footed ferret. Did you know that by 1987 there were known to be only 18 left in existence?  These 18 animals were put in a captive breeding program in the national park service. They began introducing the ferrets to the wild. Now about 1,000 ferrets live in the wild. See how that helped black footed ferrets?

Another way national parks have helped endangered species is they helped the gray wolf. Gray wolves were being hunted from Yellowstone and the surrounding area. By the mid-1920s they were almost gone! About 100 Gray wolves now live in Yellowstone National Park.

Finally, national parks helped bald eagles. Biologists brought eaglets from Alaska and other parts of the country and released 61 eagles between 2002 and 2006. Now more than 40 live in the park. See how that helped bald eagles? I know you might be thinking, “I could use that land for building!”  But national parks are beautiful natural places, and they are home to endangered species. I urge you to help protect National parks.

Sincerely,

Rory Clayton

 

Dear Decaturish Reader,

Imagine a world without national parks. No peace in the cities. No calm down. I urge you to save national parks.

Our animals need help. Like Elk live in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee. Nene live in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii. California condors live in Pinnacles National Park, California. Desert pupfish live in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona. That is some of the animals that need help.

On top of that, national parks protect our trees. In cities people cut down trees for more buildings. Trees help us get paper and live. Same with soil it helps us live and plants give us food to eat. So please help save trees and soil.

In addition, it is healthy to be outside. Being in nature lowers your blood pressure. Mindfulness is a good thing to do in nature.

For all these reasons, please protect national parks.

Sincerely,

Emma Riebel

 

Dear Decaturish Reader,

Imagine a world toxic with soil everywhere. I know you might be thinking why can’t Puerto Rico clean up their own toxic soil, they don’t have enough money. Plus, they are part of America.

Water and soil contamination is a huge concern surrounding a five story pile of coal and ash! Puerto Rico has nearly 40 toxic dumps!

The toxic soil can kill people! Like little kids on playgrounds are getting sick because of toxic soil. For example, one town in Puerto Rico called Guayama had the highest incidence of cancer on the island.

Hurricane Maria spread thousands of chemicals in Puerto Rico. This ash of burning coal for energy is full of dangerous metals. Lung cancer is the most common sickness. Donate to Puerto Rico now!!

Sincerely,

Pierce Sherwood

 

Dear Decaturish Reader,

Imagine a world without wetlands. There would be a lot of flooding so we must protect the wetlands.

Too many buildings are being built on the wetlands. For example, in Houston there was a law wear people could build wherever they wanted which made Hurricane Harvey worse.

Next, wetlands protect us from floods. They keep us safe wean a flood comes. They are like a sponge they soak up most of the water that would be in a hurricane.

And the wetlands have a lot of animals such as snapping turtles crocodiles and lizards. These animals all live in the wetlands so if we cut down their homes then they will have no wear to live.

So please protect the wetlands.

Sincerely,

Eloise Spiegel

 

Dear Decaturish Readers,

We need to protect the wetlands!

The wetlands act like a sponge so the water level there stay the same. One reason is, wetlands stop flooding because the roots on the trees are like a sponge and it holds soil in place.

On top of that, products we need are there too, like medicines and foods. Don’t forget there are tons of wildlife with endangered animals too. Like ducks, muskrats, cattails, peregrine falcons, oysters, raccoons, deer, shrimp and clams.

So please make sure the animals stay where they are. It is important to protect the wetlands, so I urge you to keep the wetlands where they are.

Sincerely,

Eve Credi

 

Greetings Decatur Readers,

Do you love Decatur and it’s beautiful landmarks like the exploding French fry? It’s the big yellow statue closest to Oakhurst Market. Well it’s being trashed! Please help me pick up the trash!

Some people who are nice try to pick up the trash, like the C.T. Club Community Trash Club. You can make your own C.T. Clubs and before you know it there will be no more trash in Decatur, GA, or the world. You can thank Sylvie Sherman, Ellie McClung, Laney Belle DeSemone, Eva Schroeder, and Sara Weske for the idea.

Also, animals could eat trash thinking it was food. Like a squirrel could eat a plastic nut thinking it was food and it could choke and die!

Trash can also hurt humans too. People can get sick with something that kills you! For instance, trash could make soil unhealthy. It could ruin your food!

Wouldn’t you love a world without trash, polluted air, even any animals dying? Yes? I know I would too! Please help me pick up trash. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Ellie McClung

 

Hello Decaturish Readers,

Have you ever seen trash on the floor, on the sidewalk? Well if you have this is the right speech for you.

My first way to help is we can buy a reusable water bottle or a recyclable water bottle. Glass or plastic water bottles take 100 years to decompose! You can also help the environment!

Second of all we should be careful with paper. 900 million trees are wasted per year for paper and 40 million paper goes into landfills! So, let’s find some ways we can make a change: Use the back of the paper, if you have extra paper make a scrap bin, and plant more trees.

Finally, the worst problem is littering because all of the litter goes into the ocean or in to an animal’s mouth! Do you want to say bye-bye to your pet? No? I thought so.

Thank you for reading. Now I challenge you to go out and make a change.

Sincerely,

Milla Dollarhide

 

 

To Whom It May Concern,

Imagine this, you and your family are driving to Yellowstone. You get there, get out of the car and start walking, hoping to walk a few miles, but 20 minutes later, you reach the end of the cool woods and step out into the burning hot sunshine. You wouldn’t want that, would you? Well, that could happen if we keep cutting down the trees in National Parks. National Parks have beautiful forests, but soon they might not be. If this continues, there could be a terrible change in the U.S.A.

The first reason you should help National Parks is because they are a very important part of our country. First of all, they provide a relaxing place for people to go on the weekend after a stressful week at work. Second of all, nature lovers like me go to National Parks to enjoy and be with nature. If it all disappears, there will be no nature to enjoy!

