Save the Earth,Save Ouselves

8/3/2019 Save the Earth,Save Ouselves

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Save the Earth,

Save

OurselvesBy -Kirti

IX-D



The State of Planet Earth

http://graphicshunt.com/images/earth_day-12676.htm



Human culture now has the potential to inflict irreversible damage on the environment and on its

life sustaining systems and resources. Already, critical stress suffered by our environment is clearly

manifest in the air, water, and soil, our climate, and plant and animal species. Should this

deterioration be allowed to continue, we can expect to alter the living world to the extent that it will

be unable to sustain life as we know it.

Indiscriminate dumping of toxic, nuclear, and biomedical waste and environmental disasters of

enormous scale have begun to cut deep scars into the Earth's ecosystem and disrupt its delicate

ecological balance. Global warming, though to be resulting from increased levels of carbon dioxide

in the atmosphere from fossil fuel use and from deforestation, may have the potential to alter

climate on a massive scale. Air pollution near ground level and acid precipitation, and stratospheric

ozone depletion causing enhanced ultra-violet radiation at the earth's surface, are causingwidespread injury to human and animal populations, forests and crops. Our remaining rainforests

and many wild forest regions, essential to worldwide ecological balance, are slated for clear cutting

due to poor management policies.

Uncontrolled exploitation of depletable ground water supplies have endangered food production

and other essential human systems and heavy demands for surface waters have resulted in seriousshortages in many countries. Pollution of rivers, lakes and ground water has further limited the

supply of potable water. Destructive pressure on the oceans is severe. Rivers carrying heavy

burdens of eroded soil into the seas also contain toxic industrial, municipal, agricultural, and

livestock waste. With the marine catch at or above the maximum sustainable yield, some fisheries

are already showing signs of collapse.



Soil productivity is on the decline and per capita food production in many parts of the world is

decreasing, as a result of destructive agriculture and animal husbandry practices. Already, more

than ten percent of the earth's vegetated surface has been degraded, an area larger than India and

China combined.

Over one third of the valuable topsoil used to grow the grains that feed much of the world has

blown or washed away. This desertification, caused by overgrazing domestic animals and by over-

cultivation, salinization, and deforestation, has already impacted over 35 percent of the land surface

of the earth (United Nations Environmental Program). Desertification has caused many millions to

abandon the land, lacking the bare essentials of survival, they have migrated to urban slums, where

all that awaits them are meager government relief packages and poverty wages.

We are fast approaching many of the earth's limits; its ability to provide for growing numbers of

people, to provide food and energy, and to absorb wastes and destructive effluent. Current

economic practices which damage the environment, in both developed and underdeveloped nations,

cannot be continued without the risk that vital global systems will be damaged beyond repair.

No more than a few decades remain before the chance to avert the threats we now confront will be

lost and the prospects for humanity immeasurably diminished. We must begin to bringenvironmentally damaging activities under control to restore and protect the integrity of the earth's

ecosystems. The greatest peril is to become trapped in spirals of environmental decline, poverty,

and unrest, leading to worldwide social, economic and environmental collapse from which we may

be unable to recover.



Most Recent State of the

Earth Report

from the United Nations

Environment Programme"From a global perspective the environment has

continued to degrade during the past decade, andsignificant environmental problems remain deeply embedded in the socio-economic fabric of

nations in all regions. Progress towards a global sustainable future is just too slow. A sense of

urgency is lacking. Internationally and nationally, the funds and political will are insufficient

to halt further global environmental degradation and to address the most pressing

environmental issues-even though technology and knowledge are available to do so.

The recognition of environmental issues as necessarily long-term and cumulative, with serious

global and security implications, remains limited. The reconciliation of environment and trade

regimes in a fair and equitable mannerstill remains a major challenge. The continued

preoccupation with immediate local and national issues and a general lack of sustained

interest in global and long-term environmental issues remain major impediments to

environmental progress internationally. Global governance structures and global



environmental solidarity remain too weak to make progress a world-wide reality. As a result,

the gap between what has been done thus far and what is realistically needed is widening.

Comprehensive response mechanisms have not yet been fully internalized at the national

level. The development at local, national, and regional levels of effective environmentallegislation and of fiscal and economic instruments has not kept pace with the increase in

environmental institutions. In the private sector, environmental advances by several major

transnational corporations are not reflected widely in the practices of small- and medium-sized

companies that form the backbone of economies in many countries.

