According to an article posted by the EPA called Sustainable Materials Management: The Road Ahead, "In the past 50 years, humans have consumed more resources than in all previous history". This alarming fact is enough to make any consumer rethink the way they buy and use the products and services. People need to utilize strategies that will help to improve our world and make it a better place for the species that reside here. There are many ways that people can become environmentally friendly and here are the top three.
You Can Do More Than Recycle
Recycling is an important process for our environment but there is no perfect process. An article in The New York Times, by John Tierney, explains one problem of recycling that people do not understand. He states, "to cancel out the greenhouse effects of a New York to London flight, you would have to recycle 40,000 plastic bottles". Recycling plastic is vital but to use this alone to reduce the carbon footprint of our society is nearly impossible. Recycling materials such as cardboard, aluminum, and paper will have a bigger effect. Try to change your habits and use more recycle friendly products and buy products that use less plastic. Overall, creating less waste is the best way to combat pollution altogether.
Create Lower Emissions to Reduce the Greenhouse Effect
Electricity has a large effect on the environment. Most electricity is fueled by oil, coal, or fossil fuel and distributed by power plants. The emissions that are produced by these types of fuels are making an unusual amount of extra gases in the atmosphere, making the planet warmer each year. This can have a devastating effect on the Earth and the environment in the future if things do not change soon. Therefore, people are looking at new ways to make power. Solar power and wind power are two major ways to make this change. There are many benefits of solar energy to the environment. This type of energy uses natural sunlight to make power that can replace the need for burning fuels and it is cheap and easy to use.
Take Care of and Do Not Waste Water
All species on the planet need water to survive. For this reason, people need to take care of and preserve the water we have. To take care of the water on Earth, people need to stop polluting the aquatic areas that we have with trash, chemicals, and human waste. People do not understand the effects of these things have on humans as a totality. Polluting the water will pollute the wildlife, land, plants, and more. People use all these things to meet the basic needs that keep us alive. People also waste water. The Earth may be made up of mostly water but that does not mean all water is available for use. Much water is in ice, oceans, or deep underground making it less accessible.
These are just a few of the many tips that could be used to become more environmentally friendly. Do some research and see easy things you can do every day at home. Be aware of how you are using the resources available to Earth and try to reduce your footprint for future generations.
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