Earth Day 2017
A Day in the Life of our Planet, the only place where we can live until now. New generations also have a right to live on our beautiful planet. We really should take better care of our environment as it belongs to all of us.
Our Earth, image by PIRO4D
Save Energy
1. How about turning off all the electrical devices at night? Unplug, do not leave it on standby. When you are not in a room, do not leave the light on. Dishwashers and washing machines wait till they are full or at least put them on a savings program. Some companies offer cheaper night energy.
Like that some 44 million metric tons of carbon pollution would not reach our atmosphere. This data refers to the US only. Just imagine if the entire world would do the same.
Wind-Turbine, clean energy, image by TeeFarm
Too many People?
2. Are we overpopulating the world? As the population increases, our waste production increases, and fauna and flora are suffering the consequences. We find nowadays microplastic in salt. We are doing these stupid things.
Garbage Can, image by kalhh
In the more wealthy countries, people use more resources and also create more waste per capita, while in less developed countries the population is growing more rapidly. We need to find a way to recycle or reuse our waste products. Organic waste can be composted, plastics need to be recycled, and metals need to be collected re-smelted.
But how does one pay for recycling in East Africa where tons of flip-flops are washing ashore each day? More needs to be invested globally to realistically create a balance to the cost of the cleanup.
Luckily innovative ideas for recycling appear. Building houses with empty PET bottles is a good example.
Garbage, image by Rita E
Intense sea traffic and the risk of oil spills
3. It seems that those big container vessels that sail the 7 seas, some 5,000 every day, are one of the biggest pollution sources. Not only do they consume high sulfur fuels, but they are not regulated like other types of transportation. We hear all about the big accidents and spills, but what about the so-called “small” spills that go unnoticed and unreported?
There is room for improvement. This book tells you how
In this book, you will find interesting information on all the things that can be improved. Covers global warming, clean energy sources, electric cars, energy-efficient homes, and ways to support environmental issues. We have it in our hands to make our world a better place.
Extinction of fish species
4. You have probably heard of overfishing. Nowadays laws are stricter to what, when, and how much one is allowed to fish. Certain species which were nearly extinct have recovered.
Still, there is an alarming statistic. Many unwanted animals which cannot be sold or are not even allowed to be fished are getting caught in the big fishnets.
The conservation group Oceana tells that about 40% of the total world catch is unintentional, but of course, once caught, it hardly has a chance of surviving. Those dolphins, seabirds, and turtles only find a sad ending. Also abandoned fishing nets plus all the waste which is floating in the oceans form a big hazard to marine life.
The following YouTube video of 12 April 2017 explains in a few minutes why microbeads are no good.
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Unwanted Microbeads in wastewater
5. Most people brush their teeth at least a couple of times a day. But we do not think about what ingredients are in the toothpaste and also the fact that it ends up in the wastewater.
Nowadays many brands have microbeads made of plastic in their products and these microbeads are not biodegradable. It seems that each day in the U.S. some 8 trillion of these beads are flushed to the sewers where they go untreated. That volume is enough to coat some 300 tennis courts.
These microbeads are consumed by marine creatures, even by plankton. The World Economic Forum has warned that at this rate by the year 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans.
The chemicals which are used in personal care products also end up in the wastewater.
Environment-Pollution, image by czu czu PL
Water rights for everybody
6. You might have heard more than once that future wars will be fought over water. The people that have good water out of a tap hardly ever think that in sub-Saharan Africa some 1 billion people do not have this privilege and have to walk many miles each day to fetch the daily ration.
Some 63% of the people have no piped water, something which is taken for granted in the Western world. When you use water, do not misuse it. There is no need to stand for 15 minutes under the shower, a few minutes will do. A leaking toilet or water tap can mean a loss of more than half a cubic meter per 24 hours.
Water Drop, image by Arek Socha
Conclusion
There are many things which are wrong in our world and which need an urgent solution.
