INQ7: Japanese city rises from pollution problems
KITAKYUSHU CITY, Japan -- In this industrial hub at the southern reaches of Japan, kids learn about reducing, reusing and recycling at the same time they start reading, writing, and arithmetic. For the people of this quaint, quiet community, the secret to a clean city is to pass along good habits and sound practices to the children. "If people learn how to deal with waste when they're children, the habit will stick until they grow old, and they will teach their own kids," said Miyoko Morofuji, who oversees the Kitakyushu Environment Museum. But teaching children about the virtues of recycling is not as easy as putting them in a classroom and giving a lecture. In Kitakyushu, "age-appropriate" programming has been used in its public environmental education program, involving workshops, games and crafts -- depending on the age of the child, said Morofuji. "It is important that the children are engaged in the activities, so they retain the lessons," she said. For instance, children here listen to the exploits of "Gomilla," the garbage version of Godzilla, in classroom play acting, and interact with "Due" (Reduce), "Yuu" (Reuse), and "Sai" (Recycle), a trio of firefly mascots at the museum
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