Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Environment
Our planet is not as big as it once seemed, with a population of over 6.7 billion, the world and its resources are shrinking. In a more crowded environment we have to rethink how we do things, how we run businesses, take care of wildlife, and sustain our natural resources.
Mining for coal and other valuable resources has opened vast wastelands and cavernous holes in our planet. Logging has destroyed rare forests and extinguished thousands of animal species. There are estimates that we are losing a species every hour or as much as 100 a day.
Reduce
Reduce your impact on the planet. Use less and become less invasive. Cut back on the amount of harmful pollutants you use everyday. Use water and a rag to wipe off surfaces instead of paper towels and cleaning solution.
Instead of having a paper towel holder, hang a hand towel for people to dry their hands with. Reduce the amount of driving you do. My wife and I try to keep a list of all the items we need for the household or an upcoming birthday party, or school clothes, and make one shopping trip at the beginning of the week.
Also, if you go out, avoid traveling during high traffic times. Americans burn billions of dollars of gas every year just idling. By reducing our demands, we won’t need so much supply, and thus be less taxing on the environment.
Reuse
There are many things in our lives that affect the environment that are ripe for reusing. My sister now has a potted tree that they bring into the house around the holidays and use it for a Christmas tree.
I have had a Christmas tree every year of my life. That is over 35 trees that my family is responsible for destroying. Not to mention my sister’s tree stayed green and healthy the entire holiday season.
If you can reuse your graywater for irrigation, then water your garden with this resource. If you can’t, find out why not and write to your local county council to change your laws. Don’t bag up your yard clippings and lawn mowings and throw them out. They are great source of compost.
Build a simple composter and use the compost in your flower beds. Get a mower that cuts your grass a little finer and let it stay on your lawn. It will break down quickly and adds needed nutrients to your soil.
Another big pollutant is plastic bags. Parks and dumps are filled with them and many make it into streams and lakes and the ocean. Many animals become tangled in and die because of plastic bags.
There are so many uses for plastic bags, that they should never be thrown out. And if you do toss them, make sure that they end up in an appropriate receptacle.
Recycle
While all recycling is generally good for the planet, in at least a tangential way, there are some aspects of recycling the have immediate and direct effects on the environment.
Chemicals and liquid pollutants can easily make it into waterways and seep in to groundwater. Car batteries and engine oils should be taken to the appropriate facilities. Some states have even made it illegal to dump car batteries in unauthorized transfer stations.
If you are not sure about how to dispose of certain materials, contact your local sanitation department or dump to find out where you can recycle or dispose of hazardous materials.