Another reason you should support National Parks is because 800,000 square miles of forests outside of National Park worldwide have already been destroyed. Think about this: if we keep cutting down forests and wildlife at this rate, there will not be many forests or wildlife left in the world. We need to help National Parks!

Want to help? You can! You can donate in MANY different ways! To donate go to www.nationalparks.org/connect/you-can-help (no spaces).

As you can tell, National Parks are not being conserved, but you can help. And yes, I know what you’re thinking: What about the people who don’t care for National Parks? Well, even if people don’t exactly care for National Parks, it is still the environment. You should care for the environment because you live in it. So please, donate and support the National Parks of America.

Sincerely,

Myla Sidor

 

 

Dear Parents,

I would like to state something. Close your eyes and pretend you’re a little kid again. You just came in from outside digging in the dirt. Your mom just called you for dinner and you didn’t wash your hands. If the soil was toxic, there could be lead and other hazardous materials in the dirt. Then you are eating with your dirty hands. Before you know it, you are staying home from school because you are so sick! Well that’s what happens every year.

When kids go outside, they get dirt all over their hands and shoes and then bring it inside. Then they could spread it to other people. For instance, you have a 1-year old kid and a 7-year-old kid. Your 7-year-old kid just came home from soccer. He walks to the dinner table to eat. After dinner your 1-year old kid crawls around and puts his hands in his mouth. A few days later he gets sick. However, your 7-year-old, you, and your husband or wife is also sick! Now we don’t want that.

When kids get sick because they forget to wash their hands, they will have to go to the doctor. That takes away other doctors to help other people! Also, when kids are waiting, it spreads to other patients. It may be hard for doctors to keep these things under control.

So, what can we do about it? Be sure to take off your shoes and wash your hands each time you walk in the door. I know what you’re thinking. Well what if we make a mess in front of our door and it would be a pain to clean up? Well, you could have a basket next to the door so your shoes would be neat and not messy. All I want you to do is wash your hands and take off your shoes before you go inside.

Now that you know more about toxic soil, please prevent your children from getting sick before it becomes too much of a problem. Thank you for taking time to care for your children.

Sincerely,

Caroline Duckworth

 

Dear Citizens of Decatur,

Imagine yourself as a bird and you were flying around in circles. You get dizzy and you fall. You bonk your head on the ground. That would hurt right? The bird does that because the light pollution is confusing it. Birds rely on natural light. This is one reason that light pollution is a problem.

Another reason that light pollution is a problem is if there’s too much light, then it causes people to have less sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep you can arrive late at work and get in trouble.

If people turn on lights too much, you use more electricity. Electricity costs a lot of money. Electricity also uses a lot of energy. We need to conserve energy so we don’t run out of it.

You might be thinking that you live in the city and only pigeons live in the city and they don’t really help people. But we do have owls that can kill mice and rats that try to go into your house. The owls are used to the darkness, so if you have too much light then it can disorient the owl.

As you can see, light pollution can do bad things to the environment. If we keep using too many lights at night, some of these things might happen. So, can you please stop, or at least minimize light pollution?

Sincerely,

Tristan Meisner

 

 

To Whom It May Concern,

Have you ever heard of deforestation? Deforestation is when humans cut down trees. Each year people cut down 800,000 square miles of forests. Imagine if we had no oxygen. People can die.

The first reason is that when trees get cut down, there is less oxygen in the air. Also trees clean carbon dioxide out of the air. But when cut or burned all of the carbon dioxide gets released.

Another reason is when trees get cut down there is more erosion. Trees are like a little wall. They help keep erosion from happening. Tree roots also help hold the soil in place.

Here’s a solution. You can reduce, reuse, and recycle so you don’t waste and cut down more. We should put more recycle bins at parks.

As you can see, deforestation is a big problem on earth. I know what you’re thinking. If we don’t cut down forests where will we build our buildings and homes? We can add on to buildings. That way we wouldn’t need more space. I hope you consider conserving trees.

Sincerely,

Sammie Scott

 

 

To Whom It May Concern,

Have you ever thought of how bad air pollution is for people and the environment? Well imagine yourself at the park and the air is polluted. You could get very sick and possibly die! Air pollution is a big problem in the world.

The first reason air pollution is a huge problem is because almost 2.4 million people die each year from air pollution. Air pollution can harm people really badly and you can get horrible diseases such as lung cancer. It also causes breathing problems especially people who have asthma.

Did you know that landfills also cause air pollution? As trash in landfills decompose it produces methane gas that causes air pollution.  We need to recycle a lot more than we do now. I will prevent air pollution.

Here are some solutions: Biking, scootering and walking if it’s a short distance. Another solution is to reduce, reuse, and recycle. That would help landfills! And don’t forget to save your car rides for the grocery store.

You may think, “how can unhealthy air destroy the environment?” Well, there’s lots of answers to that. For example, if the air is unhealthy a plant can die and that would affect other plants, animals, humans, land and more. Air pollution is a huge problem. Like I said before, lots of people die and the environment gets destroyed. Please help prevent air pollution. It will make the earth a healthier and better place!

Sincerely,

Addie Chescavage

 

 

To Whom It May Concern,

Did you know that scientists have predicted that all the glaciers in Glacier National Park will disappear by 2030? It’s saddening to me and it might be to you too. I want people to save glaciers.

First of my reasons is that if all the glaciers fully melt there will be less fresh water. I know you’re thinking we can desalinate sea water, but this method is very costly and if used on a fairly large scale for a long time it could become extremely costly.

My next and last reason is also related to less fresh water. This reason is about dehydration. If you get too dehydrated you can get these issues which are cerebral edema (swelling of the brain), heat stroke, seizures, shock, kidney failure, cholera, and malnutrition. You don’t want to get these.

Cars and motorcycles give off a gas called carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide blocks up the atmosphere and traps the sun’s light in the atmosphere and heats it up. It’s called climate change. You have probably heard about it. To help, you could walk, bike, and use MARTA or METRO!

