Teach your children about the role they play as future stewards of the environment. Spend time with them, connecting them with nature. Take time each day to go outside. Talk about our relationship with the world around us. For instance, start a conversation with your child on a drop of precious, life-giving water. Follow its path on land as it flows into a stream or river that empties to the sea. Follow the water drop as it evaporates through the power of the sun and once cloud-bound, condenses once again to form again, which starts the water cycle anew. Ask them questions about what travels with the drop of water (nutrients, pollutants, etc). Together you can build an awareness of natural processes such as the water cycle and how they can be influenced by human activities. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has excellent materials for parents, children and those interested in this subject.

Teach your child the importance of his/her actions and the "power of one."

Make your own "nature kit" to take along every time you do an outdoor recreational activity. Recycle a plastic container with a lid and place inside several recyclable grocery bags, or used plastic "baggies." Take 10 minutes to pick up trash around you at the beach, the soccer field, and the park - wherever! Separate it and recycle what you can; put the rest of it in the proper waste receptacle. And don't forget picking up after Fido! Waste from domesticated animals travels into creeks, streams and rivers, which fosters the growth of harmful bacteria and changes natural nutrient levels. The final destination is the ocean, polluting the water you swim in!

Cut the plastic bottle habit. Plain water is the fastest growing market in plastic bottled beverages. Plastic bottles for water are the least recycled plastic beverage bottle. Plastic bottles from water and soda pile up in our landfills and take hundreds of years to break down.

Not only do all these bottles create huge waste problems, they also produced from petroleum and require energy to manufacture. And there are transportation costs involved in the distribution of the bottles from where they are produced, to where they are filled, to where they are stored to where you ultimately purchase them.

Be sure to recycle all plastic bottles and, where convenient, buy larger ones instead of many smaller ones -- or better yet, install a Pur http://www.purwaterfilter.com/ or Brita http://www.brita.com/index_us.html water filter system on your kitchen faucet.

Take a step and cut the plastic bottle habit.

At home, school, or work, store lunch food items in re-usable plastic containers, not plastic "baggies." In fact, skip those over-packaged quick meal items in the grocery store all together. Use leftovers from last-nights' dinner. You'll enjoy a better-tasting meal, save money and reduce the amount of trash that goes into landfills.

Do an energy and water audit at home, school or work and save money too! Check you refrigerator and set it to 38-42 degrees F. Set your water heater to "low" (120 degrees F). Install low-flow showerheads and toilets. The money you save on your bill will go towards replacing incandescent light bulbs with new compact florescent light bulbs, which last longer and lower your electric bill. Though compact fluorescent light bulbs are more expensive than conventional light bulbs, they last 10 times longer. One bulb can lower your energy bill by $15 annually and reduce your CO2 emissions by 150 lbs.

Unplug it. Ever notice that your cell phone charger stays warm even when you are not using it? It stays warm because it continues to use electricity any time it is plugged in. Take a step to improve our environment by unplugging your cell phone charger when your phone is charged. Most modern cell phones recharge in a short amount of time. This means that, if you leave your charger plugged in all the time, you may be wasting more than 95 percent of the electricity it uses.
Many other appliances use electricity even when turned off. It is estimated that for most households, about 5 percent of their energy consumption is spent on machines that are turned off but that are still consuming energy, emitting about 18 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year. It can also save you money on your electric bills.
If you are not using the spare clock in the guest room, unplug it. If you only use the refrigerator in the garage three times a year, unplug it. If you have a tool recharger in the garage that you only use occasionally, unplug it. All of these can be energy hogs, costing you money and adding to global warming.

Be nice to yourself and your home. Use biodegradable, natural cleaning products whenever possible. Avoid cleaning products that use chemical solvents, which can volatilize and are harmful to the air you breathe. For instance, instead of buying air freshener, try deodorizing the kitchen sink and garbage disposal with a cut up orange!

Be nice to your garden, yard and/or potted plants. Use the right amount of water and nutrients. Remember to sweep up excess fertilizer; don't hose it off your driveway into the street - it ends up in streams, creeks and makes its way to the ocean. Along the way it unbalances nutrients in these ecosystems, hurts animal and plant life and increases pollution. For pest control, try natural remedies when possible (lady-bugs on your rose plants will keep aphids at bay.)

Be aware that when you wash your car and/or driveway, you are depositing oil and other chemicals into the environment. For a change, treat your vehicle to a carwash facility that recycles its water.

Stop the paper chase! If possible, pay bills on-line or over the telephone, thus reducing waste paper. You won't need as many stamps and will save money, too!

Plant a tree. One tree will absorb about a ton of carbon dioxide in its lifetime. Carbon dioxide is the major cause of global warming. Planting six trees can reduce your emissions by 2 percent annually. It can also provide shade for you and a home to birds and other wildlife. If you live in an apartment or area where you cannot plant a tree of your own, check with your local city or county government. Many have tree planting programs that you and your family could join, while others might approve rooftop gardens. Another resource is the National Arbor Day Foundation, which has a directory of local tree planting organizations at http://www.arborday.org/programs/volunteers/States.cfm

Walk, don't drive when ever possible. Walk to lunch, or on errands close to home. Your heart and health will benefit as well.By saving just one gallon of gasoline, 20 to 30 miles of driving in most conventional cars, 1) it will save you more than $3 and 2) you will prevent about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide, the major cause of global warming, from being released into the atmosphere. To save that gallon, consider taking public transportation or carpooling to work one day a week. Plan a route to make running your errands more efficient.

Join an environmental organization today. Attend a beach cleanup, bring your children. Learn more, do more, to protect the environment that surrounds you. Save Our Beach conducts monthly beach cleanups in Seal Beach. https://www.saveourbeach.org for more information
We have our "Monthly Beach Cleanup" every month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the 1st Street Beach Lot (corner of Ocean & 1st) in Seal Beach.
30 Minutes is not a huge commitment, but a lot of people, focused on a single worthwhile project for a mere 1/2 hour can produce some startling results, and thanks to you, we can see the difference we're making!

The sum total of all the small steps we take as individuals, in thought and deed, and every day, leads us forward in evolving our own species. Each individual step increases our understanding of our place in nature, improves our respect for all life, and collectively, empowers us to protect and enhance the quality of life on this wonderful water planet for the benefit of all generations.