4 Easy Ways to Help the Environment

December 12, 2016 by Alyssa I. Ficcaglia 1 Comment

The election season and the recent protests at Standing Rock have brought global warming and helping the environment back into the spotlight. The big debate is whether we should still be relying on fossil fuels or start moving towards sustainable energy. While the rest of the world tries to figure that out, here are a few easy ways you can start helping the environment every day.

1. Don’t Litter and Recycle:
   

   Piotr Siedlecki/Public Domain

   Helping the environment is as simple as just putting your garbage in the trash can and placing your recyclables in the proper bin. It really doesn’t get any easier than that. According to Litter It Costs You, 1. 9 billion tons of litter ends up in the ocean every year. GROSS. Litter not only looks bad, it also endangers all types on animals. Put trash in the trash can and when you see it on the ground pick it up. Recycle plastics, paper, glass, and aluminum so they can be melted down and reused again. Recycling helps reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, so do your part. For more information visit U.S Environmental Protection Agency website.

2. Conserve Water:
   

   Steve Johnson/Flickr

   Conserving water is another easy way to help the environment. Americans waste about 1 trillion gallons of water each year. That’s equal to 40 million swimming pools and 24 billion baths. That’s a lot of water and the sad thing is it gets wasted in silly ways. To reduce your water consumption try to take shorter showers, don’t leave the water running when you brush your teeth, and fix any leaks as soon as see them. Another thing you can do is use unfinished water bottles to water your plants. Every little bit helps.

3. Walk or Ride a Bike:
   

   Avi and Elina Flax/Flickr

   This step can be a little harder to do, especially if you live in area where everything is spread out. However, try to walk or ride a bike whenever you have a chance too. Cars put off emissions that are harmful to the planet, so the less often you drive the better. Plus oil and gasoline companies don’t exactly help the environment. The more gas you need for your car the more they have to drill. The more they drill the greater the risk for spills and we all know how bad those can be. Ellen Moyer, an environmental consultant, suggests doing all your errands in one day that way you don’t have to drive around as much.

4. Turn Off and Unplug:
   

   Dean Hochman/Flickr

   Just a flip of the switch can help the environment. Getting into the habit of turning off the lights every time you leave the room is a great start to conserving energy. Another thing you can do is to turn off and unplug any items or appliances you aren’t using. Unplugging stereos, computers, chargers, or even your toaster will help save energy and save you money.

 

Helping the environment is easy and everyone can contribute to making it better.  Ellen Moyer joined the show to share her tips about saving the earth and shed some light on the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. You can listen to the interview below.