As you can see, glaciers are an important part of our world and you and many others can help save the planet.

Sincerely,

Maia Eastman

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To Whom It May Concern,

Imagine you are a sea turtle and you are going back to the beach you were born on to nest, but when you get there it’s gone! This happens because of rising seas, and that happens from the ice caps melting and that happens because of global warming! Please help me save our sea turtles.

Climate change really affects sea turtles and they are very beautiful and precious. Sea turtles help us and the ecosystem by keeping some of the jellyfish population in check. And jellyfish sting people when threatened. So that’s helpful that they eat jellyfish.

You can help save sea turtles by donating to sea turtle rehabilitation centers. A rehabilitation center is a place where an animal is taken when hurt or very sick. An example of a sea turtle rehabilitation center is Georgia Sea Turtle Center (G.S.T.C).

You can also stop driving gas powered cars as much. Gas powered cars release exhaust which contributes to global warming.

I know what you’re thinking… how are we supposed to drive cars that aren’t Teslas or Leafs!? Well I’ve heard of a car company that is trying to make an electric version or lots of different kinds of cars!

As you can see, climate change is a big problem, especially for sea turtles.

Sincerely,

Elsa Chapman

 

 

Dear Citizens,

Have you ever walked to a train station and your train arrives but you see there’s spray paint everywhere? Well that’s an example of bad graffiti. Did you know that spray painting without asking is called vandalism?

One reason you should not do bad graffiti is because if spray paint gets on you it can cause irritation to eyes, nose, throat, skin, dizziness, headache, and damage to the central nervous system and much more.

The next reason that we should not do bad graffiti is because if graffiti washes off the chemicals from the paint it will contaminate the soil. And we don’t want that because soil grows plants. The ingredients inside of spray paint isn’t healthy for our environment.

I know that you may be thinking “is ALL graffiti bad?” Well the answer is no. For example, graffiti can be a form of art. Graffiti is found in old cities like the Roman Empire and states like Georgia. This helps us know how people lived during ancient times.

Now that you know about art, graffiti and its effects, I hope you will tell people to stop when you see them doing it. You can convince your friends to help you clean up bad graffiti.

Sincerely,

Carter Weaver

 

 

Dear People of Decatur,

Have you ever thought about how many sea turtles die from thinking our lights are the stars? Light pollution is a big problem.

One reason light pollution is a big problem is because in big cities you can’t even see the night sky. One time in Los Angeles there was an earthquake and the power went out. They saw the stars for the first time. If there were less lights, people could see stars more often.

Another reason this is a big problem is because it confuses animals. Sea turtles wander away from the ocean and sometimes get run over by cars. Owls die when it’s too bright at night and they can’t see prey.

What can you do to help? You can turn off lights at 7 p.m. You may be thinking what if people aren’t ready to turn off lights at 7:00? Well, they can get dimmers for their lights. Even if you can’t turn off your lights at 7, you could dim them so they aren’t so bright.

As you can see light pollution is a big problem. Now that you know this, I hope you consider turning off lights at 7 or at least dim them.

Sincerely,

Xander Mallon

 

 

Dear Citizens,

Just imagine that you were at your favorite place. But it was full of trash. How would you feel? That’s why I think that people should stop littering because it can do bad things to nature.

The first reason that littering is bad for the environment is because animals could eat the trash and die. It can also put bad things in the air.

The next reason that littering is bad is because trash can get into our food if people litter on farmland. The trash can pollute the soil and then that pollution gets into our food. Plants and animals die because of litter. That’s why we want people to stop littering.

I know what you’re thinking. People already throw their trash in the trash can. But some people don’t. Maybe that’s because there aren’t that many trash cans. Maybe we need more trash cans in public so not many people would litter.

As you can see, littering is bad for the environment. We need to stop littering so we don’t die too soon.

Sincerely,

Zachary Pohl

 

 

Dear Citizens,

Did you know sea turtles can die from light pollution? Mother turtles get confused by artificial lighting and it makes baby sea turtles not see very well.

The mother turtle gets disoriented and she follows the lights to a road. Then she might get hit by a car. It’s also bad because it discourages mother sea turtles from nesting.

Another reason is that disoriented hatchlings get dehydrated and exhausted. They follow the light and can never find the sea, then they could get eaten.

Mother turtles will make more nests in the dark and that is good because more hatchlings will find the sea and live a happy life. You’re probably thinking, “Who cares about animals these days?” Well, animals give us food. Imagine if we had no food from animals. You would probably die. You’re also probably thinking, “We could just eat plants.” But meat is also good for us because it gives us the protein and nutrients from that animal’s body.

Now that you know a little more about sea turtles, think about what you can do to help.

Sincerely,

Max Weathersby

 

Dear Reader,

Imagine you’re at your favorite place on earth and it had a lot of artwork that wasn’t supposed to be there. That’s call graffiti. How would you feel?

The first reason that graffiti is bad is because if graffiti gets rained on it may get washed off into a lake. The EPA would have to come clean it up, and that would take up their time. It also might hurt the ecosystem.

The second reason that graffiti is bad is because a small kid could see something inappropriate and may read the word. Then they could get in trouble at school or with their parents.

A fact about graffiti is that graffiti is sometimes beautiful. It can be a form of art. This type might be okay if the graffiti artwork was approved by the city or town.

As you can see graffiti is sometimes bad for the environment. So how you can help is that you could clean up graffiti. I know what you’re thinking, it would take a long time to clean up graffiti. But if you get a lot of people to help, it might not take as long.

From,

Rohr Gillen

 

 

Dear Reader,

Close your eyes and imagine if you were a horse and you were peacefully eating a patch of grass, but the soil was toxic. Some of the activities that make our life possible pollutes the earth. Even places that are barely touched by humans and animals are experiencing trash.

Usually when you throw things in a trash can, they go into the landfill. Sometimes there’s so much garbage that they let out a smell. This is called “air pollution.”