These are some excerpts from a very impressive article on CNN on Earth day. One should read it as we have no time to lose, not even a day. Here is the link: Life Supported produced by EcoSolutions
You see, I wrote this post in 2017, time flies and we are already halfway to 2020. The question arises has anything changed and hopefully for the better? Let us be honest. Most things are just as bad or even worse. We have been warned hundreds of times and still, it is not possible to make a positive change.
While on lockdown because of COVID-19, Mother Earth showed signs of recovery. Remember the reports on what was happening in our world? In Venice the water was clean and fish and swans came back.
Suddenly the Himalayan mountains became visible from faraway after some 30 years. The moment we were allowed to move again, pollution was rising, and we went back to our old ways. Not even COVID-19 could open our eyes. I wonder what is needed for that to happen.
Before you leave, have a look at a special page I made for you. A collection of things you might find interesting. Visit Recommendations.
Source: The many publications on Earth day and CNN
Photo source: Pixabay
This is also a very serious issue. Trees are so important for our survival. We need trees as they produce the oxygen we need to survive. Please read the following post and leave your opinion in a comment below.
800 Year Old Trees In Danger, Unbelievable Government Decision
Comments
dada
A couple of years ago Spain became the first country to run for a day on alternative energy and just last week the UK ran for a day without using coal for the first time in well over 100 years
admin
Good afternoon,
Luckily we see signs worldwide that people are waking up, realizing it is high time something is done on all fronts. Personally, I see problems with the governments who not always want to follow the opinion of its people.
Regards, Taetke
Cecilia
Thank you Taetske for bringing awareness. We tend to take so much for granted. We were given a perfect, balanced planet where everything had its right timing and season. What are we doing to Nature when do not respect nor listen to Mother Earth?
admin
Good evening Cecilia,
Thank you for visiting my website. It is indeed sad to have to observe the many cruel deeds of humans. The destruction, be it of Fauna or Flora is alarming.
On the other hand, one can also observe that many people wake up and also speak up. Many clubs and associations are formed every day and I hope we will be still in time to do save our planet. Regards, Taetske
Luke
Hello!
I really like your article! Good to know that some people care about our planet and about our future. About all the facts which you described, we should be concerned and try to find for solutions as soon as possible. Every single man can`t do much about this if we look more global but anyway, every step counts.
keep up the good work!
Taetske
Good evening Luke,
The summit on Global Warming in Poland came out with the somehow positive result but it is not enough.
We should all try to do our little bit only like that we will have a change as the governments are too slow to act.
Thank you for visiting my website and leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
Regards, Taetske
Nate Stone
Hi,
Very interesting article, unfortunately we do seem to destroy our planet in a number of ways. Not wasting energy and avoiding the use of microplastics and plastic is a whole are my two main aims at present. Microplastics aren’t just found in toothpastes though, they are found in shower gels, facial scrubs and multiple personal hygiene products, our heavy use is really quite worrying.
Taetske
Good evening Nate,
Thank you for your visit. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF?
Plastics in all shapes and forms are one of the main dangers. We are producing it and soon the oceans will have more plastic than fish. It is of utmost importance that all countries get their green energy, it is possible as some countries are 100% green or nearly. There are still so many things to do and I hope the efforts will be enough so it will still save our necks.
Regards, Taetske
Clement
Highly informative post,More awareness should be created in making the planet a better place because we basically have no other planet to run to. Oil spillage is a big problem in oil producing countries and the issue of waste needs to be addressed in places like Africa, measures should be taken to recycle waste products and also energy should be conserved.
Taetske
Good Morning Clement,
Global Warming is happening even if there are still people who say that is nonsense. There are so many issues which need attention. We can do a lot on a personal level and if leaders have a destructive idea which is harmful to the environment we should protest and vote for somebody else.
Thank you for your comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF?
Regards, Taetske
Barry
Hey. Bravo to you for sharing this post as it will help us make the Earth a safe and better place for us humans and animals too. I’ve heard about turning off all electrical devices when not in use especially at night in order to save energy… This is a good practice for each and every one of us.
