The preservation of the environment depends on the involvement of the whole society. It must be a concern of governments and citizens.
Governments must create public policies for environmental preservation and protection, in addition to investing in the education of the population for the awareness of the importance of caring for the environment.
Likewise, all citizens must be aware of their attitudes, knowing that it is necessary to take care of small acts that, together, can make a lot of difference. Find out now about some simple measures that can be taken to help preserve the environment.
1. Save water
Water is a natural resource that may end if not saved, mainly drinking water, which accounts for only 3% of all water on Earth.
The adoption of simple measures can be very effective in reducing water consumption and preserving this fundamental resource for the survival of living beings and for the preservation of the environment.
To reduce water consumption, measures such as: taking shorter showers and not leaving the faucet open when brushing your teeth and washing the dishes can be taken. It is also possible to collect and reuse rainwater and water used in washing machines.
Simple measures can be very effective in saving water.
2. Do not throw garbage on the street
Throwing garbage in the street is a practice that causes a lot of damage to the environment.
In addition to littering cities, the garbage that is thrown on the streets can accumulate in sewers and sewers. As a result of this, when there is rain the flood risk it may increase, as it is through these outlets that rainwater must be drained.
The garbage left on the streets can also be taken to rivers, streams, oceans and water sources, causing the death of fish and other animals, in addition to water pollution. In addition, it can cause the proliferation of rats and other animals that can transmit diseases to humans, such as leptospirosis and hantavirus.
To avoid this problem, try to deposit garbage in the places that carry out the disposal in the correct place to avoid further damage to the environment.
3. Decrease car usage
The flow of automobiles contributes a lot to air pollution due to the pollutant gases that are released by burning fuel, mainly carbon dioxide.
The emission of these polluting gases must be reduced as much as possible, as they have a great influence on the increase in the global warming It's from greenhouse effect.
Finding ways to cut down on car use is an effective way to help reduce air pollution. Some alternatives are: using public transport services more, walking or cycling, and taking part in carpooling systems.
See also the meanings of Global warming and Greenhouse effect.
4. Use less plastic
The excessive use of plastic is one of the big problems that need to be controlled to reduce impacts on the environment, as this material has a very slow decomposition process. The plastic left in nature takes between 200 and 400 years to decompose, depending on the type of material used in its composition.
In addition, the plastic that reaches the oceans, seas or rivers is responsible for the mortality of thousands of marine animals, which further increases the imbalance of this ecosystem.
To reduce the use of plastic, you can avoid buying products that are sold in plastic packaging and bags and not using straws, cutlery and plates made of plastic.
It is also possible to get into the habit of using bags made of fabric or other long-lasting recyclable materials, which can be reused over and over again.
Plastics that reach the seas and oceans are pollutants and cause the death of marine animals.
5. Buy less and fix more
Another way to help preserve the environment is to avoid making unnecessary purchases, especially for electronics. Items that are no longer useful for use or that are considered outdated, if discarded, further increase the waste produced. In addition to plastic, chemical and toxic substances present in these products can harm the environment.
The more you buy, the more garbage is produced and the more companies and industries produce. Thus, excessive consumption is responsible not only for the increase in the volume of garbage on the planet, but also for the increase in pollution that is produced and released by factories.
To avoid dumping more waste into the environment, an important tip is: before buying a product, check if there is the possibility of repairing the item you already have.
To learn more about the consumption and shelf life of products, read the article: Scheduled obsolescence.
6. Separate the trash
Sorting garbage is one of the simplest and most efficient ways to help preserve the environment. The easiest way to do this is to separate organic waste (food waste) from waste that can be recycled.
To help a little more, it is still possible to separate the different types of recyclable waste: glass, paper and cardboard, packaging, plastics, etc. Separating recyclable waste is a way to help with the selective collection work. Garbage is separated, packaged and sent to companies that transform this material into new products.
Recycled waste, in addition to helping to preserve the environment, also helps generate jobs for people who work to transform these wastes into raw materials for the manufacture of new products.
Organic waste can also be reused in a process called compost, which transforms these organic residues, from their natural decomposition, into fertilizers or fertilizers.
Read more about Recycling, Selective collect, Compost and examples of social movements.
7. Decrease electricity consumption
Reducing electricity consumption also contributes to the preservation of the environment, in addition to helping to save on monthly bills.
It is also possible to exchange the use of electricity for other renewable energy sources that are more sustainable. An example is the solar energy, also called clean energy, which can be used in homes, schools and public buildings. For this it is necessary to install solar panels that collect solar energy and transform it into electrical energy.
There are also other alternatives to the use of electric energy, such as wind energy (from wind) and hydroelectric energy (from water).
Solar panels are a sustainable alternative to save electricity.
Read more about the Environment and Sustainability and meet some examples of sustainability.