Bart asks:What's the best way to teach your kids to be environmentally conscious ?

it's not enough to just to talk about it. you have to live and breath it

I think that getting them to turn off the lights every day is a great start... start getting them to do these things at an early age and it will last a lifetime.

I live in Florida so I'm no farther then 65 miles from any beach. I've walked with my 4 year old son and my 12 year old daughter along the beach. I wait until we come along some trash, they have asked why its there. "Because someone didnt care about the beach, the environment and other people" I've answered. My daughter asked what we should do. I asked her. "What do you think?"

She picked it up and the 4 year old followed. I'm a professional kite flier and we spend a great deal of time at the beach as a family. So, they can see the effects of "US" the human race has on our planet and that, they control how the future turns out. You can show them the path. They have to choose to walk it.

I believe kids should start conserving from the start. Make it a part of their daily routine, as mindless as flushing the toilet or washing their hands b4 eating.

I beleive practicing is better than preaching and as someone has said, children may not always listen to you but they observe you all the time. Therefore if you are a fine example of an environmentally concious person, your children will automatically learn to love nature. I have learned so myself seeing my parents planting trees, going for nature walks etc. and now see my son following my example and watering the plants, talking to them, like he sees me doing.

This one is proven -- kids who spend time in nature learn to love it.

A friend of mine walks her children to preschool every day - and they always carry tongs and a plastic bag. The kids delight in picking up any garbage they encounter, and they earn a little pocket money by returning drink containers to a recycling centre. The preschool teacher was so impressed, she's going to do similar walks with the whole class. Baby steps.

Teach by example. Children learn better by what they see rather than what they're told.