T i m e O u t

Environment Awareness Quiz - The Power of One

Environment Awareness Quiz - The Power of One

The power of one is used to illustrate that one gesture made by a lot of individuals becomes a tide of powerful action.

Part 1

1. Do you leave the water running constantly while you shower and brush your teeth?
2. Do you ever shampoo your car near a river?
3. Do you pour used olive/vegetable oil down the kitchen sink?
4. Do you use aerosol cleaning products every day?
5. Do you throw cigarette packets/used tissues out of your car window?
6. Do you leave behind bags with plastic bottles, plates, cups when you leave a picnic area?
7. Do you ever throw a bag of litter over a bridge or into a ravine?
8. Do you take a shopping bag with you to the supermarket?
9. Do you smoke in the company of your own or other people’s children?
10. Do you throw cigarette butts on the pavement?
11. Do you spit out chewing gum or stick it to desks or chairs?
12. Do you put all your household waste in one bag?
13. Do you put used batteries in with your ordinary waste?
14. Do you put unused pills in with your ordinary waste?
15. Do you regularly print unnecessary documents or photocopies?
16. Do you leave the iron plugged in while you chat on the phone?
17. Do you fill your plate at a buffet lunch with more than you can eat?
18. Do you have your tv on loud enough to disturb your neighbours?
19. Do you hold long, loud conversations on your cell phone on trains or buses?
20. Do you talk louder than others in canteens/restaurants?

If you have answered NO to 18 or more questions, you are an excellent citizen and a hope for the future of the planet.

If you have answered NO to 12 or under, you are a somewhat selfish citizen and a worry for the future of the planet.

Part 2

1. Do you get your kids to turn the water on/off while they shower and brush their teeth?
2. Do you use ecological products to wash your car?
3. Do you check the ingredients of your cleaning products?
4. Do you put used olive/vegetable oil in special containers?
5. Do you have a rubbish bag in your car for family outings?
6. Do you make your children check for litter when leaving a picnic area?
7. Do you report it if you see people throwing litter over a bridge or into a ravine?
8. Do you ask your children to remember to bring the shopping bag to the supermarket?
9. Do you ask friends for an ashtray if you’re smoking in a friend’s garden or patio?
10. Do you tell your kids not to stick chewing gum to desks and to wrap it before discarding?
11. Do you and your family divide the household waste into special bags?
12. Do you teach your children that used batteries must be put in special containers?
13. Do you teach your children that unused medicines must be put in special containers?
14. Do you tell family and colleagues to file documents and minimise printing and photocopies?
15. Do you use electrical appliances with moderation?
16. Do you check what you already have before cooking and shopping?
17. Do you have a family awareness of your neighbours and keep your noise levels acceptable?
18. Do you remind your kids to keep cell-phone conversations brief when on public transport?
19. Do you tell your kids their loud laughter with friends in public places may disturb others?

If you have answered YES to 18 or more questions you are an excellent parent.

Because to your sensibility and understanding of what’s at stake, you have a responsibility to educate about environmental risks.

If you have answered YES to 10 or under you are a somewhat lax parent.

More than likely, your family of origin did not prioritize environment awareness issues.

It’s time for all of us, excellent, average and lax, to start thinking seriously about the planet our children will inherit.