Time To Do Our Part

For those of us who follow world news, one topic has dominated the headlines recently.  This topic is more important than talks of impeachment or the latest political or sports news.  Climate change, global warming, and efforts to make a positive impact on our world’s health is now front and center.  Speeches have been made at the United Nations and have been talked about in the news; however, many of us still fail to do our part.  Making a difference doesn’t have to be difficult, we can all do some simple things to help.  What is important is we start today!!!!

Recycling

Many of us already recycle products, but do we do a good job being consistent with it.  Everyone recycles when it is convenient, but many of us fail to do the extra work when it is not.  It is easy to throw away a glass or plastic bottle at the gas station or car wash when a trash bin is sitting right there.  These places do not have a recycling option and we often just get rid of the items.  A better approach is to hold on to these recyclable waste products. Add a recycling container to the car and collect a few bottles and dispose of them properly.  Yes, this might involve making another stop at some point to drop them off, but how much of an inconvenience is doing so.  All we need to do is learn where we can properly recycle and make a stop once a week.  We can all find the time and it is important to contribute to the health of the planet.

Paper

If you look around your office or desk how much wasted paper do you see?  Odds are you will find quite a bit of waste that is avoidable.  We all need scratch paper to write things down on occasionally; however, we often only use small portions of this paper.  Many of us fail to use the back side of paper and are too quick to throw it away.  Paper is made from trees and one of the biggest problems facing the Earth is the destruction of the rainforests.  By wasting paper we create a demand for more and that fuels the production industry.  Additionally, paper is recyclable.  So as stated above, it is worth the extra amount of time find the best way to reuse and recycle it.  Finally, we live in a digital world.  Files can be stored on computers, receipts can be sent via e-mail, and we no longer need to print the same amount of documents.  We must learn to take advantage of technology and limit the use of paper.  If everyone does their part and saves just 100 pieces of paper a year we could potentially save thousands of trees.

Electricity

Our ancestors would be mesmerized by the availability of electricity.  We use it to light our homes, run air conditioners, and even run our machines.  If we go back 200 years, a modern home today would be a miracle.  There was a time when people just dealt with being warm or used water to keep cool.  Today we run air conditioners, often times more often than necessary, and this uses a lot of power.  Electricity can be created in a number of different ways.  There are gas power plants, coal power plants, and nuclear power plants that create a lot of waste products that are bad for the Earth.  Hydroelectric and wind turbine power do exist but they are not as dominate as they should be.  It is cheaper and easier to use fossil fuels then it is to use renewable energy.  Companies often want to go the cheaper route to produce power and this is not good for the environment.  We, as a global community, must reenergize our efforts to ensure we produce energy through renewable sources.  Furthermore, we must take steps to conserve where we can.  So next time if is sunny and 70 outside turn off the air conditioner, open a window, and turn off a few lights. You will be saving electricity and the environment.

Politics

Big companies pay lots of money to hire lobbyists and fund political candidates in to enable deregulation of environmental laws.  This is legal but can be combatted.  We all have the ability to vote and make an impact; however, knowledge is power.  The big political parties often make you think you have two choices, you can be either a conservative or liberal.  This cannot be further from the truth.  It is time for American’s to go back to grass root politics.  Every candidate should have their own opinions and agendas. These should correspond with the views and priorities of the people they represent.  It is our job, as voters, to know who represents you and what they stand for.  Find and support a candidate who you believe in and ignore the big party positions.  It is up to us to write our congressmen and senators to tell them that climate matters.  It is easy to ignore one voter but when millions start to unite it becomes their responsibility to act.  We must hold them accountable and the best way to do so is by action.

 We are all charged with the responsibility of making the world a better place for our children.  This responsibility can define a generation and can lead people to do great things.  The time to act on climate change and how we treat the Earth is now.  It is up to all of us to contribute.  Start small and start making an impact today.  We cannot change the world instantly but if we commit to starting now we can make progress.  Just think to yourself, what can I do today to recycle or reduce waste and make it happen.