Author:
Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation:
6 August 2021
Update Date:
1 July 2024
Content
Reducing environmental pollution is an extremely important issue for earth's life, human health and well-being. The air we breathe is filled with toxic pollutants. Oceans and water resources are poisoned by chemicals. If not prevented, environmental pollution will cause our planet to lose its beauty, vitality and diversity. Please continue reading the article below for a few more practical ways to reduce environmental pollution.
Steps
Method 1 of 6: Choosing a Sustainable Vehicle
Choose organic vegetables. Organic fruits and vegetables are produced by farmers with sustainable farming practices. For example, they avoid using chemical pesticides - a cause of groundwater pollution. By choosing organic fruit and vegetables, you will help promote environmentally sound farming practices.
- Look for vegetables and products labeled "organic" or "certified organic."
Grow your own vegetables. Having a small garden in the backyard is another way to contribute to reducing environmental pollution. Plants absorb carbon and release oxygen, meaning they aid in reducing pollution. In addition, home-grown vegetables and fruits in your home garden also help you reduce the amount of vegetables you have to buy - items that may have to go a long way before reaching your hands.- If you are new to gardening, start with a small garden of potted plants in your yard or plant a few tomato plants, lettuce or cucumbers in the backyard. You can then gradually increase the size of your garden as you get used to gardening.
Method 3 of 6: Selecting Sustainable Energy
Turn off lights and electrical appliances when not in use. You can also turn off the power of these devices to save even more power. Plugging electrical appliances together into a multi-port outlet is also a good idea because you can easily turn all the devices on or off at the same time.
Small changes will save you a lot of energy. There are many small things you can do to keep energy consumption to a minimum. Keep the following in mind to save energy.- Keep a water heater at 50 degrees Celsius. Hot and cold water bottles account for about 14-25% of your total home energy consumption. Therefore, keeping the heater maximum temperature at 50 degrees C will save you some energy.
- Dry clothes. You can lose 1090 kg of your carbon footprint per year by drying your clothes with natural air instead of using a dryer.
- Wipe or dry the dishes. 2.5% of all energy consumption in your home comes from the dishwasher. Instead of running the machine's drying cycle, after washing is finished, open the door of the machine to let the dishes dry naturally.
- Choose energy saving bulbs. Fluorescent compact bulbs (CFL) can save up to 75% electricity. These bulbs generate less heat than conventional bulbs.
Keep the air conditioner at 25.5 degrees C in summer and 20 degrees C in winter. By reducing the work that heaters and air conditioners have to do throughout the year, you can make a big difference in your energy use.
- Consider turning the heater down to about 13 ° C at night in the winter months and adding blankets to keep it warm.
- Consider using an electric fan instead of an air conditioner to control the indoor temperature. Electric fans consume much less electricity than air conditioners.
Make sure the air conditioner windows and pipes are sealed. Simple measures like sticking around windowsills can work, or you can replace windows if needed. You can also use shielding to reduce the amount of heat escaping from your home.
- If you decide to buy a new window, look for windows that are accredited with ENERGY STAR® windows. These types of doors meet certain requirements in terms of energy efficiency.
Consider options for purchasing electricity. Some cities allow residents to buy electricity produced from sustainable sources at cheaper prices than usual. For example, you can buy electricity produced from wind, solar panels, or water instead of coal or gas. Check to see if your city offers this option.
Evaluate whether it is possible to convert fuel. Switching fuel means you will change your energy supply from less sustainable sources like gas, to more sustainable sources like electricity. For example, you can replace your gas stove with an electric stove, or replace your gas heater with an electric heater. advertisement
Method 4 of 6: Recycle, Reuse, and Reduce Emissions
Buy second-hand if you can. By buying second hand items, you will help reduce the need for new materials to create new products. You will also save money. Visit second hand stores, second hand furniture and home appliances, and billboards near your home to find used goods.
Buy reusable supplies. Disposable cups, plates, spoons, forks, and food containers generate a lot of waste. Instead of contributing to the increase in waste when using these products, you should use items that can be reused many times.
Choose to buy less packaging. Food packaging often consumes a lot of raw materials and energy to produce. Therefore, you should buy foods with as few packaging as possible, such as buying in bulk or buying items without packaging. If you have to buy packaged items, try to find products with as few packaging as possible.
- Avoid buying foam packaged products. Styrofoam is a popular packaging material but generates a lot of waste because it is difficult to recycle. Porous production also contributes to environmental pollution by releasing a lot of hydrogen carbon gas.
Recycle all you can. Almost anything is recyclable. Try to avoid products that do not have a recycling logo on their packaging or are made with blended materials and are difficult to recycle.
- Check to see if your neighborhood waste management company offers a recycling service. If not, you can take your recyclable items to the nearest recycling center.
Buy items made from recycled materials. By purchasing these products, you will help reduce demand for new materials.
- Look for items that have the term: "products that contain recycled ingredients" or "contain ingredients after consumption".
