Do your part!

by David A. Rizwan

       So you want to help the environment? That's great. But you don't know what to do. We'll try to help by providing many ideas to help you to spread the idea of environmentalism. Many people do not realize that we, as humans, will not be able to succeed if there are no animals on Earth. But the idea of being able to preserve the world for future generations should be enough to convince them of the great importance that being environmentally sound is.

What can I do?

      If you are just beginning your conservationist ways, the best idea is to reform your life first. Begin by remembering to shut the lights off when they are not in use. Electricity production usually takes the burning of fossil fuels, a limited resource and harmful to the environment, just to create enough electricity to run a light. If you have a light on and you are not using it, turn it off!! Not only does this help to preserve the environment, but it also saves money on your electric bill.

     Along with the preserving of electricity, saving water is crucial to the success of our surroundings. Pumping water also requires energy, in the form of electricity or fossil fuels. Again, this harms the environment. On top of that, only a minimal amount of water is actually considered safe or available for drinking. Because of this fact, it is really important that you turn off the water tight when not in use. When you are brushing your teeth, turn off the water. You don't need the water to run down the drain, so save it for someone else!

Walk

     People today seem to have an epidemic: they ride their car everywhere. That isn't helpful to the environment, and leads to the obesity problem that seems to plague everyone. The cure to this is simple. Walk. Walking is a great form of exercise and is great for the environment. Walking allows you to get out and enjoy the world that we are all trying to preserve. However, sometimes it is not possible for us to walk to a location. There is an environmentally safe way to do this as well. Public transportation and carpooling can save money and cuts down on the impact of pollution in the air. If half of the people today used public transportation at least once a week, the world would be much better off.

Recycle

     Everyone knows to recycle paper, plastic, and glass bottles. However, all too often the proper receptacles are not available to use, so too often plastic bottles end up in the trash. If your school or job does not have recycling containers out in the eating location, voice your opinion to the respective people who can change this for you. Plastics cannot afford to be thrown away. Again, plastics come from oil, another limited resource that takes thousands of years to form. After we use all of the oil up on Earth, we are all in trouble if we cannot perfect other forms of gathering energy. However, with recycling, the plastic can simply be melted down and transformed into more bottles, or used for another arbitrary purpose. Glass follows the same general idea; it is melted down and reused.

Many children enjoy eating cereal for breakfast. Many cereal boxes are made from recycled paper. This idea is great. It saves the companies money, saves the trees from being cut down, and keeps the recycling idea alive. If people prefer to buy recycled products, companies will buy them and help the cause. If you have a choice between a product in a box made from recycled material and a product made from a fresh cut down tree, choose the recycled one and do you part to help the environment.

Support your local animal centers

     Zoos and wildlife centers do a number of great things to preserve the wildlife in other countries. However, many zoos are in need of money to help them achieve this. The best way to aid your zoo is to either donate money to them or buy from their gift shops. Many zoos place a designated percentage of their earnings into wildlife preservation. Make sure that they get the money that they need to do the best that they can.

Spread the Word!!

     The best way to help the environment is through the education of others. Teach them the values of preserving our great planet by showing them how, what, and why to recycle their recyclable objects. As the famous proverb says: If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. But if you teach a man to fish, you will feed them for a lifetime. The same exact situation occurs here. By teaching people how to be environmentally friendly, you can get them on their way to saving our planet.