It’s no secret that our planet is falling apart. Well, there might not have been the need to be so dramatic, but it is definitely deteriorating at a rate we can’t control. You should have by now heard of the ozone layer, pollution, and the carbon footprint that so many of the things man king has created. All three of those are the main reasons why we’re doing so much damage to our planet. So, do you not think it is now time to step up and try and protect our planet? It is literally crying out for our help, the effects of pollution and global warming and now becoming alarmingly present. It isn’t just us that needs to try and protect it, it is the future generation that has the potential to cause just as much harm as we have. So, we’ve got some ways that we think you can step up and protect our planet, and some of the things that are causing the most damage in the world we live in today.
Pollution
Pollution is so much more widespread than people realize. It isn’t just the air we’re polluting, it’s the sea, and the land as well. The official definition of pollution is releasing a substance which is harmful or poisonous to the environment, and boy do we know how to do that. But pollution is something we’re struggling to reduce the level of. For example, one of the main reasons our earth is so polluted is due to the industrial revolution. Gallons and gallons of poisonous gases are released into our atmosphere just from factories and other facilities alone. But we couldn’t live without the factories that give us absolutely everything we need. From cars to home appliances, the world wouldn’t be the same without it. There has been a measure taken to try and reduce the level of harmful substances entering the air. There are now rules and regulation that companies must follow to ensure they’re within the boundary of a safe level of gases to be released. The industrial revolution also developed the issue we’re seeing today of water pollution. Poisonous substances are being released into the waters that surround them. For example, take fishing boats as an example. We need them to give the world the supply of fish it knows and loves today. But the pollution that comes out of the engines at the back of the boat is releasing harmful substances into the water. Even oil tankers are causing an issue. Just one oil leak can destroy a whole section of wildlife and water. But again, there’s no way of stopping this. All we can hope is that new ways of using more environmentally friendly energy sources are created. The average Joe is pretty powerless when it comes to pollution for these two things.
Environmental & Health Damages
We’ve already talked about how pollution is creating environmental damages, but there are other ways in which we’re harming our environment. Littering is one of them. You might not realize it, but nearly half of the things you throw on the floor are biodegradable. Biodegradable means it’ll break down over time on its own. If it doesn’t the effects it has on the wildlife and the environment are horrible. It leaves it looking messy, and gives the animals the potential to choke on anything they come across. But simply finding a bin to throw something it seems too hard for some people, especially the younger generation and teenagers. They aren’t educated enough on the damages to the environment, and how to actually recycle properly. Another thing people do that does more harm than good is not using the correct recycling bins to put their rubbish in. Recycling bins help to reuse the plastic and other materials that we need, this, in turn, helps to reduce the number that is being produced in the factories, which then help to reduce the level of pollution in the air. If you have children of your own, make sure you’re educating them from a young age about the dangers of littering. They are after all the future generation, and the fate of the world can rest in their hands. Pollution is obviously really damaging to our health as well, especially in countries that are releasing a large number of harmful gases. For example, Japan is one of the worst countries in the world, often the citizens are found wearing protective masks just to reduce the damage to their bodies. It can cause issues such as respiratory problems for the most part. People report asthma-like symptoms, as they get older they can contract respiratory diseases such as COPD.
The Issue With Cars
Everyone dream of being able to drive a car, well, nearly everyone. As soon as people get to the age of being able to learn to drive, that is what most people do. Now, the population is growing each day, and with that comes more drivers on the road. Cars are the single biggest cause of pollution in our environment. There are hundreds of millions of cars on the road right at this very moment. They’re pumping carbon dioxide into the air, which is then causing the ozone layer to break down. The break down of the ozone layer is what’s causing the earth to heat up. This, in turn, is causing the ice caps to melt, which is ruining wildlife in the colder climate and raising the sea level at an alarming rate. To make matters even worse, some car companies are pulling scandals that mean they’re messing with the readings of carbon dioxide levels that the cars are giving out. Just like with factories etc. cars have to be within a certain level in terms of their emissions to be deemed as road worthy. But in the last two years, big car companies such as Volkswagen were caught tampering with the results. This meant that thousands and thousands of cars on the road were giving out an unsafe level of carbon dioxide. So if we can’t trust our car companies to try and help our planet, who can we trust?! Fortunately, there are some companies that are doing their best to try and improve the way in which cars impact the environment. For example, we’re now seeing more and more electric or hybrid cars running around. They release no fumes and are so much better for our environment as they’re reducing the amount of oil that is being mined for the petrol and diesel the cars use. Hopefully, within the next few years we will see that amount of substances released from cars reduced, and more people giving electric cars a go. The more companies that produce them, the more chance we have of getting people on board.
What Does The Future Hold?
The future if we’re honest is looking pretty bleak at the minute. The quicker the years go by, the more damage we seem to be doing. It’s just too hard to control what we need to control when the world is controlled by what we need to control… if that makes sense. The world needs the factories we have, the boats in the sea, the cars on the road etc. We can’t just get rid of all of those, and the solution to reducing the level of poisonous gases into the environment is yet to be found. All we can do is try and reduce what we’re doing ourselves. Try and keep the amount of energy you’re using within the home to a minimum. Walk whenever and wherever you can if you can. And most of all, take care of the environment around you and make sure the future generation is prepared to do so as well.
