Children fighting for Earth's future // Kids' groups take environmental action

GRANTS PASS, Ore. They're turning off lights, pedaling theirbikes instead of asking mom to drive, pushing their parents torecycle, planting trees and cleaning streams.

Fearful for their future - and unimpressed by their elders'efforts - children are putting their ideals into action, working tosave the Earth by starting with their own neighborhoods.

The seeds of the children's crusade were sown on April 22, 1990,in the media blitz that accompanied the 20th anniversary of EarthDay.

Since then, dozens of children's organizations have sproutedacross the nation. Their names tell the tale: Kids for Saving Earth,Kids for a Clean Environment, Kids in Nature's Defense.

Fifteen children's environmental groups claiming a total of 1million members have joined in the CO2 Challenge Kids Coalition,which is working to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 1 million tons ayear.

And in a suburb of Minneapolis, the parents of 11-year-oldClinton Hill, who died of a brain tumor, carry on his dream of anational organization. Kids for Saving Earth is the biggest of thechildren's environmental groups. Its color newsletter is distributedaround the nation by its main sponsor, Target stores.

"In a year and a half's time, we have 13,000 clubs with 400,000kids," said Tessa Hill, Clinton's mother and president of the group.

After being turned away at the White House, Clinton's friendJohn Hegstrand, 13, of Plymouth, Minn., handed 100,000 pledges forthe CO2 Challenge to Sen. Albert Gore Jr. (D-Tenn.), who organized aspecial hearing this year for children to talk about global warming.

"Kids have a lot of power," John said. "We affect the way ourparents think. The more that we know, the more that people becomeaware."

Being ignored by the White House led 12-year-old Melissa Poe ofNashville, Tenn., to start Kids for a Clean Environment with hermother. With help from Wal-Mart stores, the group produces anewsletter that claims a readership of 2 million.

Melissa had written a letter to President Bush asking him tohelp stop pollution. When she didn't get a response, she arrangedfor her letter to be reproduced on billboards, first in her hometownand later in Washington, D.C.

She said she was ashamed of Bush for not doing more afterdeclaring himself the environmental president.

"I don't think it's fair," she said. "The adults won't have tolive in this world, and the kids will. We don't want to grow up in aworld where we can't breathe and we can't go outside and enjoy a niceday in the park."

Kids aren't networking yet via their Nintendos, but they arelinking up around the globe on computer bulletin boards with the helpof adults such as Marshall Gilmore, a lawyer in Salem, Ore. With hisfamily, he started the Earth Kids Organization.

There's a computer in his home office dedicated to the K-12Network, allowing kids to stay in touch with group chapters as faraway as Ukraine. Kids punch in their accomplishments, such asstenciling storm drains with warn ings that dumping oil will hurt fish in nearby rivers.

The message that "The power is yours!" booms though thesuperhero cartoon "Captain Planet and the Planeteers," the brainchildof environmentalist and broadcasting magnate Ted Turner. In only itssecond year, it has an audience of 2 million.

When it comes to heroes, no one reaches more children than theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and their message is bright green.Since CBS started broadcasting the cartoon in 1990, environmental"Turtle Tips," based on consultations with a UCLA professor, havebeen sandwiched between the show's two segments so children will besure to see them, said Judy Price, vice president for children'sprogramming at CBS.

Last fall, Paul D. Hart Research Associates of Washington, D.C.,conducted a poll for the World Wildlife Fund of 880 kids around thecountry ranging in age from 11 to 18.

"We clearly found that children not only care about theenvironment . . . but they are the ones who influence their parentsand their households to be more considerate of the environment," saidanalyst Debbie Klingender. "They may not have the money tocontribute to environmental groups, but they are working on the homefront."