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State of the Air Project

Educating youth about pollution, is the solution

Presented by:
Kym Gonzalez, Luis Sucre, Chiara Zamboni, and Zachary Pape
To Dallas Chamber of Commerce for Business Gives Back Competition 2016

Table of Contents
Introduction

Background and
Goals..
Proposal
.
Plan.................................................................
.
Schedule

Budget

Advertising of
Event
Staging of Event..

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3
5
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Disbursement of
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Funds.
Conclusion
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References............... 1
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INTRODUCTION
Given its business-friendly regulatory environment, the Dallas-Fort
Worth metropolis has grown into one of the fastest growing cities in the
nation (Carlyle). However, dirty air seems to be the price to pay for
growing affluence (Goswami,). As the D/FW metropolis expands, the roads
are getting choked with many more vehicles, increasing the volume of
harmful gas emissions, and consequently this has led to a drastic increase in
air pollution in the D/FW area. With pollution notoriously linked to climate
change, and climate change becoming one of the most defining concerns of
the 21st century, striking a balance between unbounded economic growth
and sustainability requires a new mindset (Higgins), which means that
having city government try to tackle the problem on its own is not feasible.
Only with the participation of the private sector, and in tandem the
involvement of community-based organizations, can we achieve positive
action on improving the air quality in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolis.
BACKGROUND AND GOALS
Toyotas recent decision to move its headquarters to Plano, Texas will
have significant implications for the North Texas area. However, although
Toyota has defined its previous activities as carefully aligned with corporate
social responsibility, it will have to adapt those programs for its newer
activities in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. One of the ways in which Toyota can
make a meaningful difference in this regard is to engage with the issue of air
quality in the Northern Texas area. Why is this an important matter right
now? Recently, the American Lung Association released its list of the most
polluted cities in America and it gave the Dallas-Fort Worth area an F for
air quality due to its ozone issues (American Lung Association).

Figure 1

American Lung Association State of the Air Report 2015

Consequently this F has now made the D/FW metroplex the 7th most
polluted city in the nation when it comes to ozone (American Lung
Association).
Figure 2:

American Lung Association State of the Air Report 2015 10 Worst Metro Areas in Ozone

For this reason, there is a strong exigence for Toyota to develop its latest
corporate social responsibility project in this regard.
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Toyota has long established its corporate social responsibility activities


as having to do with the environment. For example, the ambitious 2050
challenge encourages the company to develop vehicles that emit zero CO2,
in that they hope to reduce vehicle CO2 emissions by 90% by 2050 (Toyota).
Further, Toyota efforts to reduce to zero not simply the CO emissions
produced in traveling and manufacturing, but all CO emissions including in
the processes of materials production, and disposal and recycling of
vehicles (Toyota). The other major components of the plan include a desire
to achieve zero CO emissions at the plants by implementing two major
strategies: 1) developing and introducing low-CO technologies with ongoing
Kaizen 2) adopting renewable energy sources and utilizing hydrogen energy
(Toyota), along with minimizing and optimizing water usage, recycling
resources, and implementing an overall culture of social harmony with nature
by projects such as planting trees at factories and engaging in conservation
(Toyota).
Toyota has a significant opportunity in Dallas-Fort Worth. The
companys corporate social responsibility aligns well with the needs of the
area. They understand that in order to address the paradox between
economic growth and sustainability that they must find a way to balance
the two and allow them to coexist (Toyota).
PROPOSAL
Addressing the paradox between growth and sustainability (Laurie)
requires the direct participation and involvement of human beings, especially
the next generation of human beings. Because for the first time in our
worlds history, human beings are having a determining influence on the
Earths natural systems, which in the past was a factor of geological epoch
(Duraiappah). Thus, being triumphant in truly changing the State of the Air,
means educating the future leaders of tomorrow on this vital issue, which is
outlined in our Educating youth about pollution, is D/FWs solution plan as
follows:

PLAN
First, Toyota will have to work carefully to ensure that its corporate
social responsibility comes across as sincere, since some are very critical of
corporate social responsibility: despite their emancipatory rhetoric,
discourses of corporate citizenship, social responsibility and sustainability are
defined by narrow business interests and serve to curtail interests of external
stakeholders. I provide an alternate perspective, one that views discourses of
corporate citizenship, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability as
ideological movements that are intended to legitimize and consolidate the
power of large corporations (Banerjee 51). Therefore, jointly
collaborating/partnering with D/FW community based stakeholders
(organizations) that are actually experts on the air in the D/FW area. Hence,
the most effective stakeholder to do that with in the D/FW area is Air North
Texas.

