by Naomi Santana
Do you want to help save the planet but don’t know where to get started? There are many things that you can do to help save the Earth, and you might even be doing them without realizing it. Saving the earth may not seem like an easy task—but it may be easier than you think.
According to ecowatch.com, turning off the faucet while brushing your teeth can help save a lot of water. They also mention that it is important to fix leaking faucets as soon as possible because they waste an estimated 182 liters, or about 50 gallons, of water every week.
Another way to help save the earth is to take showers instead of baths. According to 50waystohelp.com, taking a bath uses twice the amount of water that is used when
taking a shower. Showering can help save water and money, and taking shorter showers can help save about 10 gallons of water per shower.
Changing all light bulbs to energy efficient bulbs can also help save the planet. This can reduce the amount of power usage and help save money. According to 50waystohelp.com, changing one light bulb to an energy efficient light bulb can make a big difference and if every household in the United States had these types of light bulbs, “it would reduce pollution by the same amount as removing one million cars from the road!”
According to Energy Saver, the types of energy efficient light bulbs that can be used are halogen incandescents, compact fluorescent lights and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). These types of light bulbs are the ones that can help save a lot of energy and money.
Turning off the lights when they are not being used is a good way to conserve electricity. Certain devices such as blenders, chargers, lamps and televisions can be unplugged when they are not being used.
“I turn off all my lamps, I unplug everything in my house and the lamps that are not in use,” said Raven Thomas, a communication major. “I take short showers. I drive a hybrid and it saves a lot of money. I also pick up trash (in theme parks, on campus) and I bring my own bags when I go grocery shopping.”
Picking up trash is also another way to help the Earth, whether you are at a beach, at a park, on campus or anywhere else. “When I go to the beach I take my trash and throw it away. Before I leave I try to pick up at least five pieces of trash,” said communication major Grant Selfridge.
According to an article titled 10 Things You Can Do to Help Save the Earth by Katie Lambert, walking, riding a bike or taking public transportation to work or school can help
reduce greenhouse gases. Lambert also mentions recycling as another way to help reduce pollution. Recycling aluminum, paper and glass is important because these types of material don’t decompose easily.
According to 50waystohelp.com, glass that is not recycled can take up to one million years to decompose and if it is recycled it can “reduce related water pollution by up to fifty percent and related air pollution by up to twenty percent.”
“I unplug most of the appliances in my household … I took an AP Environmental class and I know the environmental footprint that we have,” Alexander Stott, a communication major, stated. “I usually don’t like to buy fast food and I prefer to eat at home because going out to eat, especially at fast food places, produces more trash. I also bring my own bags when I go grocery shopping.”
There are many other ways in which you can help save the Earth such as using a clothesline, planting a tree, not using coffee stirrers and cleaning with vinegar or baking soda. To learn more about how to help save the Earth, please visit https://www.ecowatch.com/50-ways-you-can-help-save-the-earth-1882107724.html.