In the future, the continued degradation of natural resources, shortcomings in environmental

responses, and renewable resource constraints may increasingly lead to food insecurity and

conflict situations. Changes in global biogeochemical cycles and the complex interactions

between environmental problems such as climate change, ozone depletion, and acidification

may have impacts that will confront local, regional, and global communities with situations

they are unprepared for. Previously unknown risks to human health are becoming evident

from the cumulative and persistent effects of a whole range of chemicals, particularly the

persistent organic pollutants. The effects of climate variability and change are alreadyincreasing the incidence of familiar public health problems and leading to new ones, including

a more extensive reach of vectorborne diseases and a higher incidence of heat-related illness

and mortality. If significant major policy reforms are not implemented quickly, the future

might hold more such surprises.



Pollution:Affectingthe Earth



Pollution has been found to be present widely in the environment.

Air Pollution: This is by far one of the most widespread forms of pollution, and the effects of the same are

also quite severe. When it comes to health hazards, the effects of air pollution include a wide range of diseases,

right from viral infection to life threatening conditions such as heart attacks. Other than this, air pollution alsohas adverse effects on the environment in which we live. It has the tendency to cause severe environmental

issues such as global warming and acid rain. Wondering how does pollution affect global warming? As we

mentioned earlier the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is increasing rapidly, and this increase in

their concentration is trapping the radiations of the Sun and causing the global temperatures to soar.

Water Pollution: Water is one of the basic necessities when it comes to existence of life on the planet, and

therefore pollution of same is bound to impact the numerous species which are dependent on water directly or

indirectly. As in case of air pollution, even the effects of water pollution on humans revolve around varioushealth disorders. The pollutants which contaminate various water sources reach our body even if we don’t come

in contact with the polluted water directly. For instance, fish species get contaminated as a result of oil spills,

and the same contaminants enter our body when we consume this fish.

Soil Pollution: Like water, even soil is one of the major components of the planet as it supports plant life.

Plants are important for the existence of humans and other lifeforms because only they have the ability to

prepare their own food by means of photosynthesis, while other lifeforms (including humans) depend on them

for our energy requirements. As a result of this, understanding soil pollution causes and effects is of immenseimportance. Some of the major effects of soil pollution on the environment include decrease in soil fertility,

disruption of food chain, toxic crop produce, etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_(biophysical)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_(biophysical)





We can save the Earth by

simply following the 3 R's

http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/recycle.html

http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/reduce.html

http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/reuse.html









Reuse

Instead of throwing things away, try to find ways to use them again! For example:

Bring cloth sacks to the store with you instead of taking home new paper or plastic bags. You can use

these sacks again and again. You'll be saving some trees!

Plastic containers and reusable lunch bags are great ways to take your lunch to school without creating

waste.

Coffee cans, shoe boxes, margarine containers, and other types of containers people throw away can beused to store things or can become fun arts and crafts projects. Use your imagination!

Don't throw out clothes, toys, furniture, and other things that you don't want anymore. Somebody else

can probably use them. You can bring them to a center that collects donations, give them to friends, or

even have a yard sale.

Use all writing paper on both sides.

Use paper grocery bags to make book covers rather than buying new ones.

Use silverware and dishes instead of disposable plastic utensils and plates.

Store food in reusable plastic containers.



Recycle

Many of the things we use every day, like paper bags, soda cans, and milk cartons, are made out of materials

that can be recycled. Recycled items are put through a process that makes it possible to create new products

out of the materials from the old ones.

In addition to recycling the things you buy, you can help the environment by buying products that contain

recycled materials. Many brands of paper towels, garbage bags, greeting cards, and toilet paper, to name a few

examples, will tell you on their labels if they are made from recycled materials.

In some towns you can leave your recyclables in bins outside your home, and a truck will come and collect

them regularly. Other towns have recycling centers where you can drop off the materials you've collected.

Things like paper and plastic grocery bags, and plastic and aluminum cans and bottles can often be brought to

the grocery store for recycling. Whatever your system is, it's important to remember to rinse out and sort your

recyclables!