Why Air North Texas? Because they have been recognized by the EPA

for their commitment and outstanding efforts in working toward educating,


not only the adults in the D/FW community on how to keep the air clean, but
have specifically built a campaign around teaching children as well.
Figure 3 and Figure 4

Figure 5

(Air North Texas Children Campaign)

In addition, their integrated public awareness campaign encourages


residents to make clean air choices and incorporates print, internet, radio,
outreach events and non-traditional communication such as education air
quality messages on gasoline pumps (Air North Texas). Air North Texas was
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formed by the North Central Texas Council on Governments with support of


an Air Quality Public Relations Task Force, and their partners include:

Second, given the reticence of Texan schools to talk about


environmental issues, we propose a once a year endeavor that can help to
make up for some of the gaps in environmental education in this region.
This once a year endeavor will be held at Six Flags over Texas.
Why Six Flags over Texas? We wanted a venue where Air North Texas
environmental educators could teach children in a non-traditional classroom
setting because according to UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization report on The contribution of early childhood
education to a sustainable society, research evidence shows that the
traditional subject- and discipline-based teaching of knowledge, common in
schools, does not give the best result in learning about issues related to
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sustainable development, which are interdisciplinary in nature. And in


tandem,

UNESCO also found that manychildhood educatorsview discussions


about sustainable development as doom and gloom i.e. depressing and
fearful, and therefore inappropriate for young children. Thus UNESCO
believes that our societies urgently require new kinds of education that
present the issues to our future leaders in an upbeat, entertaining and
engaging environment. Not to mention the fact that, children learn better
when they are in a playful environment (Gray). Therefore, Six Flags is the
perfect environment for Air North Texas and Toyota to teach our future
leaders about sustainability because at Six Flags every day we are creating
unique and thrilling memories for our guestsafter all, people never tire of
having fun (Six Flags 2013 Annual Report).
SCHEDULE
Our event will be a weekend long event kicking off on Friday, June 24,
2016 and continuing thru, Saturday, June 25, and Sunday, 26, 2016. Why
these dates? With a vast majority of the population in the D/FW area not
aware that there actually is a Clean Air Action Day on the first Friday of
every summer year, we want to draw attention to subject. And, with Six
Flags of Texas, during the summer, having an average of 15,000 visitors a
day that will equate to us being able to bring it to the attention of
approximately 45,000 over the 3 day period (Six Flags 2014 Annual Report).
BUDGET
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ADVERTISING OF EVENT:
MEDIA:
Six Flags Facebook: Nearly 500,000 followers
Six Flags Twitter: 93,900 followers
Six Flags Email campaign
Six Flags Website
Toyota Headquarters Press Releases
Toyota Metro Dealerships Facebook (approx. 50K follow)
Toyota Metro Dealerships Twitter (approx. 20K follow)
Toyota Metro Dealerships Email campaign
Toyota Metro Dealerships Websites
Air North Texas resources of internet, radio,
$0.00
and non-traditional communication

Free
Free
Free
Free
CSR Donation
CSR Donation
CSR Donation
CSR Donation
CSR Donation
Free

$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00
$0.00

STAGING OF EVENT:
Toyota Staf:
Set up: Toyota setting up staging Area @ Six Flags:
Maintain Event: Toyota Employees donating time to teach
$0.00
Breakdown event: Toyota Breaking down staging area

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CSR Donation
$0.00
CSR Donation
CSR Donation

$0.00

Air North Texas Staf:


Set up: Air North Texas setting up staging area
Maintain Event: Air North Educators donating time to teach
Breakdown event: Air North Texas breakdown of event

Free
Free
Free

$0.00
$0.00
$0.00

DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS:
Toyota Headquarters:
Announcement of $20,000 grant to further fund Air North Texas children projects
Announcement of $20,000 in UTD scholarships to be awarded to D/FW children that
partner with Air North Texas and Toyota to further innovate ideas on sustainability

$20k
$20k

CONCLUSION
In order for us to truly make an impact on the State of the Air in North
Texas, educating our D/FW future leaders not only today, but in the years to
come as well, is the key to the success of reducing the pollution in the D/FW
area. However, we cant wait for the traditional classroom educational
system to teach our future leaders on the subject of sustainability. If we are
truly going to be successful in cleaning up the State of the Air in North Texas
we are going to have to start involving community stakeholders, as well as
socially responsible corporations.

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References
Air North Texas, Go green, Breathe deep a campaign for clean air,
AirNorthTexas.org. 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
American Lung Association. Most Polluted Cities - American Lung
Association: State of the Air 2015. StateOfTheAir.org. N.p., 2015. Web. 8
Mar. 2016.
Banerjee, S. B. Corporate Social Responsibility: The Good, the Bad and the
Ugly. Critical Sociology 34.1 (2008): 5179. Web.
Carlyle, E. Americas Fastest Growing Cities 2015, Forbes.org, 2015. Web. 8
Mar. 2016.
Duraiappah, A. Why Education is Key for Sustainable Development- UN
Global Partnership for Education Coming to an end.
Globalpartnership.org, 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
Goswami, U. Pollution in cities: Is dirty air the price of growing affluence?.
EconomicTimes.IndiaTimes.com. 2015. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
Gray, P., Why children learn better in a playful environment, Alternet.org.
2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
Higgins, K. Economic growth and sustainability are they mutually
exclusive?. Elsevier.com. 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
Laurie, C. GOB Matters, GobMenorca.com, 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
Six Flags. Six Flags 2013 Annual Report, Investors.SixFlags.com, 2014.
Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
Six Flags. Six Flags 2014 Annual Report, Investors.SixFlags.com, 2015.
Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
Toyota. Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050. Toyota-Global.com. N.p.,
2016. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.

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