Our Planet, Our Responsibility. A Message to Parents and Educators: Our Precious Planet is a larger (nine inch diameter) more detailed version of Earth designed to help start a conversation about climate change and global warming. Consistent with our mission to both enlighten and delight, this Special Edition Buddy is a gentle introduction to a very complicated but also very important subject. We at Celestial Buddies understand that there are many factors that contribute to climate change, but we are concerned enough about the human contribution to global warming that we believe that, as an educational toy company, we should give families and educators a tool to help promote healthy discussions with our children about this important issue. Like all the other Celestial Buddies, Our Precious Planet comes with an educational hang tag that provides useful introductory information about our planet and climate change. It also includes a colorful supplemental tag that illustrates some of the causes and effects of global warming, as well as some suggestions about what individual human beings, including children and their parents, can do to help. Is extraterrestrial life out there? Although the search continues, we have found no evidence of any other planet with such an amazing variety of living things and ecosystems as Our Precious Planet, so lets not take it for granted. Earth was formed 4.53 billion years ago; the earliest forms of life appeared at least 3.5 billion years ago; and we people . . . homo sapiens . . . have been living here for only around 200,000 years. Although the Earths climate can change gradually over time, human activities, such as industry, deforestation, pollution and urban development, have speeded up the pace of climate change and are increasing the amount of global warming, which can lead to melting glaciers, rising sea levels, extreme weather and species extinctions. Earth needs our help now! How can YOU help? Recycle bottles, cans, plastic, & paper. Turn off water and electricity when not in use. Drink filtered tap water and carry it in reusable bottles. Ask your parents to buy reusable grocery bags. Plant a tree or a garden. Walk or ride a bike when you can. Don't litter. Learn all you can about our environment, and please take good care of Our Precious Planet!