Written By: Emily Luu
Edited by Annie Stammreich
Image from www.weidner.com
With climate change on the rise and its effects on countless habitats and communities worldwide, the future of our planet can appear bleak. From rapid animal extinction to widespread droughts, the list seems to keep on growing. Many of us are wondering what we could do to help. Luckily, there are a few things we could do to save our planet, ranging from changing our lifestyle to taking a stand. Here are a few ways to help the environment:
The first way is to inform yourself about sustainability issues and issues currently threatening our environment. This way, you can have a better understanding of climate change and how it has and potentially will impact the world in the future. Being informed also better prepares you to have conversations about climate change with your family, friends, and peers and spread greater awareness about global warming and countless other issues threatening our planet. You can try this by staying up to date with the current climate news and reading about how communities and natural habitats are affected. Listening to podcasts by activists and scientists, watching videos about endangered species, and learning about environmental organizations are several ways to be informed.
The second way is to watch your eating habits and food consumption. Food production is a large contributor to wildlife extinction. Farming animals for meat and dairy requires large amounts of space and lots of water and feed. One of the largest reasons for deforestation is the clearing of land for animal feed production. Trying to eat more sustainable animal products or trying to eat a more plant-based diet are ways to combat this crisis. Another way to eat more sustainably is to purchase more locally grown produce or foods that are currently in season. This cuts down on the gas emissions produced by trucks and planes which transport the food from many miles away. The food waste crisis is another major issue. In the United States, nearly 40% of edible food ends up in landfills, wasting both the foods themselves and the resources used to grow and prepare them. One way to prevent food waste is to only purchase foods you know you will eat within a period of time. Another way to prevent food from going to waste is to compost spoiled foods or the peels of fruits and vegetables. Composting is a great way to serve as nutrition and fertilizers for the plants while also making sure any food that can not be saved is put to good use.
The third way is to be careful of what you purchase. There are a growing number of companies and businesses which try to incorporate sustainable resources or habits in their products and services. For instance, Fair Trade-certified products come from companies committed to sustainable production and paying workers a fair salary. There are also a growing number of sustainable fashion brands, which often use sustainable fabric and get their sources from sustainable farms. The well-known coffeehouse company Starbucks is also stepping up its sustainability efforts by allowing customers to use reusable cups whenever they order a drink.
The last way is to volunteer at environmental organizations and get involved. There are numerous ways to get involved and be a part of something you care about. Some ways include joining school clubs, volunteering at your local community garden or local park, creating your own club or organization, participating in a compost program, and many more.
All of these efforts can help contribute to spreading awareness and taking action to prevent the furthering of global warming. One step at a time, we can all help better our planet.
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