Some people suffer from air pollution because they smelled the pollution and got asthma from the air, and sometimes people don’t care and throw everything in the trash, which eventually gets into the landfill. Others watch for what they’re throwing away and what they’re recycling. Talk about trash! Did you know that when trash gets in the landfill it starts to decompose? Then it lets outs a smell called “methane gas,” which attributes to air pollution.

Trash in the oceans of the world comes from a lot of sources, as well as things that fall off of ships when thunderstorms happen, litter that washes off streets and trash from many landfills that blow into steams or just straight into the ocean. Once the trash is in the ocean, it might decompose for years in the ocean. Then it’ll group up and wash up on the shore.

Now you may be thinking that trash can’t get to the ocean, but it can! The trash can go into the sewer pipes and still get into the ocean. Then, an animal can find the piece of litter, eat it, and die.

So next time you see a piece of litter, just clean it up

Sincerely,

Ian Tozzi

 

 

Dear Citizens,

Did you know that if you use too much light at night a baby turtle could go toward the street instead of going back to sea? This is called light pollution. Light pollution is when you use too much light.

Did you know that light pollution could damage your eyes? It could also mess with your sleeping patterns. That’s another reason why we should turn off our lights at night.

The second reason why we should turn off our lights at night is because animals could die. For example, turtles and owls could die because of light pollution.

The third reason I think we should turn off our lights at night is because our galaxy is fading and we’re not going to be able to see the stars.

Now you may consider to have a time where you turn off your lights at night. I know what you’re thinking, if we turn off our lights cars are not going to be able to see.

As you can see light pollution is a real problem. You may consider having a time where you turn off your lights earlier. If we all do this light pollution will not have such an effect on our Earth.

Sincerely,

Eli Bataille

 

 

Dear Decaturish Readers,

I don’t like that Polar Bears are losing their habitats. I think we should do something about it. Read on to find out more.

First of all, Polar Bears need ice to survive and there is less and less ice every year because of Climate Change. The reason Polar Bears need ice to survive is that they need a nice break after a nice swim. Also, they need ice to hunt and if they can’t hunt, they can’t survive.

Do you know why Polar Bears are losing their homes? Well, Polar Bears are losing their homes because of Climate Change. The main way we create Climate Change is by burning fossil fuels. The way we burn fossil fuels is by using our cars and using factories.

How can we help Polar Bears? Well, one way to help stop climate change is to come up with solutions and spread your knowledge. This will help Polar Bears from becoming extinct!

Well, you might think we do not need Polar Bears but they are animals and like us they deserve protection too. Also, they are cute and little kiddies would love to see the little cubs. Finally, the melting ice affects all polar animals. And that is why I don’t like that Polar Bears are losing their homes.

Sincerely,

A cub loving child,

Freddie Breed

 

Dear Decatur Residence,

I think that people should stop littering now. Littering is bad for the environment and can make the environment look bad. Not to mention, animals can die because of littering. So please help stop littering.

In the first place, it causes other people having to pick up trash that people just threw on the ground. It wastes time and resources. The people picking up the trash could instead be going out with their family or be at an important meeting. A way to stop wasting people’s time and resources are, people could put up signs around garbage cans saying, “please throw your trash away and stop littering.” Being a good neighbor a guide to reducing and managing littering said, “many communities required food service to install a certain number of receptacles in parking lots based on the number of parking spaces if you provide sufficient receptacles for disposal, you’ll reduce both litter and parking lot clean-up time.”

Additionally, littering is bad for the environment and animals. The article Key Findings Litter said, “over 51 billion pieces of litter appear on U.S. roadways every year! That’s around 6,279 pieces of litter every mile of road.” An animal could easily choke on one of those pieces of garbage and maybe die! At Panola State Mountain people litter which makes plants start to die and that’s bad.

Finally, littering makes the environment look bad. People litter a lot which could make flowers, plants, and animals start to die. When the flowers, plants, and animals die they first make the animals in the environment not be able to produce food anymore and the chickens produce eggs and cows produce milk! Also littering makes the environment look bad because plants make the environment look greener and more colorful. Of course, the environment could look better if people stopped littering. Also, you could put up signs next to plants saying, “please do not litter near the plants and thank you if you don’t litter.

However, people litter too much which makes the world change. It makes the world look bad and littering can’t be stopped unless people help. So, please help clean up the litter that you find.

Please help to stop littering and put up signs so people stop littering. You can help change the world by putting up signs. Thank you for reading.

Sincerely,

Anton LeBlanc

 

Dear Decatur,

Did you know the average homeowner can save up to 20% on energy bills by planting the right tree in the right place? That’s from a tree in your community. Hi, I’m Celie and I’m writing because I believe that we should not build where trees are.

According to tree laws” trees are as important to humans as food and water are.” Because we need trees to breathe because trees provide oxygen.  If you cut them down Then We won’t be able to breathe as well.

Animals live in the trees and Forest. They need to live too because they’re living. If you cut down the trees, they won’t have a place to live Keep their young safe and them self.  I bet you Don’t want your house Cut down either.

In order to build buildings, you have to cut down trees so how would you like to be chopped up into little wood chips and there is whole forest have to do that. If You cut trees down, we won’t have any green space.

Trees also provide food like maple syrup, jackfruit, and lemon. They provide a lot of fruit and fruit is good for you. Trees are good for you.

After all, a lot of people love shopping and stuff like that. Trees like us so you should like them please don’t build buildings Where trees are. We can breathe, eat, stay healthy and have a green space where we can play in the woods If we have trees.

– Celie Howard

 

Dear Citizens of Decatur,

You have seen it on the ground. You have wanted to pick it up…  but you got Gross out and of course You left it alone. That litter I tell you that litter. Anyways hi, my name is Genevieve And I have a problem with the littering situation! I have reasons why you should not litter.

