Environmental issues in our current day and age is a hot topic and widely debated. Many associations have been formed to help this growing problem in the world we live in today. We have seen the statistics and the numbers and the pictures of dying animals yet we do not connect, we do not relate and we do not understand how we are truly harming ourselves and the world we live in. Lush green fields, ice capped mountains, all may be gone in a blink of an eye if we continue to turn a blind eye to this issue. Yes, I say the majority of the population is turning a blind eye on this problem even though in our society right now it is actually, really “in our face”. Talked about constantly on television, on the streets and most of all on the world wide web, it may not seem we are ignoring the fact. Well we are. Only a few select people have stepped up to challenge this issue head on. Many support the idea yet will not take the initiative to do something about it. So many people are addressing this issue, they do not need me that is a common misconception. Everybody thinks everybody else is doing something to veer us off of the course of destruction but no. Not everybody is doing something, everybody may support the idea but they are most certainly not getting up off of their couch and doing something about it. I feel that I need to take a stand, get off my couch and change the world. I’m going to do something about it and I want everybody to help me.

My motivation did not come out of the blue. I did not one day wake up and ask myself, how can I change the world today? How can I save an endangered species today? How can I stop the ozone layer from being destroyed? I believe that things happen for a reason and something did happen to light this fire that burns so brightly within me. In Grade 5 my elementary friend invited me to join Girl Guides with her. Sure, why not? I thought. I mean, it was just gathering once a week with a group of girls in uniforms talking about how to sell our next batch of cookies right? Wrong. Oh so very wrong. We went on excursions and learned how to make crafts, bonfires and camping trips. Anyway, I’m not here to tell you about my adventures as a Girl Guide. There was one trip that we took together to Garry Point Park. Our team leader brings us out into the field, children are running around in their summer shorts while their parents lounge around on the grass yelling cautionary words to them. I look around, a sky of blue, glistening water and the sounds of waves crashing onto the sand. The scenery was picture perfect.

Team leader takes out garbage bags and we eyed them with disgust. “Today we are going to pick up all the garbage that we can find in this park!” she said as if it was what we all wanted to do most that day. I remember grabbing the garbage bag in disgust, putting on my gloves and throwing the pick over my shoulder. I thought to myself Why do we have to pick up stupid garbage? There’s no garbage around. Who cares?! As these unpleasant thoughts ran through my head I started to become aware of my surroundings. There was garbage. Loads of it everywhere. How could I not have seen that pile of pop cans over there? The plastic bag that’s floating slowly across the field. My mind slowly became aware that garbage was all around us. This “wonderful” park was full of litter. Litter that have been put there consciously. As I filled my bag up with pop cans, cardboard box scraps and paper bags I realized that everything that I have learned up to that point about the environment was true, that we are truly slowly destroying our earth with our own bare hands. By just releasing our hold on a piece of garbage, letting it drop to the ground, we become murderers. Murderers because we are killing mother nature and its animals that live in it, we are killing the earth that we live on. We are killing our home.

The incident made me think. Think about how such little acts could contribute to destroying the earth and how such simple acts such as picking up garbage could reverse that. Not completely but helping, even a little… helps. Each and every single one of us can do these kinds of acts. The deed that I helped with did not require lots of skills, time or thought but it did help mankind a little bit. Even though we all may not know or feel it. Just that one time affected at least one person I hope. The fire that burns within me wishes that we can all band together and fulfill one common dream. In order to save the planet we must all focus on one area at a time and demolish each and every single human plague that has tainted the earth. It doesn’t require special equipment or brains, just your heart and your desire to save the world and to make it once again a place we are proud to call home.

Suppose you own a pond on which a water lily is growing. The lily plant doubles in size each day. If the lily were allowed to grow unchecked, it would completely cover the pond in 30 days, choking off the other forms of life in the water. For a long time the lily plant seems small, and so you decide not to worry about cutting it back until it covers half the pond. On what day will that be? On the twenty-ninth day, of course. You have one day to save your pond.

As the critical voice of Donella Meadows penetratingly addresses the larger issue of our lack of care and awareness to our environment, I am hereby prompted to review the past contributions that I have made for my environment. Rewinding back to my childhood, I recall through a bare recollection of memories, how my family had rented a small plot of land near No. 2 Road and River Road. Our aim for the renting of that little piece of land was simple: it was for gardening purposes. Surrounding our little plot of land were many other plots of the same size where people without the convenience of their own gardens, had the opportunity to grow their own vegetables and fruits.

Almost everyday, my family and I would visit our garden to water it, and we would make small-talk with our neighbouring gardeners during the process. Vividly, I recall harbouring a blend of awe and excitement as I watched meticulously at my parents who were tending to the greeneries. As a ten-year-old, I recall making an enthusiastic remark – a comment that I would consider as silly today – as I spotted sprouts or seedlings. “Are we making more fresh air? Are we making more fresh air?” I would ask my father excitedly, as I recalled the simple fact that green plants produce oxygen. My father’s immediate cheery response would be “of course we are,” while my mother’s more cynical reply would be “that is, if everybody gardened like us.” Upon the hearing of that, I would feel a wave of disappointment wash over me, and I would wonder why others had not taken the initiative to take better care of their environment through the inexpensive method of gardening.