You’re so correct about the water stuff. Some people don’t have access to Clean water (especially borehole water). This is what we have been taking forgranted.
Thanks for sharing…
Taetske
Good Morning Barry,
Thank you for visiting my website and leaving a comment. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF?
On a personal level, we can all do our little bit. Be careful with water use. Separate the waste so it can be recycled, go shopping with your own bags instead of getting plastic bags in the supermarket, etc
We have to wake up and realize that our actions have consequences so it is time we do something about it. Often those in power have a destructive idea so we should be careful about whom we vote.
Regards, Taetske
Harry
Oh, the planet is definitely overpopulated. I don’t remember who was but an ancient Greek philosopher had concluded that for Earth to be balanced, there had to be a limit of people who live on it. I couldn’t agree more!
It seems like we are eating up Earth, like cancer eating a human body…
I would love to hear your opinion on this.
Taetske
Good Morning Henry,
Great question you have there. Well, I think that humans will take care of this problem of being overpopulated. It is said that the young generation, the one with a smartphone stuck to their brains has a lower life expectancy than the previous generation. We will suffocate on the plastic overload. Then we put 5G on top of it to fry us well done. I really get the impression that our inventions will get rid of quite a few of us.
In the year 2100 Portugal and Spain will be a desert. Before that happens there might come a massive emigration from the south of Europe to the North. I wonder if all the people will fit. By that time the air will have become too toxic to breathe as we insist on chopping down the trees and the list goes on.
Thank you for your comment. Nice to see you again.
Regards, Taetske
Robert J Warneck
It really is a shame how we are desolating our world with our greed and our ignorance; well it is intentional ignorance. People would rather not know, so that way they don’t have to feel responsible. Yo bring up so many good points here. I often to make myself aware when leaving a room to turn the light off, when not in use.
When washing dishes ( I do them by hand), I set a sink up with hot soapy water, to wash as many dishes first before turning on the water to rinse them off; so that way the water is not continuously running.
Earth day should not be the only day that we become aware of our planer’s demose if we continue the way we do; it should be adhered to everyday.
Robert
Taetske
Good Morning Robert,
Thank you for your visit and leaving a comment. I hope you downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.
Writing for my 2 websites for more than 2 and a half years have made realize there are too many things not ok in our world. We should take care of Mother Earth instead of destroying this beautiful place. My world view has changed quite a bit over the years and I find the situation very worrying on many fronts.
Just recently I have come across bUnited, green widget under my photo, and with this innovative concept we can bring about changes. All that is needed is to be united, please have a look.
Regards, Taetske
Joe
Thank you for bringing attention and awareness to this hot topic. The earth is the only place where we can live and we are treating it so badly. Politicians and business tycoons have only profits in their minds. We all have to make little efforts to rescue the planet we call home, things that should be normal for anyone like putting trash in bins than on the streets or in nature, using less plastic, use re-usable and regenerative sources. Let’s hope that people will wake up and make this place something, our children, grandchildren, and future generations can inhabit too.
Taetske
Good Morning Volker,
Thank you for your visit and for leaving a comment on my post. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.
A lot more needs to be done so that future generations can call the planet their beautiful home. It does not look good as so much is being destroyed and often cannot be recuperated. We have the obligation to take care of the environment, but most of the time we are doing a poor job.
Regards, Taetske
Joy
Hello Taetske,
I found your article on Earth Day very interesting. This review is highly informative and I am sure it will help others, same way it is helping me at the moment. Though I read about the benefits of saving energy it actually did not explain the importance as you did here in your post. We really should be more thoughtful about our actions and the consequences it has for the environment.
Thank you very much.
Taetske
Good Morning Joy,
If we all do a little, it would cause a big change in our world. There is a need to educate our children. Children learn by seeing the example of their parents’ actions. Still, a lot needs to be done so our Earth will continue being the beautiful home she provides for us.
Thank you for stopping by and for your comment. I hope you have downloaded your free PDF? Tulip widget.
Regards, Taetske