Reduce

Reducing the amount of waste you produce is the best way to help the environment. There are lots of ways to

do this. For example:

Buy products that don't have a lot of packaging. Some products are wrapped in many layers of plastic

and paperboard even though they don't need to be. You can also look for things that are packed in

materials that don't require a lot of energy or resources to produce. Some products will put that

information right on their labels. Instead of buying something you're not going to use very often, see if you can borrow it from someone

you know.

Cars use up energy and cause pollution. Some ways to reduce the environmental damage caused by cars

include carpooling with friends, walking, taking the bus, or riding your bike instead of driving.

Start a compost bin. Some people set aside a place in their yard where they can dispose of certain food

and plant materials. Over time, the materials will break down through a natural process called

decomposition. The compost is good for the soil in your yard and means that less garbage will go to the

landfill.



You can reduce waste by using a computer! Many newspapers and magazines are online now. Instead of

buying the paper versions, you can find them on the Internet. Also remember that you should print out

only what you need. Everything you print that you don't really need is a waste of paper.

Save energy by turning off lights that you are not using.

Save water by turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth.



Ways to reduce Carbon Footprint :-



1.Buy organic and local.

When possible, buy organic or "fair trade." There's a better chance the food was grown in an eco-friendly way, and if it's locally grown, it didn't have to travel that far. This also goes for those doublelattes— coffee often has a large carbon footprint because of the distance those beans had to travel toget here, and how they were produced. Also, try eating at restaurants that serve locally produced orseasonal foods.

2. Pay attention to packaging.

When out shopping, try to go to stores or co-ops that keep packaging to a minimum. For example, youmay chose to buy the loose tomatoes rather than boxed or plastic-wrapped tomatoes. Also, take reusablebags to the grocery store. When it comes to resources, plastic is better than paper — but a reusablecloth tote-style bag is better still.

3. Ditch bottled water.

Bottled water has a huge carbon footprint — it's bottled at one location in small plastic bottles andshipped all over. Try buying a reusable water bottle or canteen for your water. Also, a lot of restaurantshave made the move from offering fancy bottled water, usually imported from an exotic source, to usingin-house filtration systems that make tap water a good choice. Many plastic water bottles are recycled,but most are not, making the footprint even bigger.



4.Unplug it!

Unplug appliances that you don't use frequently. Most electronics have a standby mode that siphonsenergy even when not in use. Cell phone chargers, laptops, televisions, stereos— there's a whole list of

items that should be unplugged when not in use. Try using a power strip for groups of electronic items.One flick of the switch and it's all off.

5.Go native.

Use native plant species to landscape around your home or business. The plants will probably grow

better in a familiar environment, and the plants may also get shipped a shorter distance to get to your

local nursery. Also, use organic soil when planting— it's made using more eco-friendly methods, and

uses less resources. And remember, green plants are a good way to offset carbon. So plant something,

anything— it helps.

6.Keep your car.

With gas prices seemingly always on the rise, it's tempting to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle. But if yourolder-model car is in good condition, you're better off keeping it in good running condition. Even

hybrids create a big footprint when they're built, so consider driving that old clunker for a little while

longer. Also, try more eco-friendly modes of transport when possible, like buses, trains, a bicycle,

telecommuting or even walking.



Some Interesting facts:-



• Recycling creates 6 times as many jobs as land filling."

• Tossing away an aluminum can wastes as much energy as pouring out half of

that can's volume in gasoline."

• Recycling a 3 foot high stack of newspaper saves a 32 foot tree."

• Water pollution is reduced by 76% and air pollution by 85% when steel is

recycled."

• If only 10% of Americans bought products with less plastic packaging just 10%of the time, approximately 144 million pounds of plastic could be eliminated

from landfills."

• 50% of landfills, on average, are filled with paper, most of which could have

been recycled."

• The average Indian creates 3.5 pounds of trash each day!"

• Every year, Indians throw away 50 billion food and drink cans, 27 billion glass

bottles and jars, and 65 million plastic and metal jar and can covers. More than

30% of our waste is packaging materials. Where does it all go? Some 85% of our



garbage is sent to a dump, or landfill, where it can take from 100 to 400 years for

things like cloth and aluminum to decompose. Glass has been found in perfect

condition after 4,000 years in the earth!

THE END



PLEASE DO

YOUR BIT TOSAVE OUR

PRECIOUSEARTH !

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Save the Earth,Save Ouselves