Dangers to Our Environment and How to Help Clean it Up
Going green can be described on a personal basis as simply doing whatever is in your power to help the environment. Most of us think that we can’t even begin to scratch the surface when it comes to cleaning up the air , water pollution or environment, but we can, by simply taking a few extra steps and learning how to help.
One of the biggest environmental pollution problems lies in our drinking water. Everyone can help cut down on pollutants entering the water. For instance, the next time you fertilize your garden, check the weather forecast first. If rain is called for, wait a day to fertilize so that the excess doesn’t wash into the waterways. Another small step is to pick up trash that you see, even if it’s just a small bit of paper or plastic, as these items can hurt water fowl. Being careful to properly dispose of used oil, paint or any other chemicals can help clean up the soil, so that when it does rain, the chemicals won’t wash into lakes, ponds, rivers and steams. Most water pollution comes from large factories and businesses, but if everyone does their part, we may be able to improve some of the bad water conditions.
Secondly is air pollution. This too, is normally caused by large businesses that are more focused on making money then they are the environment. The smoke that often bellows from these large plants can be carried for miles, causing the air to become dirty and very unhealthy. Conditions have gotten so bad in some areas, that state leaders have placed burning bans on land that is even privately owned.
Although it is a major problem, regular citizens can do their part in controlling environmental pollution. There are online courses through accredited online colleges which teaches how to use caution when disposing of chemicals, plant a tree, pick up a stray piece of trash and use organic products if at all possible.
Personal Responsibility for the Planet
A key political issue for the Kentucky Green Party, and Greens around the country, is to promote a sustainable lifestyle. In addition to using politics to get legislative changes, there are ways to benefit the environment by making good economic choices as well.
Choose Restaurants Wisely
When you are planning a night out, don’t just go to any old restaurant. Instead choose somewhere with good environmental practices. Avoid places that serve with mostly paper goods. Try to pick restaurants with as little waste as possible. By choosing these restaurants, you are using your money to share your political values.
Shop Locally
The benefit of local goods is that the items don’t travel across the country- or even across the ocean – to get to you. Instead they are made by someone in your community. By making a commitment to purchase items from these places, you are supporting local business owners and also reducing the environmental impact of your purchases.
Felled Wood Furnishings
Felled wood companies are cropping up in many areas. These companies use only wood that has already fallen, rather than cutting down new trees. Felled wood furniture is handmade and has as little environmental impact as possible for furniture.
Pass on the Plastic
Many items come in plastic or wood. While plastic may be cheaper, the cost to the environment is tremendous. Plastic is a synthetic material that will take an unknown amount of time to degrade in our landfills. Many plastic items, such as toys, can be used very long either, which means that you will need to replace these items more often. Opt for natural products made with quality fibers, wood, or even metal for a better environmental impact.
While you should continue to push your politicians to vote for climate change, you can speak with your personal financial choices in the meantime.
Green living are Not as complicated as you might think
- Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Most everyone in America has heard about or knows someone who is actively living the green lifestyle. This is a trend that is becoming more popular as the years go by. Why do they bother doing this? The answer is simple, conservation. People are making a whole hearted conscience effort to save water, electricity and taking that extra step further to recycle and reuse items.
It is doing simple things like filling up a ½ gallon container with water and placing it in the toilet tank to save water. Call your electric company and have them inspect your home to see how efficient your windows are and teach you how to save using electronic devices that control electric. If you take a moment, separate and recycle plastic, glass, and paper. They can be made into other things that the consumer can eventually use. Nothing is wasted and the result is less trash in the landfills.
Even the large manufactures have jumped on the band wagon to help the green effort. They make and sell products that are used specifically for conservation purposes. They make things like sprinkler heads that use less water, sprinkler system timers, and the like. For the people that like to tinker in the garden, outdoor solar lighting is a wonderful green choice and works as good as regular electrical outdoor lighting. Another interesting product would be the rain barrels that catch water so that gardeners can use the water to water their plants. Using the barrel means that you are not using drinking water. After all, rain is free.
One of the top reasons for living a greener life is for our grand children and their children. We want them to have the same resources that we are enjoying today. In order for that to become a reality, we all must do our part to conserve. Make a list of all the things you are willing to do to help the environment, and then put those words into action. Once you begin, you will find it rewarding and you will be influencing others along the way.