- Items made from recycled materials also typically state what percentage is made from recycled material. Look for items with a high percentage of recycled materials.
Method 5 of 6: Avoid Getting Chemicals into Your Water Source
Limit use of chemicals. The chemicals we use to clean homes, wash cars, and even batheers go down the drain, and eventually get to most of the water. These chemicals are bad for plants and animals - the key ingredients in our ecosystems, and they're not good for humans. Therefore, if possible, use less chemical and environmentally friendly alternatives.
- For example, instead of using a popular kitchen or bathroom cleaner, use a solution of white vinegar and water or baking soda (baking soda) with salt. These natural cleaning solutions are both cleaning and not contaminating the water source
- Try to make your own detergent and dish soap. If you don't have time, you can buy detergent made with natural ingredients.
- If you cannot find a substitute for toxic chemicals, try to use as little as possible while ensuring cleaning requirements.
Do not use pesticides and herbicides. These strong chemicals, when sprayed on the ground, follow rainwater that seeps deep into the ground and flows and groundwater systems. You may just want to prevent fleas from eating tomatoes. But if you use pesticides, their effects aren't just there when it seeps into groundwater that humans and other organisms use to survive.
Do not flush the toilet bowl. Medications in large doses are difficult to separate from the water, and will affect everyone eventually. Every drug on the market has specific instructions for its discharge. If it is necessary to dispose of unused medicine, find the appropriate way instead of throwing it to the toilet.
- There are a few strictly controlled drugs that managers recommend to throw out to avoid misuse. These are the exceptions because most drugs are not recommended to be released into the environment.
Dispose of hazardous waste safely. Some waste should not be put in the trash as they will soak down and poison groundwater. If you have hazardous chemicals and are unsure how to dispose of them, contact your local sanitation department to find out where to dump hazardous waste. Then take them to the right place for safe disposal.
- The US Environmental Protection Agency has a list of different types of hazardous waste.
- Always remember that fluorescent light bulbs, batteries and other special products require special recycling. In some places, these products are required to be recycled to prevent mercury from getting into the water and soil. Check with your local waste management company for appropriate recycling.
Water protection. Water protection and conservation is very important. Wasting water will quickly deplete water resources and lead to serious harm to the environment. It is not too difficult to adopt measures to minimize daily water use and protect the growth of ecosystems in the region. Here are a few ways to save water:
- Fix water leaks.
- Use water-efficient devices in faucets and toilets, such as slow-flowing showers.
- Do not wash dishes under running water.
- Replace sanitary equipment with water-saving ones.
- Don't over-water the lawn, especially if you live in a dry climate.
Method 6 of 6: Community Participation and Education
Learn about major local pollutants. Go to the library, search the internet and talk to people who can tell you about the main sources of pollution in your area. Exploration will help you understand more deeply about environmental pollution.
- While everyone can contribute to keeping the water and air clean, corporations and large companies with industrial activities that destroy the environment are the culprits. To better protect the air and water where you live, it is important to find out what is at stake in the environment.
Share with everyone what you know. Although there are many people interested in preventing environmental pollution, there are many others who do not understand the seriousness of the problem and do not know what to do. Since you've done research on pollution, use your knowledge to make a difference by sharing it with everyone. The more people who deeply understand pollution, the more likely we will find ways to reduce pollution together.
- Just by talking to people about pollution, you can spark interesting discussions. Be prepared to answer those who think there is nothing they can do to help prevent pollution.
- Environmental pollution and its harm is a serious topic that many people may not like to talk about. As someone who cares about this, you should be sensitive enough to take people's perspectives and find ways to help them gain a deeper understanding of what's going on on earth.
Write for your school or local newspaper. Sharing information on how to prevent pollution with publications is a great way to help people become aware of the problem. You can write an editorial about environmental issues as well as solutions that people can easily apply in everyday life.
Oppose local polluters. Is there a factory or industrial park in the area where you live causing environmental pollution? You can make a difference by speaking up about what's going on and joining those who want to protect the environment. Do your research online and find out more about the local situation. Every change should start where you live and being an activist for where you live is the best way to make a change.
Join an environmental group. There may be a group of actions to prevent pollution where you live. If not, you and your friends can form groups themselves, meet once a week or more to discuss what's happening and come up with an idea of action. Share on Facebook, Twitter or paste notifications in your neighborhood. Organize events to share information about environmental pollution and give everyone a chance to know more about it. Here are some ideas for such events:
- Organize a cleaning session to clean the riverbank or small canals.
- Organizing a documentary screening about environmental pollution.
- Visit school to talk with young children about how they can help prevent environmental pollution.
- Contact your local representative to express your views on keeping water clean from chemicals.
- Join tree planting groups to help clean the air.
- Become a bike activist. Make every effort to have a secure bike path in the city.
Advice
- Roll up your sleeves and do something to help reduce the pollution. If you see trash on the street, please pick it up and dispose of it at the designated place!
- Prepare your own cup when shopping for coffee.