In the first place, do you want to live in a place where all you smell is garbage yuck hope not? As well as, food that is still on the ground gets spoiled by bugs and that does not smell good. When it smells bad and adults go outside, they could slip on a piece of fruit it seems funny on cartoons but not in real life!

Not to mention, you see all of those animals they will die because of all of the garbage poor animals. as a matter of fact, some things that can kill animals are … Plastic bags, paper, straws, and more. VERY bad! the trash kills animals because when they look at the plastic bags and other garbage, they think it is food and eat. That makes them start choking and they die Sad.

Not only… but also, do you want toxic air if not I would stop lettering, please. It’s important to realize, toxic air leads to sickness or death. If we had toxic air then we would have to put on a gas mask or not be able to go outside ever again.

Some people may say that littering is not bad but it is at least in my Opinion. Or they say the opposite of it and I like that in my opinion.

‘’Keep America beautiful says the most frequently littered items are…Cigarette butts, food remains, food wrappers, containers, Beverage containers(cans), napkins, paper including straws and wrappers, that is the most frequently littered item’’. so now you know a little bit about our littering problem here. Here are some easy steps to Less littering. All you do is just throw it in the trash, recycle and reuse. It is an easy as pie if it is so easy then do IT! Now that you know the consequences PLEASE HELP STOP LITTERING!

Sincerely,

Genevieve

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Dear Decatur Residents,

Did you know how bad trash is? I think you’ve heard of plastic before and if I’m right you like it, and think it is extremely convenient. It is for humans, anyway. I would like it if people recycle more.

We are being very careless with trash. This is what happens to plastic trash: when you throw it away, either a) on garbage night very careless trash pickup people drop some of the garbage on the ground and it blows away to who-knows-where, or b) once it’s gotten to a landfill it (somehow) gets to the sewer was it then gets washed away to an enormous patch of trash bigger than Rhode Island known today as the GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH

For the ecosystem, trash is literally poisonous. Weird but true fact: animals think plastic is food. So, they see plastic bobbing on the surface, and eat it (yuck). But plastic isn’t food so they eat more. A lot more.  Eventually, the creature dies of overeating or poisonous chemicals in the plastic kill the animal.

People should recycle more. The more people recycle, the less trash there is. In 2010, toilet paper wiped out 27,000 TREES ON A DAILY BASIS. THAT’S 189,000 TREES EVERY WEEK.  Recycling paper allows people to make toilet paper without cutting down any trees at all. That’s a huge improvement! Plus, AN ENTIRE GALLON OF WATER IS NEEDED JUST TO MAKE ONE SINGLE SHEET OF PAPER! Recycling paper lets us reuse it, and we won’t have to drain out the entire Atlantic, Arctic, Pacific, and the Indian Ocean just for paper.

You may be thinking: ‘’So?   Cut down a few trees and you’ve got an item you need every day! That’s good, not bad!
First of all, this is tens of thousands, not a few! And second of all, how would you like it if someone came along and destroyed your house? That’s happening to birds, ya know.

There are a lot of things you can do to help. for instance: instead of packing your lunch in plastic bags, you can buy sewn bags which you only wash after each use.

Sincerely,

Grady Mullen

 

 

Dear Decatur,

Do you love The Earth Enough? I do, I love it because the Earth has tons of cool things like trees, animals, grass, and flowers. I know it you might think Of course I love the Earth. But do you love the Earth enough? Also, the trash you throw on the ground can kill plants and animals you see, love and eat can die.

Here is a fact on litter, according to A Guide to Reducing Litter. “Nearly one-in-five disposal (17) end up as litter. Most of this was done intentionally such as by dropping the litter (54%), flicking /flinging the item (20%)”. So, if you don’t litter but you don’t recycle, you just throw it away, you should try recycling.

Here’s what happens if you litter on the beach… A sea turtle can come along and think your plastic bag is a jellyfish. They might eat it. The sea turtle can’t breathe, eat or drink. The sea turtle will die. On the other hand, they can get rescue before they die, that is why sea turtles are endangered.

A lot of the Pacific Islands Beaches are covered in trash. The kids that live on the islands can’t play on the beach.  I don’t think this is fair, also a lot of the birds are dying Even if you don’t live on the islands. Because of the trash we throw away. Also, the children that play on the beach can get hurt because of the trash. Also, it might be pointy.

Here’s what you can do to help to help stop littering, clean up the parks wear gloves you should take a trash bag. Maybe a grabber because you might hurt yourself just like I said on the last one. So, I hope you start recycling soon!

Take care of the Earth!

Sincerely

Isabella Gonzalez- Rouse

Winnona Park Elementary

 

 

Dear Decatur Residents,

Hello, my name is June. I think littering is bad for the environment. As long as people keep littering animals, plants and people will keep getting sick.

I think People should stop lettering because it is bad for the Earth. . Being a good neighbor said the litter that they found most of was “cigarette butts, candy wrappers, bottles, straws, plastic bags, and cups. All those can make you sick and the earth. I think littering Is bad because it sends Toxins into the ground and people will get sick.

Animals can sick from trash. According To keep America beautiful “Paper, metal, glass and beverage container litter is what they found the most of that could get animals sick the most”. If you litter then and that one piece of trash that you through on the ground an animal will eat it and choke.

Plants can die from trash. According to Catherine Irving, “the soil absorbs the toxins litter creates and affects plants and crops “. Litter is Bad plants Cannot grow if letters in the ground and then you can eat the plants.

I know what you’re thinking you probably hear people say things like “littering isn’t bad “. don’t believe them. Because It is not true littering is bad and littering how to stop now!

I think you should make a program that people should go around the park and pick up trash. and you should pick up trash wherever you go! help stop littering. I believe in you to stop littering

Sincerely,

June Setser

 

 

Dear Decatur Families,

Nobody likes trash everywhere. Do you? Well, you can help. By picking up trash everywhere you go so lakes would shine and birds would sing! This letter will tell you why people should stop littering.

