Recently, the environment has become a hot topic in the United States. Climate change, the heavy amount of pollution in the air and the increase of litter in our oceans has caused a significant issue regarding on how we should start taking care of our OG home, the Earth. Here are a few reasons why everyone should care about Earth and our environment:
1. A Clean Environment Means a Healthy Environment
The more you don’t care about the environment, the more you should start worrying about your health. All the contamination and pollutants in the air and land causes toxins that roam free, effecting your health. For example, heavy air pollution can cause severe problems like asthma and other respiratory diseases. Water pollution can lead to dangerous diseases like typhoid (water-borne disease). In order for your health to stay intact, it’s important to be cautious about what we put into the environment.
2. The Temperature of Earth is Increasing
Global warming is real! Climate change is really happening; the temperature of the Earth is increasing year by year (according to NASA). It’s largely our fault. We release so much carbon dioxide and other dangerous chemicals into the air that it clogs up our atmosphere, causing the ozone layer (the layer that protects us from harmful sunrays) to thin. The result of global warming includes increase of dangerous storms (hurricanes and thunderstorms) and the melting of ice caps.
3. Biodiversity is at Risk
Biodiversity is the variety of plants, animals and other living things. Human activities, climate change and pollution puts the diversity of our planet at risk. Many vital animals and plants that are necessary to the benefit of our survival are dying. If we don’t take action to help protect these plants and animals, it will affect human life. (Also can we please appreciate this cute panda!)
4. Your great-great-great grand children will appreciate it
If we don’t start taking action now, then the future of human survival will be at jeopardy. It is our job to fix the problems that WE created and restore nature to its former glory. This will not only benefit our lifestyle now, but also generations and generations to come.
So what can you do to help? As corny as it sounds, remember the endless projects you did in elementary school about the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle)? It’s time to start remembering to actually do them. Avoid littering outside, even the little gum wrappers that you can easily shove into your pocket. No matter how small your actions might be, it would make a big difference to mother Earth.
Photo Credits: Cover Photo, Image 1, Image 2, Image 3.