Easy changes that can change the world
The problem is not the icecaps melting or the water levels rising. The problem is we’re poisoning the globe and ourselves more and more with each passing day as we build things and cut down trees. I don’t care what side of the Global Warming argument you may be on, it’s basic science people.
Photo Source: Krassy Can Do It (flickr)
The thing that’s been missing from the whole ‘green’ movement is … well … green stuff. And more than just about any other plan, cultivating plants will bring the best results. For instance, trees.
Green plants (especially trees) convert the carbon dioxide we create into the oxygen we need. As time goes on, we create more carbon dioxide and there are less and less plants to consume and convert it. And now we’ve tipped the scales too far and the air has become wretched all over.
So, how do we fix all of this? The truth is, we don’t. We can’t. At least not in the drastic ways both the doomsayers and the naysayers would have you believe. The truth is, you don’t need to compost your own shit or build your own furniture or grow your own food or sew your own clothes.
Sure, all of those things help, but none of it is practical. therefore, not enough of us will do it all. Thankfully, the solutions can be as simple as the steadfast motto of reduce, reuse, recycle. Plus, I think we should add one more; Raise.
Reduce:
Don’t run the water when shaving or brushing your teeth or whatever. Put the stopper in and fill the basin. If you’re stopped in your car for over three minutes, shut the damned thing off. Better yet, walk more. Take a bus. Carpool. Ride a bike.Reuse:
Use canvas shopping bags instead of those landfill and (let’s face it) household choking plastic bags. Use a stainless steel bottle instead of bottled water whenever possible. Find alternate use for things that you would normally throw away. Cut up old socks to make dust rags.Recycle:
Most cities have made this mandatory and for a good reason. It’s really not that difficult to do. Aluminum, plastic and glass can all go in the same bin. Paper in another. How hard is that, really?Raise:
Yes, I’m adding a fourth. This one has a duel meaning. Most of the time you may hear it as in the term, ‘raise awareness’ but I mean it in a more agricultural sense. Plant something. Help it grow. A tree would be great. A bush is fine too. Even a patch of flowers.
These are just some examples. There are many other ways to help. Change a few bulbs to compact fluorescent. Shut off the lights when you leave a room. Keep the fridge door closed. None of these things are radically difficult, but just doing a handful can make a load of difference.
So when the doomsayers try to scare you into making major change. Ignore them. When the naysayers tell you that those changes are too huge to even bother, ignore them too. Every little bit helps. So just do a little at a time. Small changes can have a major impact on reducing carbon.
Happy Earth Day!
See Also:
Environmental Poisoning