I know what you’re thinking, everybody on planet earth hates trash…  you know what even astronauts hate trash!  But do you know who does it? Us! We do it!  Not to mention people throw trash out their windows on the highways. To point out KAB (Keep America Beautiful) approves. They estimated there are “6,729 pieces of trash per mile of highway on each side”. But don’t get mad at yourself you can you can clean it up by picking up trash everywhere you go.PS Don’t go on the highways!

Some people think “It’s not that bad it’s not like it harms anything”. Well, guess what it does! It harms plants, animals, air. Basically, the whole world! Animals choke on it. And it pollutes plants and air. So, think twice before throwing a piece of trash on the ground.

Do you know this world could be a lot more beautiful if people would stop littering? People that litter don’t know how many things they’re harming with one piece of trash. If they would stop Lakes would shine and birds will chirp and we will have a healthy happy world!

Some people might disagree about not littering because they think they shouldn’t pick up other people’s trash. Well, suck it up buttercup! Do you want a polluted Earth or a nasty hand that you can wash! So, you choose to make the world a better place or be selfish and say “that’s not my trash!”

Well that’s it folks that’s why you should stop littering. Everyone hates trash, it harms everything and the world would be more beautiful without trash so that’s why you should pick up trash everywhere you go! 🙂

Sincerely,

Laney Serwitz

 

 

Dear Decatur,

I think global warming should be stopped because it is affecting Earth lethally and food is dwindling.

Animals are rapidly losing lives because of climate change! If you like sea turtles, allow me to troubleshoot for you. Steve Morello at WWF says’ “Climate change has an impact on turtle nesting sites. It alters sand temperatures, which then affects the sex of hatchlings. “Not to mention, global warming melts polar ice, forcing icy animals down south.

Excuse me! Cow belches (burps) produce an estimated 14% of Earth’s greenhouse gases. A lot of these emissions come from methane, which, in terms of global warming, is 23 times stronger than carbon dioxide. Talk about gas, as cows produce almost as much greenhouse gases as a car in one day!

The beautiful animals we call coral are dying from global warming by not being able to build hard skeletons to build reefs that so many animals depend on. Sewage runoff smothers coral with algae or gives coral lethal diseases.

If you are fine with global warming, maybe you should get a head start and live underground. On the other hand, saying you will help stop global warming, I suggest getting an electric car, or eat more beef to get rid of cows. Hopefully, you say yes to helping Earth.

Sincerely,

Rowan Stubbs

 

Dear Georgia,

Panola State Mountain needs help to be cleaned soon. You should care about it because if you are at Panola State Mountain, you will see a lot of trash. These are also my three reasons you should clean trash. Litter can make things dirty, everybody hates the look of trash and litter, and litter can harm a lot of things.

Litter can make things dirty. If you throw your trash on the ground it can make people get sick and make parks dirty. First thing to remember, trash bad for the environment and makes things look dirty. According to Keep America Beautiful, they found, “On America Recycles  Day they clean the city they are in.” They do that because the trash looks bad in the environment.

Everybody hates the look of trash and litter. Litter often is brown and green which are not very nice colors to be in parks. According to Recycling at Work they found. “If you use a smaller trash can you will make 20% less trash.” It is better to use a smaller trash can because you won’t make as much litter, and you will just throw your litter in the garbage so you don’t have to see the trash. Also, people throw their trash on the ground because they don’t like the look of trash, so they just want to get rid of it. If you don’t like the look of trash, just throw it in the garbage instead of throwing it on the ground.

Litter can harm a lot of things. If you put trash on a plant it can make the plant brown and die. According to Keep America Beautiful, they said, “America Recycles Day is an incredible way to promote cleaning litter.” It will make people in the city clean up the trash that people threw on the ground which will make people clean the trash that they threw on plants. Litter can also harm animals because the animal can eat litter and they could choke on the litter and die.

Of course, you need to throw your trash in the trash can it’s better for the environment. Please make sure you throw your trash in a trash can next time you have trash. So please could you do that to help the environment

The next time you see the trash pick it up. If you do that there won’t be as much trash. Overall, I think it is just better to throw your trash in a trash can instead of throwing it on the ground. So please throw your trash in a trash can.

Sincerely,

Preston LeBlanc

 

 

Dear Georgia,

Hi my name is Lucy I’m going to tell you about my opinion about littering being bad because it harms animals. Keep reading if you want to know more about why I think that littering is bad.

First thing to remember, is littering harms animals. Animals could mistake trash for food. Animals could take it back to their babies and/or eat it their Selves.

Another key point, littering makes the Earth dirty. Trash on the ground looks Icky and you just don’t want to see it. In fact, according to being a good neighbor, “One-in-five disposals – 17% – ended up as litter. Most of this was done intentionally such as by dropping the litter (54%) or flicking / flinging the item (20%).”

It is important to realize, if litter goes into a river it’s harder to clean out of the water we use in our house. On the negative side, if we keep littering then it will get harder for them to clean out of the water. On the positive side, the solution to that problem is easy to stop littering and pick up the litter. According to Being a Good Neighbor, “The most frequently littered items are food remains, food wrappers, food containers, beverage containers (Cans), Napkins, paper including straw wrappers,” Those are some things you can pick up. But that’s not all there’s a lot more and that’s bad that’s why we need to clean it up.

I know what you might be thinking how can I help well you can help by inviting your friends to go pick up trash.  Remember to pick up trash, remind your friends and yourself to always throw away their trash, and specifically don’t litter!!!

Sincerely,

Lucy

 

Dear Decatur Families,

Hi my name is Niko and my opinion is that you need to recycle. If you don’t recycle you will just kill animal after animal after animal after animal. Today, we will talk about why Decatur needs to recycle. By the way, I will be counting on you. I trust you’ll to do what is right.

