5 Small Ways You Can Help Save the Planet
By: Sunder Dragoon
Tags: Global Warming, Earth, Activism, Pollution, Conservation

5 Small Ways You Can Help Save the Planet

It always amazes me just how dependent we are on the planet. Earth is basically just a big rock that spins around in empty space. Even the smallest change can destroy everything: a meteor striking us, getting too close/far from the sun, a global catastrophe that destroys everything in sight, nuclear war, or the ozone layer burning up. Literally anything can kill us!

And yet, here we are, steadily destroying our only home in space.

We share this home with billions of other people, too. If anything happens to our planet, all of us die. What a terrible way for humanity to die!

Imagine: we were lucky enough to incarnate on an inhabitable planet, lucky enough to survive billions of years of evolution, and lucky enough to have developed a technologically advanced civilization, only to destroy everything!

We truly are an ungrateful species, probably not even worth the air we breathe. How could we possibly be the ‘stewards’ of the Earth?

Well, that’s where you come in.

We’re not super heroes. We can’t fly, shoot lasers from our eyes, or punch holes in the asphalt, but we can do things collectively! If each person on the planet picks up just one piece of trash on the ground/water, that’s 7,800,000,000 pieces of trash cleaned! You can see where I’m going with this. :)

With that said, you can do your part to help save our home, the Earth, by doing just a few small, simple things. Let’s see what you can do to help.

Bring Reusable Bags to the Grocery Store

Photo by Anna Elizabeth on Unsplash

This is probably the simplest way to help that I can think of.

There are over 100,000 tons of plastic waste in the ocean. Plastic waste comes from many sources, such as packaging and textiles. The plastic bags that we use gets thrown away or littered and eventually end up in the ocean.

Plastic bags in the ocean or nature end up polluting natural habits. Animals and plants living in these areas suffer from such pollution by dying from suffocation, ingesting man-made wastes, and more.

You can stop contributing to this waste by refusing to use plastic bags provided by the stores. Simply bring along a reusable tote bag and place your purchased goods within. The fish and ducks will thank you for it!

Save Power and Resources

Photo by Christin Hume on Unsplash

The electricity you use has to be created somehow, and that ‘somehow’ is usually not good for the environment.

Burning coal and natural gas releases pollutants and greenhouse gases into the air, which wreak havoc on the Earth’s atmosphere. Too much of this can result in global catastrophes such as cyclones, wildfires, droughts, floods, rising sea levels, and melting polar ice caps.

You can lessen your impact on the atmosphere by reducing your energy and resource use!

Turn off the lights when you’re not in the room

Turn off electronics when you’re not using them (such as the television, etc.)

Shut off the water when you’re not using it

Shut off the gas when you’re not using it (such as on a stove)

Use less electricity, water, and gas overall

All of this starts with you. By reducing your resource use and not wasting resources, you are helping to save the environment!

Recycle

Photo by James Lee on Unsplash

Don’t throw recyclable waste into the trash bin! Instead, throw them into marked “recyclable” containers so that they can be processed at a recycling plant!

These plants melt down recyclable waste, which then allows companies to reuse them to produce goods for you and me, rather than having to produce new packaging materials from scratch!

You can help save the Earth by recycling your recyclable waste!

Don’t Ride Cars (If Possible)

Photo by David Lee on Unsplash

Cars produce a lot of pollution from the burning of fossil fuels, which hit the atmosphere and cause trouble. Do what you can to reduce your ride time in your own cars in order to help the environment!

Try to use such travel methods such as:

Walking

Bicycles

Trains

Buses

Carpools

You may not always be able to do this, which is understandable: some people may need a car to drive to work or school. If possible, try to walk, ride a bicycle, or use shared transportation to reduce your impact on the atmosphere.

Throw Away Trash

Photo by Ocean Cleanup Group on Unsplash

Pick up that trash!

I am personally grateful to anyone who picks up litter or helps to clean up the oceans. You don’t even realize the impact that you have on our environment! Thank you so much!

By picking up any litter that you see on the street, you are saving a wild animal from having to live in that trash.

By throwing away your own trash, you are making sure that it doesn’t pollute nearby natural habits.

Always throw away trash!

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Photo by Vega Nanda on Unsplash

“Be mindful” of the environment as you live your daily life.

You are only one person in this world, but your actions matter so much!

Your carbon footprint is the total measure of greenhouse gases that you produce and push into the atmosphere! This can come from riding cars or from using electricity. Each of us has a carbon footprint.

If you aim to use less resources overall, then you can be assured that you are helping the environment!

Thank You!

Photo by Howie R on Unsplash

Thank you so much for your help in saving the environment!

The Earth is our home, and it is the only home that we have! If it dies, then we all die!

If the Earth perishes from uncontrollable sources (like the sun imploding), then so be it, but let us not be the cause of her downfall!

Your small actions everyday help the Earth to live a longer life, which in turn ensures that our future generations have a home!

You can get started with saving the Earth today with these small actions. In addition, you can tell your friends and family members what you learned so that they can help, too! Earth thanks you — and them — for all of your help!