Recycle! Go Green!
- Image via Wikipedia
There are many issues the Green Party supports, one being recycling. Recycling has been an issue for many, many years. Although it has been included in lesson plans in the school system to teach children early on, starting in elementary school, it continues to be an on-going problem. Parents need to take a more active role in recycling so their children will continue recycling into their adult years.
With today’s economy many people have turned to recycling to make a little extra money. These people that put their pride aside and go along the streets late at night the night before trash pick up or early in the morning the day off to sift through people’s garbage looking for recyclable goods. They will then take their collection of goods to a local recycling center and get reimbursed cash for it.
Is it really that hard to recycle? Many would say yes, but please, how hard is to have an extra trash can or bin next to your garbage can to collect recyclable products. Recycling centers accept aluminum, glass, plastic, and paper. You can either use one bin to collect the products or separate bins for each type of recyclable. At the end of the week either set the container on the side of the street on trash pick up day or take your collection to the local recycling center. Or, if you know of someone who does collect recyclables for extra income, why not call them and have them collect the items from you.
Look for the “Recyclable” symbol on the products that are recyclable. There are many recycling symbols but the most commonly used one is the symbol with three moving arrows forming a triangle. The Green Party has many ideas and articles on how to recycle. Everyone, everywhere, can recycle. Do the right thing and help the environment. Go Green!!
Importance for fighting for the Earth
- Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Throughout the centuries planet Earth has taken a lot of abuse from people that have exploited it. Today, people are paying a price because of the greediness of others. The United States and other developed countries have exploited the natural resources that they have and they are now the one’s that are calling for better solutions. You may have noticed that the prices of oil have increased exponentially over the past few years. One of the reasons why citizens are paying so high for a gallon of oil is because the demand is so high and that the supply of oil can no longer sustain it. It is predicted that in the next fifty to a hundred years, our supply of oil will be longer available.
Green parties in most countries are looking for ways to sustain energy sources so that they can use it to power factories, cars, and of course homes. However, they have a lot of obstacles to get over before they find the best solution. One of the main hurdles that they need to get over is, of course, the financial barriers because there is no technology that is available that is as abundant and as powerful as oil. A lot of non-government organizations are now trying to development newer and more efficient technology but they are having a hard time because there is no real basis to go on.
Green parties are very important so that the future of the earth will be much better and last longer. In the past couple of years, there have been some unusual weather conditions that have destroyed a lot of towns, cities and even countries. This is primarily because of the fact that the Earth is sick and every passing day it is getting hotter and hotter which will eventually completely change the weather. No one knows the total extent of the damage since a lot of the data are mere estimates. One thing is for sure, if people do not take better care of their planet, it may not be around long enough for the generations to come.
Small Ways to go Green
- Image by dhammza via Flickr
In a society geared towards going “green”, this task can seem very overwhelming for the average person. The best way to “go green” is to take baby steps. Don’t try to do it all at once. There are very small changes you can make in your life that can make a big difference. There are many, very easy ways you can save energy. Below are some examples you can follow:
- A laptop uses a quarter of the power used by a desk top computer. If you shut down a home computer at night versus leaving it on and in sleep mode saves you $90 a year.
- A common stove uses the most electricity when it comes to cooking options. You can use a microwave, crock pot or toaster oven to use less electricity when cooking.
- If you wash your family’s laundry in cold water versus hot you can save up to 80% of the energy used to wash the clothes in hot water.
- If you insulate your hot water heater you can keep as many as 1,000 pounds of C02 a year from entering the atmosphere contributing to global warming. Also, turn your water heater down to 120.
-Installing a programmable thermostat that allows you to turn down the heat and air conditioning when no one is home or while the family is asleep can save the average family up to $150 a year.
- One word for going green in household cleaning – vinegar! Vinegar can clean out deposits in your coffee maker. A cup of vinegar will clean your washing machine, just run through a cycle without clothes.
- An easy way to save water is to change your shower head. Older shower heads can use 3 gallons of water a minute.
- Contaminants are brought into the house by the soles of shoes. Consider becoming a shoe free household. You can leave the shoes at the door and prevent a lot of environmental pollutants from entering your home.
You can take small steps that add up to big results to become a “greener” household.