If you just throw things that can be recycled in the garbage it goes to an island called trash island. Trash Island is a place where there is so much trash that it goes in the ocean and kills animals. Also, people hate that animals die. Do you wish you were on an island with a ton of trash, that floats over to land and kills land and sky animals? Do you? No obviously so recycle don’t litter simple solution. Is it really that hard?

If you are recycling you become a better person. Also, if you really want to be a better person, go around food and drink services and pick up recyclable product and recycle it. according to be a good neighbor ‘’38 percent of Litter is around food and drink service’’. Always remember! I mean it! If you litter, don’t litter these things; fast food packaging, Beverage snack food packaging, and Tobacco product packaging. Also, according to Be a Good Neighborhood ‘’twenty-eight percent of litter is around coffee service’’.

Each and every person that stops littering makes one animal not die! Whether it is ground sky or sea you’re helping animals! That’s all that matters. I am counting on you so you better not mess up! Little detail recycling also will make you a better you. Remember if you don’t recycle, you Just get worse. If you recycle, you help the environment.

I know what you are thinking. Somebody who disagrees might say ‘’No because people recycle a lot’’.  No, according to the owner of Forest park fuel ‘’only 35 percent of recyclable product was recycled’’.

Recycle so the animals shall be saved and please pretty please help and tell people to RECYCLE. Also, never ever buy package food it will kill animals. Also, please spread the word Tell people to tell people and so on. I believe in you. do not use paper towels It counts as waste. Please pick up litter when you see it.
Sincerely,

Niko Gonzalez

 

 

Dear Decaturish,

Recycle and keep Earth green. Littering is not good for anything. You should recycle and keep the planet clean. Do you care about yourself or animals then recycle! When you litter it can make people sick? Littering is not only bad for us, it’s bad for everything. Litter also is bad because it pollutes water. Here are some reasons why you don’t litter and you should recycle.

Littering can make people and animals sick we need to recycle so that does not happen. People could find litter and it has germs on it and then they touch their face. Not good! Litter also isn’t only bad for us it’s bad for your pet. It can get sick from litter if they eat it. Some people eat on the beach and leave behind food packaging that’s not good either. Then it gets washed into the ocean and kills sea life.

People can also get hurt on litter at the beach. If people litter on the beach and somebody else steps on the litter and it’s sharp they could get hurt. People also leave food packages behind and let’s say it’s sharp and someone sits on it, really not good! littering is bad for the earth. When you litter it pollutes water. That’s not good for us or Earth. Litter is not good for plants. It might stop them from growing or it might kill them.

I know what you’re thinking eh, it doesn’t matter, can’t some old person do it? No! We can take part and do a good deed for everyone and everything. Here’s what you can do to help: Let’s say you are doing a project out of paper and you’re cutting, recycle your scraps and don’t Litter. Also, remind your friends to recycle.

Wait! I haven’t told you your reward! Your reward is a clean green planet and a happy heart. I think people should recycle and not litter again it’s bad for us, water, plants, animals, and pretty much everything. Thank you for recycling.

Best regards,

Nora Astier Kent

 

Dear Decaturish,

I think that people should stop littering because plants and animals could DIE!!! Animals could die from eating the litter, or they could get sick from the litter. If animals died then we would not get milk from cows or eggs from hens. If animals died then we would not have a lot of zoos or wildlife places.

Plants could die from the litter soaking all of the rain. Then there would be no more for the plants. The plants would not have enough water to make food and they would die. If plants died then we would not have vegetables and fruits to eat like, carrots, watermelon, corn, strawberries, apples, and cucumbers. If plants died then we would not have trees, that is bad because trees make air. If there was no air then we could die.

I know that you’re thinking, what’s wrong if trees die? The problem with trees dying is that trees make air and if trees die then we would not have a lot of fresh air.

People could get sick from the litter because the water we drink comes from rivers. If the litter goes into the rivers that we get water from then we could get sick. If adults got sick then they would not be able to take care of their children. If people got sick then they would not be able to take care of each other. If they got too sick then they could die. (That would be bad.

The solutions to reduce litter are…. 1. People could put more trash cans around parks. 2. People could make it more obvious that there is a trash can there. After all, trash cans are usually dark, black and gloomy and people do not see them. So, if people painted or made them visible, I think people would not litter then. 3. According to “Keep America Beautiful,” If you do not use plastic straws, cups, containers, wraps, boxes, bags, cutlery and more it will reduce the amount of litter. 4. Also according to “Keep America Beautiful,” If restaurants used napkin dispensers (instead of big stacks of napkins) it will reduce 25 percent of waste. 5. You could try to ask a few of your neighbors/community to go and try to find trash (which I hope there isn’t any.) According to “Keep America Beautiful,” Littering costs about $11.5 billion for the U.S. Each year! 6. Also if people find litter anywhere (like at a park or at the playground) they should PICK IT UP!!!

– Nuha Muneer

 

Dear Decatur,

My name is Ezra Morrison and I’m writing to you to say that we need to do a better job protecting animal and plant life. There are many ways to help the earth, plants, and animals.  However, many people do the opposite of helping.  Animals and plants are dying at a rate never seen before and humans are a significant reason for this occurrence.

In the first place, people are cutting down trees.  It is important to realize trees make oxygen, and creatures need oxygen to live.  Specifically, people are putting too many things in boxes and using trees to make the boxes. If we don’t have enough trees: a. The world will look terrible b. The world will soon be covered in water because of erosion and c. we will have no more oxygen.

Additionally, people are hunting animals just so they can eat them.  According to the article “Endangered Species: Nature 911” in Issue #8 of Tomorrow’s Planet, “Scientists have positively identified somewhere between 1.4 and 1.7 million different species of living things. While these numbers seem huge, they are dropping at alarming rates.” Furthermore, it is good to be a vegetarian because all the veggies we feed to the animals we eat, we could eat instead.

