To the Editor:

I have come up with more ideas to save the planet, from a book my Mom got me.

1. If you are moving, use paper to pad things.

2. Believe it or not, we use more water in our toilets than any other place in our homes. Here is something you can do to save water: Soak the [label] off of a gallon milk carton, then fill it with rocks and water. Put it in the tank but don’t let it get in the way of the arm or chain. Now you will save a gallon of water every time you flush.

3. Put the lid on a pot when you boil water. It saves more energy.

4. Make your own recycled paper. Here is a simple recipe: You will need two and a half pages of newspaper, a whole section of newspaper, a blender, five cups of water, a big [square] pan that’s at least three inches deep, a piece of window screen that fits inside the pan, a [measuring] cup, and a flat piece of wood the size of a newspaper’s front page. Tear two and a half pages of newspaper into tiny pieces and drop into blender with five cups of water. Blend until pulp. Pour one inch of water into pan. Put screen into pan and pour one cup of pulp on screen, lift the screen and let water drain. Open newspaper section to middle and place the screen/pulp into it. [Crease] the newspaper. Flip newspaper section so the screen is on top of the pulp. Place [board] on top and press. Open newspaper and let dry for 24 hours.

Sincerely,

Clare Danner, age 9

Flat Swamp Road, Newtown

Editor’s Note: Clare was one of two young people honored by the Conservation Commission recently with a Conservation Leadership Award. (See The Newtown Bee, “Conservation Commission Announces Leadership Award Winners,” January 29, 2021.)