Justine McKeen, Queen of Green Read online

  But watch out! If you google cow farts, you’ll probably find a couple of links to cow farts in a can. Yes, people who move to the city and miss the smell of the country can buy cow farts in a can.

  Chapter Four

  Insects as human food!

  Do you think Insects as Food would be a fun report to present to your class? As Justine points out, people in many different cultures eat insects. If you would like to learn more about it, or to write a report guaranteed to gross out your class (and your teacher!), there is lots of information on the Internet. To get started, enter food + insects into Google or any other search engine.

  Chapter Five

  My family loves local produce. It tastes fresher, and we know buying local reduces our carbon footprint because we are not buying produce that has been shipped from across the country or the other side of the world. A carbon footprint is the sum of all emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) a person’s activities create in a given time frame.

  Chapter Seven

  Two words: Compost bin.

  Three words: Easy to do.

  Four words: Makes a big difference.

  More words: Jump on the Internet and learn how easy home compost bins are to set up. (By the way, I learned from friends about how to get rid of the maggots in my own compost bin.)

  Chapter Eight

  The Internet has lots of information on how to recycle paper and use it for cool art projects. And remember, paper shredders, blenders and hair dryers really are POWER TOOLS!!

  Chapter Nine

  There are a lot of links on the Internet to show you how to build a plastic-bottle greenhouse. I was particularly inspired by Rogart Primary School in Sutherland, Scotland, and their greenhouse project.

  Chapter Eleven

  Do you want to make an environmentally friendly fire extinguisher for a science project? ( Just remember, it’s not for grease or electrical fires.)

  Here’s what you need:

  • a plastic bottle

  • lemon juice or vinegar

  • tissue

  • rubber band

  • baking soda

  How do you put all of it together? Hint: enter science project + fire extinguisher into a search engine.

  Sigmund Brouwer is the bestselling author of many books for children and young adults. Sigmund loves visiting schools and talking with youth of all ages about reading and writing. Justine McKeen, Queen of Green is the first book in his new series about Justine and her efforts to create a greener community. He also has a new book for teachers and parents called Rock & Roll Literacy. Sigmund lives in Red Deer, Alberta, and Nashville, Tennessee.