history in the making

DFW Sustainability Overview

Sustainability [suh-stey-nuh-bil-i-tee] (noun)

“Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

– United Nations Brundtland Commission 1987

For decades DFW has led the airport industry in integrating sustainable standards into decision-making and daily operations. DFW has identified six sustainability focus areas that will ensure the airport remains resilient and future-proof operations.
sustainability north stars
Earth Day 2024

STEAM Activity Lessons

composting process

Composting

Learn about how you can divert food waste from landfills and generate a beneficial soil amendment through composting.
sedimentary rocks

Rocks & Minerals

Learn how sedimentary rocks are formed on or near the Earth’s surface, as well as the geological processes that lead their creation; erosion, weathering, dissolution, precipitation, and lithification.
solar eclipse

Solar Eclipse

Learn how to safely view the total solar eclipse that will cross North America on April 8, 2024, when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun.
Stormwater Pollution

Stormwater Pollution

Learn how human activity impacts our surface water quality through stormwater runoff, and what actions we can all take to help protect our water.
Urban Heat Island Effect

Urban Heat Island Effect

Learn about climate change and the urban heat island effect. Understand how different surfaces retain heat and explore engineering options for mitigating the urban heat island effect.
speaker registration

On-Site School Speaker Registration

Are you interested in learning more about DFW’s environmental programs? Register for a chance to have a representative from DFW Airport’s environmental department visit your classroom!
bottled water
polar bears
insects scaled
the sun
the north pole

"Is bottled water bad for us?"

Answer: The water inside bottled water is safe to drink but buying lots of water that’s in plastic bottles is NOT great for the planet. The real problem is producing and throwing away all that plastic.

Molly M.

Grade 5

"Since global warming is affecting the polar bears, how can we help them to not go extinct?"

Answer: We can all contribute to reducing climate change, and therefore help polar bears and other endangered species, by reducing the amount of polluting gas emissions from burning fossil fuels, such as coal and oil.

Tess S.

Grade 6

"Which animal group makes up the largest percentage of the world’s organisms?"

Answer: In terms of numbers of species, insects certainly represent the largest percentage of the world’s organisms and in numbers of individuals, the answer may be ants. There are 14,000 known species of ants and they all form ant colonies.

Shelly P.

Grade 9

"How does the Sun affect the environment?"

Answer: Without the Sun, Earth’s land, water, and air would all be frozen solid. All life that we know of needs liquid water to survive and without the Sun, life on Earth would cease to exist.

Arik M.

Grade 4

"When and how did the ice age end? Could another one start?"

Answer: We are most likely in an ice age now, called the Pleistocene Ice Age, and it has been going on since about 2.5 million years ago. The curious thing about ice ages is that the temperature of Earth’s atmosphere doesn’t stay cold the entire time, with one important factor being the amount of light Earth receives from the Sun.

Chase H.

Grade 3