In addition to that, animals are also killed as a result of natural disasters.  People are often prepared for natural disasters, but people don’t prepare plants and animals for disasters.  For example, there was lots of toxic trash in Puerto Rico left by humans.  Then when hurricane Maria hit, it pushed all the toxic trash down and created toxic soil.  The toxic soil is bad for plants because they grow in that soil so then it will turn the plants toxic. It is bad for animals too because they may eat those plants.

We need to protect our earth including animals and plants. If you don’t kill animals, then maybe they can help you in the production of fruits and vegetables. For example, when there were sparrows in China, they thought that sparrows were eating all the crops. In 1958, they killed all the sparrows, but then all the locusts ate the crops. They learned that sparrows eat locusts and locusts eat crops. Please become a vegetarian and please don’t buy accessories made of wood for your house or spend money on new houses.

Sincerely,

Ezra Morrison

 

Dear people of Decatur,

Do you like animals and fresh air and clean water? If you do, hear what I have to say!! Humans create too much waste. I think that we should have a day to pick up trash.  For example, there is a small club called the CT club. You might be wondering why this will help? But it will help in that they pick up trash on the playground.  Also, you can make a CT club for anywhere like the parking lot or somewhere else. We would love it if you would make some more CT clubs.

First, animals have families too.  What if your sister got killed and you didn’t know? Animals are dying because of our trash. Second, wait stop! People could easily survive without plastic.  Did you know that some places aren’t even allowed to have plastic? Third, if we don’t do this then the next time it rains all of the trash will go into the ocean.  Do you want to swim in trash?

Our earth used to be trashless. Did you know that? I know that it will be a long time until it is trashless again, but I know if we try we can make a difference.  What will happen, is if we let this issue slide, then in the next generation everyone else will think it is okay. However, our earth will be dirty forever and ever. So if you think that this is a good idea, then get up off of your chair and go pick up some trash!!!  The next time that you see a piece of trash on the ground, pick it up and throw it away!!

Sincerely,

Ella Baerman

 

Dear Decaturish Readers,

Want to go hunt? Think again. We need to save our animals! Here are three reasons why we should kill fewer animals. If we don’t, we will regret it as if it were your dog or cat. We need to care about wildlife as much as our pets. Wild animals have declined by almost 33%! Another reason why we should kill fewer animals is because without animals we would not have some of the stuff we need such as meat and eggs for protein and wool for blankets and clothes. If you agree with me, you want to help, right? Eat more vegetables, less meat, and make a birdhouse or two to help a bird land.Take it slow not even an ant. Bye!

Sincerely,

Jordan Archer

 

Dear Decaturish Readers,

We need to pick up all the trash we see!  Everywhere I go there’s litter on the street!  You’ve got to hear about my first reason.

What happens if a baby sees trash and eats it?  It would probably die!  What if that baby was your baby?  If people keep doing it who knows what will happen?  For example, I’m a baby walking across the street.  I see plastic and I eat it.  Then I start choking!  Babies eat anything.

Second, what happens if a car runs over trash?  If it was spikey trash like glass and I car ran over it, it might get a flat tire and stop!  That might cause a car crash and someone could get seriously hurt.

Finally, at my school a girl named Elizabeth made a club called the CT Club (Community Trash Club) and every Friday she, boys, and girls pick up trash together to make the world a better place one step at a time.

I challenge you to make the world a better place for babies, animals, kids, teens, and adults.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Lanie

 

Dear Decaturish Readers,

We need to protect all plants.  Some people think that stepping on plants doesn’t matter.  If you step on one plant it can harm other plants.

My first reason is if you step on a certain type of mushroom it lets out a type of gas that can harm other plants.  If you cut down a tree that is not ready to be cut down we get less fresh air.

My second reason is if you purposely step on a flower with a yellow jacket on it you will not get stung.  Well, do not step on a flower because if you like honey you are giving away more honey.  Also if you step on a flower it lets out pollen and the people who are allergic to pollen will sneeze a lot.

My last reason is if you step on an endangered plant that is one of your favorite plants you will be sad, right?  For example, if you step on a plant it can have an effect on everyone because if you kill a plant that is less pants for the herbivores.  Endangered plants will go extinct so it is important not to step on them.

Well, you should not step on endangered plants because you are destroying more cool plants.  You should not step on any plants because you are destroying the earth.  Some state parks have this rule so that we do not destroy more of the earth.

Sincerely,

Orrin

 

 

Dear Decaturish Readers,

What will happen if we have no more animals?  We need to protect endangered animals.

First, if one type of species goes extinct, then the others die.  For example, if trout go extinct then the bears can’t eat the trout.  The reaction could be like the domino effect.  When one goes off, others fall too.  You may believe if one animal goes extinct it is not a big deal, but it is because of the food chain.

Second, animals and humans help each other.  Back in the day, cavemen hunted with wolves and with others.  Police use canines in their work.

Last but not least, why do we hunt?  I wonder why people game hunt.  I think they do it for prizes.  You do not need animal prizes.  If you want trophies, try a new sport and you will get hold.  If you see game hunters out there, pretty please say “Do not hunt!”

Thank you for listening.  I dare you to take some steps and help endangered animals.

Sincerely,

Max

 

Dear People of Decatur,

We need to protect our lands by helping animals and keeping them safe from bad stuff.  For those of you who are hunting, animals’ lives are just as important as ours as humans!

Animals can help you too!  For example, if you kill a possum it has an effect on other species.  They eat ticks and ticks suck your blood.  If you don’t kill them they can help you.  You don’t even have to train them.

I think animals should have more respect than us.  One way to show respect all over the world is to donate to endangered animals.  The World Wildlife Foundation is a group of people that helps endangered animals.  You could donate to them.

We need to make people work together with animals.  I know you’re thinking “and how?”  You’ve just got to not frighten them, and love on them.  Imagine if you’re an animal and a person came to hunt you.  Why I think that we should work with animals is because one person is not enough.  That’s why we need to work with them.  I hope this will turn out being a law!

Thank you,

Cooper

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