More than 6 billion people and a planet facing growing environmental problems: can a single Girl Scout really make a difference?  Absolutely.  And Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council are learning how through the new "World in Our Hands" campaign patch.

No one escapes environmental problems.  Our own hometown of Knoxvlle has some great stewardship challenges to tackle -- just like many other great American cities.  Our beloved Great Smoky Mountains National Park -- the most highly visited national park -- is also the most polluted, according to the National Park Conservation Association. 

"The challenges are enormous, but every individual can be part of the solution," says Lise Bender, program director for Tanasi Council.  "We are teaching girls how to take the future of the world into their own hands." 

Through this program, girls learn that many simple efforts impact our environment:

• Plant a tree on the sunny side of a yard to save energy in a home.
• Keep car tires properly inflated to save 250 punds of carbon dioxide and $840 a year.
• Save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide and $265 a year by unplugging unused electronics.
• Buy locally produced products to reduce energy required to drive products to stores.
• Replace three frequently used light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs to save 300 pounds of carbon dioxide and $60 a year.

Our Girl Scouts are partnering with several regional organizations to become better stewards of our East Tennessee world.  As they earn this badge, they learn that every environmental problem has a solution.