Simple Measures Save Planets: It's the Only Home We Have
Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) July 21, 2015 -- The Earth is our home, and very likely the only one we will ever know in our lifetimes. Yet the way that we treat our home has not only cost the lives of millions of animals but in the end, could destroy our own future. It is up to us to change our ways now so that we can save the future of this planet. It is not too late; the time is now but our window of time is quickly closing. We must alter our path before the damage becomes irreversible. The change starts with us. Here are six ways that we as individuals can tangibly contribute to a better, cleaner planet. Every small deed of kindness to the Earth adds up very quickly. One single falling domino can create an incredible chain of events.
1. Make it a point to pick up one piece of trash off the street every single day. It might not seem like much but that equals 365 pieces of trash per year per person. That makes a huge impact and you never know if the piece of trash you just picked up would have gone into the gut of another animal. We are seeing more and more trash in the stomachs of autopsied birds and sea animals, and the trash itself can deform and kill. Think of how scared the animal feels when it is trapped in the rubbish that we carelessly threw onto the ground. Think of how much pain these creatures feel as the plastic constricts their bodies or weighs inside of their stomachs. By picking up just one piece of trash, you very well may have just saved a life in addition to making the earth a cleaner place.
2. Choose to drink water from a filter instead of choosing bottled water. It takes 450 years for a plastic bottle to decompose. That bottle that you are drinking out of will outlive you, your children and their children’s children. If George Washington had tossed away a water bottle at Mount Vernon, it would not even be halfway decomposed today. If that is not enough to convince you to use filtered tap water instead of bottled water, think of this: It takes 1.5 million barrels of oil to make plastic bottles every year. This doesn’t include the oil we are burning to transport those bottles from point A to point B. Do remember that thing called global warming? Buying bottled water supports the companies that are helping destroy the air that we breathe.
3. Use Earth-friendly cleaning products. Earth-friendly cleaning products are not just healthier for the environment, it’s also healthier for you and safer for your kids. You should think twice before exposing yourself to harsh chemicals that have been known to burn your skin and eyes. Those chemicals are toxic when consumed and even limited exposure can cause respiratory distress. In addition, using harsh cleaning chemicals could contribute to long term health problems including cancer, among other diseases. The fact that Poison Control’s number is found on the backs of these cleaners is a big red flag in the first place. Further, Earth-friendly products also typically use recycled plastic or biodegradable packaging. This is a triple win here! Your house will still be squeaky clean and your kids, pets, health, and the planet will thank you.
4. If it can be recycled, recycle it! Keep items that can be reused out of our landfills. The average person is responsible for 4 pounds of waste per day. Within a year that is 1,460 pounds of garbage. If we take the extra effort to recycle, we can reduce the amount of waste put in landfills and also contribute to creating new products from old waste thus reducing the pressure put on our natural and energy resources.
5. Choose organic food, preferably locally grown. By buying organic, you are supporting chemical-free food. Think about it this way, when you don’t eat organic, you are putting chemical toxins in the form of pesticides and herbicides into your body. The adage, “You are what you eat,” is very true. These chemicals are designed to kill living things and are not good for us either when they penetrate our bodies. Further many of these chemicals have long half-lives and take years to break down in the soil and the water and are not good for our planet. Yes, organic is more expensive but in the end you are not only protecting yourself from these chemicals but you are also supporting the farmers that keep it off of the food we consume. It is simple economics; the more consumers that buy organic, the more organic foods will be supplied to us. The more it is supplied, the cheaper it becomes. Buying from local farmers is often times cheaper than a grocery store in addition to tasting sweeter, having a stronger flavor and having more nutritional value. By doing this, you are not only supporting local farmers, but also saving money and enjoying food that is not only healthier. It also tastes better!
6. Plant pesticide-free butterfly and bee friendly flowers in your garden. Monarch Butterflies are dying in the masses along with the honey bee. The honey bee is now on the endangered species list and the monarch is about to be placed on there. These beautiful creatures play a crucial role in pollinating over 90 different kinds of crops and I guarantee you that you are eating the food they are pollinating. Because of the pesticides that we have been using on our agriculture and tracheal mites, they have been dying by the masses and our crops are going unfertilized, making it harder to grow our own food. We must enhance our symbiotic relationship with these critical and beautiful pollinators. They take care of us by helping spread pollen; it’s time that we take care of them.
Let’s do our part to make this planet a better place. A small action can make a large impact, like throwing a pebble into a pond; the ripples circle out to the shore. Earth is not just our home but it is the home of millions of other creatures, yet we are the only one’s destroying it, when we; being the advanced species that we are; should be taking care of it. We are responsible for what our species is doing to the planet. So let’s all be accountable and help before it’s too late.
Angelika Philadonos is an author and advocate. Her blog and her book Secret World may be found at http://www.AngelPhiladonos.org.
Hart Williams, Philadonos LLC, +1 (203) 722-9526, [email protected]
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