Stop Polluting our Earth
By Melodee Hanson
Did you know...
Pollution is one of the biggest global killers, affecting over 100 million people and ecosystems. That’s comparable to global diseases like malaria and HIV. On average, 14 billion pounds of garbage are being dumped into our oceans each year. Most of the garbage is plastic. Animals like the sea turtle mistake the trash as fish, and die from trying to eat its "prey". Also, over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals are killed by pollution every year. Lets not forget about us humans. We can die or become very sick from being or drinking dirty water. Approximately 46% of the lakes in America are too polluted for fishing, aquatic life, or swimming. Those "fresh" lakes and rivers aren't so fresh after all; they're deadly.
We can't just blame it on water pollution, it's also air pollution. From all the chemicals released into the air from factories. People who live in places with high levels of air pollutants have a 20% higher risk of death from lung cancer than people who live in less-polluted areas. In some cities like Los Angeles and Tokyo, they can't even see past all the grey, disgusting smog that's blocking the sun& the sky. Without enough sunlight, more and more plants will begin to die off. Thus creating a major effect in the food web.
Luckily, there is a way to change this. If everyone helps out around our neighborhood and schools and recycles, we can save our planet. Recycling and composting prevented 85 million tons of material away from being disposed of in 2010, and up from 18 million tons in 1980. All we need to do is practice the three R's, then we are on our way to save our planet. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Listen below are some easy tips on how to be more "green"
1.) Stop buying plastic water bottles, and purchase a filtered water bottle. (dishwasher safe)
2.) Buy in bulk. It saves money
3.) Set your thermostat a couple degrees less then you usually do
4.) Take shorter showers to reduce the water bill
5.) Walk or bike to work. You'll save money and the gas won't burn up our o-zone layer