United Nations Radio

Team "Dead Weight"

We often hear that everyone can to their part to protect the environment. Well, three young students from Iowa took this to heart and did a school science project together that has had a real impact. For their efforts they have been awarded first prize in a contest sponsored by Discovery Education, the Siemens Foundation and the National Science Teachers Association. The three boys were here for International Youth Day and told UN Radio about their award-winning project.

Jathan: My name is Jathan Kron.  I am a 12-year-old 8th grader at West Branch Middle School. 

lead wheel weights

Our project was about lead wheel weights - small pieces of lead clipped to all tires in use in America, or all over the world and they fall off and are exposed to environmental conditions, which form lead compounds like lead nitrate and lead acetate, which can leak into the water and contaminate our water, so it harms us and it can also harm the environment.

My dad is an automotive dealer and we were sweeping up his shop one day and sweeped up some lead wheel weights and he said he was going to throw them away and I said "You can't do that, because lead is a hazardous metal and it is harmful to the environment." And I realized something had to be done about that.

Brennan: My name is Brennan Nelson, and I'm 13, going into Southeast Junior High. My science teacher Hector Ibarra contacted me and wondered if I would like to do another school project about the environment, and of course, Jathan also contacted me. Well, I've always cared about the environment and I have a deep feeling for it and when I had a chance to actually do something about the way our Earth is going, I decided that that would be great.

Justin: I'm Justin Roth, and I'm 13 years old. I'm going to 8th grade at West Branch Middle School. Jathan, Brennan and I have been friends for a very long time and we do projects together from time to time, especially last year, Brennan and I did one. And this year Jathan, Brennan and I got together to do this project.

Jathan: Hopefully, we can get the phase-out of lead wheel weights in our state or hopefully all of America. And get people educated about the hazards of lead, so that they request steel wheel weights to help the environment. When we started our project there were no laws concerning lead wheel weights. After we started - Maine, Washington and Vermont got laws passed about lead wheel weights and then also California has pending legislation. We also got our city fleet vehicles switched to steel wheel weights.

Justin: We also got two local tire service centers to start offering steel wheel weights and they have said there has been an increase in business. They have even gotten a steel wheel weight distributor to start distributing the steel wheel weights in Iowa. Next time you go and get your tires rebalanced request an alternative to lead.

Jathan: It's your world,
Brennan: your mind,
Justin: and you can make a difference!

That was Team "Dead Weight": Jathan Kron, Brennan Nelson and Justin Roth, middle school students from Iowa.

Producer: Bissera Kostova

Interviews: Erica Ohene-Bekoe

Duration: 2'26"