bodies. If we sit the majority of the time in these dark, dank environments with poor indoor air, there are consequences. Let’s do what we can with these structures to bring the outdoors in…so many wonderful benefits.” She discusses Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and mentions a children’s story she wrote and titled, “The Incredible Shrinking Footprint.” “I communicate to audiences young and old that every little bit you do, small, or large, makes a big impact. I try to focus on this…it’s what USGBC does. The chapters across the country educate, advocate and promote these products, practices, ideas…(teaching) what you can do.” Her motivation, and modus operandi, is not the “shock jock” doctrine, Scofield says. But when she addresses an audience, she does question their chief motivation. “Is it money, is it your children. Is it your health. Let me meet you there. I don’t care what the motive; if it causes you to make this little improvement, we are getting there, and moving closer to the end goal.” Children will help drive change, she feels. To that end, Scofield discusses USGBC’s Center for Green Schools. “The Center created a ‘Green Apple Day of Service.' You go and do a one-day blitz of raising sustainability awareness in our schools. There were green apple projects across the state and country— over 2,000 in all,” she says happily. “I’m very happy with life right now," Scofield smiles. "But the stories, and my whole vision for reaching children in today’s world, that is where I want to be…running a multimedia conglomerate." She wants to carry the environmental message through children’s stories, cartoons, toys, books and school curriculum. On October 3 and 4, Scofield performed her own Green Apple service. She took her original story, “The Incredible Shrinking Footprint” and read it to her three-year-old son’s class and her daughter’s kindergarten class. She will do it again whenever she can, whether it’s a service day or not.
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She says she will continue to write, something she enjoys as much as she enjoys reading. And, with a glimpse of the young girl who was enlightened to try and save the whales, Scofield again smiles broadly. She will keep her blue eyes open wide.
So What’s the Big Idea? “My big idea is for everyone to realize that they have a role in environmental protection, no matter what political party you are affiliated with, or your income status,” she says. The environment should not be politicized. “Every day, everyone uses resources from the planet, and we cannot continue taking, taking, taking without being concerned about sharing. Giving back." Scofield frowns. “It’s such a simple concept. Who wants to argue, ‘No, I don’t care about clean air,’ or, I’d rather drink dirty water? These are basic human needs, and our actions impact the ability of our planet to meet these needs.” She is quiet, and positive, but one thing makes her want to raise her voice. “Again, it stems from people thinking locally. The fact that we have such abundance, we are not forced to think about a shortage of anything. I would like to see us not get to the point of drastic need, drastic measures." n
FOR FURTHER STUDY To find out more about the LEED Rating Systems, including scorecards, go to http://www.usgbc.org/leed/rating-systems To help children become better stewards of the planet, read True Green Kids: 100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet at http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/true-green-kids-100-things-you-can-do-to-savethe-planet/
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