But What Can I Do About It?
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By educating ourselves about the reality of the issues behind the headlines; by forming educated opinions; by making careful choices when shopping and voting; and by speaking up about environmental matters in our communities, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
By fostering debate, extremists on both sides of these issues help us to define the problems. But an informed, level-headed, and involved public is essential in solving them.
So what can one person do? LOTS!
- Recycle! Even if recycling isn't required where you live,
you can still keep a ton of trash out of land fills by recycling!
Recycling also reduces the amount of new materiels that have to
be created from natural resources like trees and minerals.
And, in many cases, processing recyled materials uses less energy than
making things from scratch. In most communities, you can
recycle: aluminum (soda cans), tin (soup cans), cardboard,
newspaper, white paper, glass, and plastics numbers 1 and 2.
- Reduce your trash. Try to select products with minimal and/or recyclable
packaging. Fix broken things instead of throwing them out, and
re-use durable goods several times before tossing them. Choose re-usable
products over disposable ones. Compost biodegradable trash. And avoid "high-trash" activities like eating fast food.
- Drive less. When going a short distance, walk or ride a bike.
For the commute, opt for carpooling or public transportation. When
selecting that next car, look for one with high gas mileage.
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Conserve energy and water. Turn off the TV, the faucets, and
the lights when not in use. Choose energy and water efficient appliances. And DON'T do things like
opening the window when it's too warm inside- turn down the heat! (Same
goes for putting on a sweater when the AC is set too high!)
-
Be careful with those household chemicals! Home chemicals
are actually a significant souce of pollution in many communities. Dispose of
old motor oil, pesticides, cleaning agents, and pool chemicals properly. DON'T dump
them down the drain! And avoid putting too much fertilizer and and too many pesticides on your
lawn. Your lawn will thank you, and all the extra would have washed into your local stream with the first good rain.
Plus, you'll save money!
- Learn more about the environment. Read and think about environmental issues. Don't
just accept the opinion of a politician or a bureaucrat or an activist. Make up your own
mind about what is important, and about how we can best acheive real progress in protecting
the natural world. Educate yourself about which companies are enviromentally friendly, and
support their efforts. Find out how your representatives in Washington (and in your state capital)
are voting on environmental issues, and let them know YOUR opinion.
- Get involved with something that matters to you. Join a conservation organization.
There are many types of environment-related groups involved in everything from protesting to conserving sharks.
And there are many was to become involved besides just sending a check.
You can volunteer your time to pick up trash on the highways or in a park, write letters
to congressmen, or teach children about nature. Explore all
the ways to get involved, and pick something that excites you.
-
Go outside!! This is the most important thing you can do to save the world. Learn to
love it. Go for a walk in a city park.
Rent a canoe or a paddle boat. Visit a national park. Take up bird watching or camping or nature photography.
And bring your children. The diversity of life and the beauty of nature are truly wonders. Enjoy them.
Site Table of Contents . . .
Wendy's Conservation Homepage
The Environmental Debate
Are There Any Answers?
But What Can I Do About It?
Issues in Conservation
Tell me What YOU Think!
Conservation Links
Link To
Diversity of Life Web Index
Link To
Wendy's Resume
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