We know that we need to protect our environment to reduce the destruction of our ecosystems for the betterment of future generations. But, how can we protect the environment in simple ways that we are capable of doing?
🌱 Here are some simple things we can do that will come a long way if we all do them together ✊🏼
CONSERVE WATER
The toilet and kitchen are the places where water consumption is the highest in the household. We sometimes forget to switch off the water while we brush our teeth and the adults when they shave. As for the kitchen, while washing dishes with soap, we leave the water running instead of switching it off.
To conserve water, we must make it a habit to switch off the tap when we are not using water to prevent wasting precious clean water. Many lack access to clean water, so we should not take advantage of the privilege that we have.
Did you know? A dripping tap can waste up to 15 litres of water a day! We must ensure there are no leaks in the pipes as it helps us save water and save on our water bills.
USE METAL STRAWS
Metal straws reduce our plastic straws consumption. When people use and buy fewer plastic straws, the production of plastic straws will decrease.
Pollution decreases as toxic chemicals released into the air during the production of these plastics are decreased. People litter less as well.
Metal straws are reusable, washable, convenient to bring around and trendy! They are not pricey as they can be bought within the range of RM6- RM20. Get yours now!
RECYCLE
We must recycle the papers, plastics, and glasses according to our city’s recycling system. The recycling is often collected with the garbage but in a separate container.
We can find recyclable items by looking for the recycle symbol used by our own country. Generally, most items made from paper and plastic can be recycled.
We help to decrease waste when we start recycling.
SAVE THE LIGHTS
We must turn off the lights when we do not need them and unplug electrical household appliances when we are not using them.
We can use energy-efficient light bulbs such as LED lights to reduce the greenhouse effect. Saving the lights is an action of saving Earth.
The World Wide Fund organises Earth Hour every year on March 27. Everyone needs to turn off the lights for an hour from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm.
PLANT TREES
Trees are the real saviour of the environment. Trees reduce rainwater runoff, thereby reducing erosion and pollution of waterways. It also reduces the impact of flooding.
Trees release the oxygen we need to breathe. We must ensure that at least one tree is planted every week or every day.
We must hold and attend campaigns that aim to protect the environment and plant more trees.
USE REUSABLE BAGS
We are encouraged to use reusable bags instead of plastic bags when buying in grocery shops or other shops. It is because reusable bags are more environmentally friendly when compared to plastic bags.
Plastic bags end up in wetlands, landfills, and other areas of the world when they are discarded. It will cause environmental pollution and it will also destroy the habitats of the animals.
Using reusable bags not only saves the environment but also reduces our plastic usage.
CARPOOL (AVOID TAKING CARS)
Cars are harmful to the environment. The better choices to using cars are to take public transportation, walk, or bike to class. This way, we can save our money and get some exercise.
By reducing the number of vehicles on the road and the total number of kilometers driven, vehicle emissions are significantly reduced, thus contributing to the improvement of overall air quality. Specifically, fewer emissions mean less ground-level ozone, which is a major component of smog.
If we do need to use our car, compare schedules and places of residence with those around us. We can split the gas bill and take turns arranging who drives when. It's definitely cheaper than everyone driving alone, and we’ll be closer to our friends!
DON’T BUY SINGLE-USE PLASTICS
Single-use plastic is not a manageable problem found in specific areas. Because plastic items are so light, they can be carried over great distances by the wind, and the extent of contamination is far greater than their size would suggest. The plastic manufacturing process alone is a huge source of pollution.
The manufacture and transportation of this material require the use of large amounts of fossil fuels, namely crude oil. Animals also mistake single-use plastic as food, leading to suffocation or fatal illnesses from the toxic substances. These plastic products can trap wild animals by strangling them and end their lives when ingested.
Besides that, single-use plastic will never be biodegradable. Instead, it splits into smaller pieces which is worse for the environment.
PRINT AS LITTLE AS NECESSARY
Many people do not understand that using so much paper will damage the environment. Making paper starts with cutting trees, then burning it which emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
We should print as little as necessary. For example, a teacher should upload or send reading materials and notes for students to download or read instead of printing out reading materials when they come to class. Besides that, if it is really necessary to print out something, we should print on both sides of the page to reduce the amount of paper used.
USE FEWER CHEMICALS
Chemicals bring negative long-term effects to our bodies and to the planet, so it is better to avoid them.
We should keep the garden chemical-free by cutting down the use of herbicides and pesticides. These chemicals kill insects that help in pollination such as bees. Besides that, we should use natural household cleaners because they are gentler on the skin and safer for the environment.
STOP LITTERING
If you care about the environment you should not be doing this! But if you are, it can have a catastrophic effect. Here we will explain why it brings negative effects to the environment and why you should stop littering.
Firstly, water and sewage systems can suffer damage as trash gets clot and stuck in the systems. When the drainage system is stuck, it can potentially cause flash floods. This is bad as the dirty water is consumed by us! Besides that, these wastes run into the ocean causing water pollution, reducing oxygen levels in the water, and wildlife may eat the waste potentially suffocating and choking them.
DON’T THROW PAPER AWAY
Offices are where paper consumption is the highest. When parents are working, they use or print a lot of materials. Oftentimes, these papers are printed on a single page and when typing errors are made, the entire stack of paper is reprinted again!
As they no longer have use for the paper, we can use them as draft paper to do math calculations, write notes, and even for drawing! Waste paper can also be used to do arts and crafts. In this way, we not only reuse our paper, but we reduce buying paper and we repurpose paper.
These small improvements daily will lead to much bigger improvements over time. “Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are.” - Squire Bill Widener of Widener’s Valley, Virginia
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