We are not in a hopeless situation.
Even the simplest everyday activities can make a real difference. By not buying certain products made from the skin, fur, bone, shell, beak or hooves you can prevent bringing many species closer to the edge of extinction. Also when choosing fish, choose those which are sustainable, avoiding endangered like Bluefin Tuna or Northsea cod and prefer seafood labelled with the blue MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) logo.
Our insatiable demand for fish constitutes the single biggest threat to the overall health of marine environment and its ability to support life on Earth.
I personally believe the most effective way to help with easing the loss on biodiversity is to limit our waste production. Why?
We can easily do this by following the three 'R's
REDUCE. This can first look like a daunting task. Many people don't know how to start reducing. But it can be quite simple. We can reduce our waste in many different ways. For example, we can buy products which are more durable. The longer they last, the less often they have to be replaced, obviously. Sometimes this means you have to spend more money, but in the long term money is saved because you have bought something of higher quality and don't have to replace it regularly. The added bonus is that you have helped the environment at the same time by reducing solid waste.
Another effective way is to give away items that you don’t want. Sure, this may seem like common sense, but you might be surprised at how many things are thrown away when a person doesn’t want them anymore. Before you throw something out, consider if it may be useful to another person. Remember, 'One man's trash is another man's treasure'. People who have little income or who have had an emergency change their lives often are in dire need of clothes and furniture. Usually they are not especially picky about where they get it.
Buy products which have been made from recycled goods. By doing so, you have reduced the amount of material which must be produced to manufacture something, such as skin, fur, bone, shell, beak or hooves from a possibly endangered speicies. Also check to see if the packaging of the products you buy is made from recycled materials. Many cardboard boxes will state quite clearly on the outside if they have been produced with recycled fibers.
Reduction in our mode of transportation is also very important. If possible, we should carpool, walk or use public transport to go to work, run errands, or engage in recreation. Another way to reduce energy use is to combine errands. If we plan our days more effectively, we can combine our errands and do them on the way to or from work and therefore save unnecessary emergency trips after we reach home. If that is not possible, doing all your errands at once can also cut down the amount of unnecessary trips you take. All of these things will cut down both on energy use (fuel) and on the air pollution these machines create.
Other types of reduction are more subtle, like our use of electricity. Using energy-efficient appliances, we can use less electricity in our homes. Also keeping our homes at lower temperatures in the winter and higher temperatures in the summer, we can cut down on heating and cooling requirements. Because less energy is used, utility providers do not need to produce as much for their customers. This cuts down on many types of problems, including air and water pollution.
Another area that most people do not often consider is water usage. When we use water, we normally don't think about it as being wasted because we know it will eventually be re-used in most cases. However, before it can be re-used, it must go through an intensive cleaning process. This makes it unavailable for quite some time. A way to help reduce our water usage is to pay attention to the amount of water that we use. Often we do not realize how much water we waste when brushing our teeth, washing dishes, washing clothes, or even showering. How many of you stand longer than necessary in the shower to think and relax? Doing that results in the waste of water. Many people do not even think to change the water level in their washers when they wash a small load of clothes.
Remember, unnecessary use of water during periods of drought can cause serious problems for a community.
REUSE. There are many ways we can use objects over and over again. Example, if you use paper towels, there are those which are strong enough to be rinsed out and used again. Plastic zipper bags for food storage can be washed after use and re-used for another food item. Use them instead of using a paper bag and having to use another one the next day, and repeat. Also when travelling to the supermarket, bringing a reusable cloth bag is a smart idea. This way you reduce the use of plastic bags. Sometimes it is inconvenient, but we have to start somewhere.
If a product can no longer be used for its intended purpose, consider how else it might be useful. Old tattered towels can be cut up and made into cleaning cloths. Larger cardboard boxes can be turned into storage containers. Alternately, they can be given to someone who is moving so that they have something in which to pack. Paper which has only been used on one side can be converted into pads for making grocery lists or writing down memos. Glass food containers can be used to store other things when they are empty. It only takes a little creativity to find another use for a product.
RECYCLE. After reducing and reusing as much as possible, try recycling. Many materials which we use can be recycled. This includes aluminum cans, plastic containers, cardboard, glass, paper, and many others. Unfortunately, many communities still do not have functioning recycling programs. This places the responsibility squarely in our hands to collect the items, separate them, and take them to an area for recycling, as others cannot. Yes, this is time-consuming and can be very frustrating.
The results, however, are worth the effort. There could be an estimated 350 million trees saved every year if there were only a 30% increase in paper recycling. It takes 95% less energy to make an aluminum can from recycled aluminum. That's far easier than making one from scratch. Less energy requirements lowers air and water pollution as well. Benefits of recycling far outweigh the sacrifices required to make.
