NORWICH – After watching Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, fourth grade students at Holy Family School are trying to pass on a lesson of global responsibility to their classmates and families.

Led by their teacher Kristin Behuniak, the fourth graders have been discussing environmental issues and the effect that man has on the environment. “My class has been discussing the environment and conservation all year. We have talked about current issues and how it affects us and how it will affect them in the future,” said Behuniak.

The nine students in Behuniak’s fourth grade class explained the problem. “Global warming is a very bad thing for people and animals,” said Anastasia Tenney.

“We want to make people aware that everything they are doing is polluting the earth,” said Marybeth Ward. The students decided they needed to increase awareness of global warming, and the need to conserve resources and recycle. They have hung posters all around the school in an effort to spread the message. The students have also been brainstorming other ways that they could increase awareness of the problem. They discussed doing a play or having a “recycle land” for kids, to teach them to recycle different materials.

“People haven’t been listening because they don’t want to hear what’s going to happen,” said Corrinne Shea. Another student, Taylor Stroh, agreed, saying “some people just don’t care about the earth.”

The children explained that because of global warming several animals, like penguins, polar bears, fish and chinchillas are being affected by the warming climate. The children suggested simple changes that could go a long way in helping the environment, like turning off lights, computers and electronic devices when not in use, not washing laundry until you have a full load, and using cold water to wash clothes and dishes, because it takes less energy.

In appreciation of An Inconvenient Truth, the students have composed letters to former Vice President Gore (printed at right), praising his movie and telling him what they have planned.

According to Behuniak, the students are very enthusiastic about the project. “Maybe by the time they are adults, this won’t be such a problem,” Behuniak said.

LETTERS FROM HOLY FAMILY 4TH GRADERS TO AL GORE:

Dear Mr. Gore,

My name is Corrinne Shea. I am in fourth grade at Holy Family School, and I loved your movie. It made me very concerned about global warming and in a way sad and scared. I was also inspired to help. I am hanging up posters and we are trying to put on a play! I am glad you are doing something for people who don’t care to be more aware about this. I care very much because this is not a selfish attempt to make money, you are concerned.

Sincerely,

Corrinne Shea

Dear Mr. Gore,

My name is Anastasia Tenney. I go to Holy Family School. I saw your movie and loved it. The cartoon was funny, but I felt very sad to see the animals in danger, and it was sad to see what things could be like when I am older. I thought that your movie was a good idea for kids to learn what will happen to our world if we don’t stop polluting. I would like you to come to our classroom, because I want you to talk with our class about the environment and what will happen to it.

Sincerely,

Anastasia

Dear Mr. Gore,

I’m in fourth grade at Holy Family School in Norwich, NY. I enjoyed your movie very much, Now I understand what will happen if people do not stop polluting and try to save the environment before there is no environment and some polar animals go extinct. I learned that if humans keep polluting the would will be dirty, animals will be extinct, and glaciers will keep falling. The water’s heat is rising too much, and oil spills are killing otters, seals and other animals that live near them. Some people don’t care that the world is dying and some people don’t even know! That is why the people that do know should convince everyone else that saving the environment is important. Everyone should try to save the world so the animals won’t go extinct.

Sincerely,

Mpoki Mwalupindi

Dear Mr. Gore,

I am Nicole Mealey, and I go to Holy Family School fourth grade. I live in Norwich, NY. My class and I saw your movie a couple o days ago and we loved it. We are learning about the environment and how people are polluting and glaciers are melting in the arctic. It is very interesting. Our class is even starting a campaign to make others aware. We are working on posters so we can hang them up around school. It makes me want to help even more because I talked my parents into getting a smaller car and they did. I want to help people get started.

Sincerely,

Nicole Ann Mealey

Dear Mr. Gore,

Hi, my name is Marybeth Ward. I am in fourth grade at Holy Family School. I have watched your movie. It made me think about what my kids would be like. They would not have fresh air to breath, and it would be full of bad stuff. You would not know if you can go outside and be scared of something happening to you because it is so bad outside. I am trying to conserve at school and at home. I am learning how to do that in class and from your movie. At home I turn off the stuff when I am not using it and teach my family about conservation. I will try to continue that.

Love,

Marybeth Ward

Dear Mr. Gore,

I am in fourth grade. At school we learned about your work. I learned that conserving will save our environment. If we don’t, when my friends and I have kids of our own, they won’t know about any of the magnificent animals we know today. Polluting hurts animals. Soda holders choke small animals. We are doing a campaign on this.

To hear people are doing bad things to the environment makes me very sad. I would hope people will stop doing this soon. I am trying to make it stop. It would be a nicer place to live if people would stop polluting and start conserving. I try to conserve as much as I can.

Sincerely,

Cassandra Corey

Dear Mr. Gore,

Hi. How are you? My name is Taylor. At my house, I saw your movie. It is very good. I like to save the earth too. I am very happy with the movie. We do have a big problem and we do need to fix it. I go to Holy Family School in Norwich, NY and I am 9 years old. I learned from the movie that pollution is a very big problem in the world. We need to find a solution to the problem. In our class we are thinking of some ideas about global warming and how we can avoid it. We could have signs around cities that say please save the earth and stop polluting to make people aware of this problem. We would like you to come and visit our class for a little. If you have time, please write back.

Thanks.

Sincerely,

Taylor Stroh

Dear Mr. Gore,

I really liked your movie, An Inconvenient Truth. I learned so much stuff. My class is doing a campaign for school. It is to make people stop polluting. My poster shows the world now and how bad it will be later. It also has a tree separating the world now and the world later. People need to stop polluting. Your movie is very famous. I’ve seen the movie, posters, advertisements and everything. I agree that the world is going to get smaller and smaller because of glaciers that keep melting really quickly and can kill us.

From,

Shane Reynolds

Dear Mr. Gore,

I am a fourth grade student at Holy Family School. I liked your movie. I especially liked the cartoons. I think what you are doing is great! If we don’t stop polluting, when I am an adult, it will be gross. My children will not know what some animals are. I wouldn’t like that. Plus, when we keep polluting plants and animals will die and soon we will not have clean air and many people will die.

Our class is doing a campaign to stop polluting. I have learned that every time you get a cardboard box or plastic container, you should recycle them. You should also turn off the light if you are out of the room or not use a lot of hot water. We have been learning this in school. This affects me a lot. I want to see an even more beautiful world, but I think that won’t happen. It will hurt my kids a lot too. I think their lungs will be very bad. Where they live will be gross like every other place. This won’t happen if we stop polluting. Please come to Norwich and speak.

Sincerely,

Alec Weaver