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The Power is Still Yours

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That’s right folks, he’s still around.

Captain Planet, that is, and he’s got an organization too! The Captain Planet Foundation (CPF) was founded in 1991 to allow kids grades K-12 to raise environmental awareness in their communities and schools. By funding and supporting hands-on environmental educational projects for kids and teens, CPF strives to educate the future generations about the natural world we live in so they will have an understanding and appreciation for it. I’m sure we have a lot to thank Captain Planet for…

In case you’re not a child of the 90’s and maybe unaware of who this Captain Planet is, here’s a little background info:

He is summoned when the rings of 5 planeteers unite.  He is called to help when the planeteers cannot handle the environmental crisis at hand. His superpowers include morphing into the properties of any element, flying, and telepathy. His powers do not work if he is not on Earth. Most importantly, his “kryptonite” is any sort of pollutant or radiation that causes harm to the environment. Like every other superhero, he is known for one statement in particular. Whenever he departs, he claims, “The power is yours.” This implies that it is everyone’s responsibility to keep the environment clean and healthy. That is some pretty good rhetoric for a children’s hero. Although there has not been much talk about Captain Planet lately, there has been plenty of talking about the environment and “going green.” This is a perfect excuse to pay tribute once again to a superhero that informs the youth of such an important issue.

 And what do you know; a week from today CPF is hosting their annual CPF Benefit Gala at the Georgia Aquarium! This star-studded eco-benefit will feature musical guest Alison Krauss, and dinner cooked by all-star chef Wolfgang Puck. All proceeds will go directly to the organization to help them create opportunities to make our youth more eco-conscious.

So, when you’re thinking about little things you might be able to do to help out the environment, think about Captain Planet and remember, “The power is yours!”

Comments

4 responses to “The Power is Still Yours”

  1. Rihab Avatar
    Rihab

    I think The Captain Planet Foundation is a great concept. It is really important to take care and be aware of the environment. The approach of using a superhero cartoon to reach teenager is brilliant. However, with Captain Planet, they do not just reach teenager, also children from the 90’s who will remember of their own teenage time and feel connected.

    Nevertheless, it is really clever to target young people, because they are the future and it will definitely have a positive effect, if they grew up with a sense of the environment, especially in a playful way.

    Reply
  2. Ally M. Walton Avatar
    Ally M. Walton

    As a product of this nineties, this was one of my favorite cartoons when I was growing up. “Captain Planet, he’s a hero, gonna take pollution down to zero” Yep, I still know the whole theme song. But as a kid I never really understood the message that this show was trying to relay to my generation. I found it really interesting to learn that not only was Captain Planet an entertaining cartoon, but that through the show and the foundation the people behind Captain Planet are actually getting kids involved to make a difference. I’m glad to know that programs like this exist for kids.

    Reply
  3. Jeff Loock Avatar
    Jeff Loock

    I always thought that Captain Planet was a great idea for a super hero. The easiest audience to influence is the child audience. They want to be like the super hero that they watch everyday on television. Encrypting the simplest ideas like recycling in a young child’s mind is going to stick with them for a long time. Captain Planet is cool because he is a super hero, and he promotes the most important lesson any super hero has ever done.

    Reply
  4. Cary Welborn Avatar
    Cary Welborn

    I love the idea of captain planet as a super hero because he really is a hero; he is the Earth’s hero. Our planet is slowly dying due to all of the mess we humans have put on it. It is up to the kids of this generation to make a difference, or our world is going to fall apart. Getting the concepts of recycling and cleaning up lodged into people’s heads is a very good idea. Recycling needs to become habitual for everyone. Kids want to be like what they see on T.V. and in cartoons, and Captain Planet is a very good role model. It is extremely important to take care of our environment. Every little thing counts!

    Reply

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