However, for recycling to really be successful, everyone must be involved. We as individuals must realize that we are as much a part of the problem as anyone. It is only through all of us working as a team that we can achieve lasting results.
Our insatiable demand for fish constitutes the single biggest threat to the overall health of marine environment and its ability to support life on Earth.
I personally believe the most effective way to help with easing the loss on biodiversity is to limit our waste production. Why?
We can easily do this by following the three 'R's
REDUCE. This can first look like a daunting task. Many people don't know how to start reducing. But it can be quite simple. We can reduce our waste in many different ways. For example, we can buy products which are more durable. The longer they last, the less often they have to be replaced, obviously. Sometimes this means you have to spend more money, but in the long term money is saved because you have bought something of higher quality and don't have to replace it regularly. The added bonus is that you have helped the environment at the same time by reducing solid waste.
Another effective way is to give away items that you don’t want. Sure, this may seem like common sense, but you might be surprised at how many things are thrown away when a person doesn’t want them anymore. Before you throw something out, consider if it may be useful to another person. Remember, 'One man's trash is another man's treasure'. People who have little income or who have had an emergency change their lives often are in dire need of clothes and furniture. Usually they are not especially picky about where they get it.
Buy products which have been made from recycled goods. By doing so, you have reduced the amount of material which must be produced to manufacture something, such as skin, fur, bone, shell, beak or hooves from a possibly endangered speicies. Also check to see if the packaging of the products you buy is made from recycled materials. Many cardboard boxes will state quite clearly on the outside if they have been produced with recycled fibers.
Reduction in our mode of transportation is also very important. If possible, we should carpool, walk or use public transport to go to work, run errands, or engage in recreation. Another way to reduce energy use is to combine errands. If we plan our days more effectively, we can combine our errands and do them on the way to or from work and therefore save unnecessary emergency trips after we reach home. If that is not possible, doing all your errands at once can also cut down the amount of unnecessary trips you take. All of these things will cut down both on energy use (fuel) and on the air pollution these machines create.
Other types of reduction are more subtle, like our use of electricity. Using energy-efficient appliances, we can use less electricity in our homes. Also keeping our homes at lower temperatures in the winter and higher temperatures in the summer, we can cut down on heating and cooling requirements. Because less energy is used, utility providers do not need to produce as much for their customers. This cuts down on many types of problems, including air and water pollution.
Another area that most people do not often consider is water usage. When we use water, we normally don't think about it as being wasted because we know it will eventually be re-used in most cases. However, before it can be re-used, it must go through an intensive cleaning process. This makes it unavailable for quite some time. A way to help reduce our water usage is to pay attention to the amount of water that we use. Often we do not realize how much water we waste when brushing our teeth, washing dishes, washing clothes, or even showering. How many of you stand longer than necessary in the shower to think and relax? Doing that results in the waste of water. Many people do not even think to change the water level in their washers when they wash a small load of clothes.
Remember, unnecessary use of water during periods of drought can cause serious problems for a community.
REUSE. There are many ways we can use objects over and over again. Example, if you use paper towels, there are those which are strong enough to be rinsed out and used again. Plastic zipper bags for food storage can be washed after use and re-used for another food item. Use them instead of using a paper bag and having to use another one the next day, and repeat. Also when travelling to the supermarket, bringing a reusable cloth bag is a smart idea. This way you reduce the use of plastic bags. Sometimes it is inconvenient, but we have to start somewhere.
If a product can no longer be used for its intended purpose, consider how else it might be useful. Old tattered towels can be cut up and made into cleaning cloths. Larger cardboard boxes can be turned into storage containers. Alternately, they can be given to someone who is moving so that they have something in which to pack. Paper which has only been used on one side can be converted into pads for making grocery lists or writing down memos. Glass food containers can be used to store other things when they are empty. It only takes a little creativity to find another use for a product.
RECYCLE. After reducing and reusing as much as possible, try recycling. Many materials which we use can be recycled. This includes aluminum cans, plastic containers, cardboard, glass, paper, and many others. Unfortunately, many communities still do not have functioning recycling programs. This places the responsibility squarely in our hands to collect the items, separate them, and take them to an area for recycling, as others cannot. Yes, this is time-consuming and can be very frustrating.
The results, however, are worth the effort. There could be an estimated 350 million trees saved every year if there were only a 30% increase in paper recycling. It takes 95% less energy to make an aluminum can from recycled aluminum. That's far easier than making one from scratch. Less energy requirements lowers air and water pollution as well. Benefits of recycling far outweigh the sacrifices required to make.
However, for recycling to really be successful, everyone must be involved. We as individuals must realize that we are as much a part of the problem as anyone. It is only through all of us working as a team that we can achieve lasting results.