Essentially, after watering the plants, I would begin my close examination of them, in hopes of finding a ripening fruit somewhere. When I do stumble upon a ripened fruit, say for instance, a tomato or a strawberry, I would hold it up to the sunlight see its gleaming coat. My family adores the fact that on some boiling hot summer afternoons, we would be able to gather enough of our own produce to make some cool refreshing salads. Foolishly, I still recall how it saddened me to see my plump tomato get chopped up and placed into a salad.

Besides tending to our garden through the watering of our precious plants, we also had to do some work to maintain the composition of the soil. Practically speaking, we had to do something called composting. The gist of composting is the use of decayed organic matter to enrich the composition of soil. Bluntly speaking, people could almost be seen with repulsive masks as they do composting, as the repugnant smells do not exactly smell flattering. For instance, banana peels, vegetable stems, orange peels, and sometimes garbage from our neighbours would be packed into shopping bags to be carried off to the composting boxes some distance from our gardens. There, we would tentatively open the lids of the wooden composting boxes and empty our bags full of waste from last night’s dinner. I did not exactly enjoy the striking smell of the rotting vegetables there, so as a result, I asked my parents why we would compost. Despite the gruesomeness of composting, their answer to my question was simple and straightforward: it is a healthy way of recycling foodstuffs and less new soil would be needed to be purchased to maintain the garden.

After leaving our garbage in the compost boxes that are shared by a community of gardeners for several weeks, they are ready to be reused again. It amazes me how a bit of effort and some time could be used to turn our garbage into new soil in which plants and vegetables could once again grow in.

Returning to the present, I have realized that the pleasures that my family and I have received from gardening are ephemeral. With the construction of a large-scale facility recognized as a hallmark of sustainable design, the Richmond Olympic Oval has eradicated every last trace of previous gardening in that area. An area where people once had the chance to preserve nature, to “create more fresh air”, to compost, and to begin their first step in doing something beneficial for their environment, is now gone. When will we come to realize that our relentless pursuit of urbanization is gradually distorting nature? When will we realize that the human ecological system has outgrown nature’s ecological system?

Whenever I pass by River Road, I would hope that our environmental awareness would help us make prudent decisions for the future. It is worth pointing out that we still have hope. Unlike some extremely polluted areas of the world, our precious pond has not reached the twenty-ninth day yet. Let’s start doing what we can now instead of putting all our effort in saving it on the last day.

When the word “environment” is mentioned, people tend to disregard it with an exasperated sigh or the rolling of the eyes. Most people just hear the call to attention for the environment as distant echoes from unimportant tree huggers that always seem to be publicizing themselves for the sake of attention. With a mere shrug, these everyday people just carry on with their lives without turning their heads just to avoid dealing with addressing issues regarding the environment.

I, however, am a person that is willing to make change, even if I am standing alone. Taking small steps in benefiting the environment doesn’t always necessarily have to be a large dramatic movement, but every little gesture and course of action makes such an enormous difference, and it all sums up to the fact that you’re willing to take initiative. It can be as simple as telling your friends to pick up after themselves or to recycle your own unwanted cans and bottles. A personal experience of mine that occurred quite recently helped me recognize my willingness to care for the environment and made me see a side of me I never knew existed.

During lunch a few months ago, my friend and I decided to take a walk outside after she went to buy her lunch from the cafeteria. As we neared the park that resided close to our school, she scrunched up her garbage and carelessly tossed it onto the grass. I stopped and turned to her. Raising my hand, I pointed to the numerous conspicuous, blue, dome-shaped tops of the garbage cans that were well renowned on our school property.

“Those,” I said, shaking my head in disappointment, “Are the reasons why we don’t litter. Why do you think they’re everywhere?”

My friend just laughed and playfully nudged me. “You aren’t being serious about this, like, who cares, it’s just a piece of tin foil…It will eventually vanish into the soil.”

I did not bother to explain to her why I did what I did. Instead, I just sighed and bent over to pick up her garbage. I will never forget her face when she saw me dispose of the remnants of her lunch. I knew she felt ashamed of her actions, but she quickly dismissed her guilt by calling me a garbage collector. From then on, I never saw her litter again.

This minor incident made me reflect upon my commitment to the environment. I also believe that if I try my best to continue reducing the size of my ecological footprint, I can influence others to do so too.

We all know that riding our bikes or walking to and from school everyday can help reduce the amount of fossil fuels burning in the air from fumes exuding in the exhaust pipes of cars. If more people could resort to these methods of transportation, not only will the air be cleaner but the people would benefit as well by getting exercise. Exercise has many positive effects and it is very essential in maintaining a healthy mental state of well-being. Also, doing simple things such as turning off the television and computer when not in use could reduce the amount of CFCs and green house gas emissions. Taking shorter showers, turning down the thermostat and layering yourself with warmer clothes instead are also good alternatives. Helping the environment is not as hard as it seems, only if we all work together.

Helping out our economy environmentally is now closer than ever before. A very important way of benefiting our economy is to show our support by purchasing from our local farming communities. Here in B.C., locally grown fruits and vegetables help farmers gain a profit while we receive all the organic products we need. This is good for the environment because imagine all the money we are saving from shipping imported products from other countries into Canada. Just think about all the energy, fuel, and money used to get the food you want internationally imported. After all, where do you think most of your oranges come from?

The best way to help show your commitment to the environment is to spread awareness. Encouraging friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and teammates to resort to environmentally friendly methods instead. Also, setting a good example by being a positive role model and standing up for your environmental morals can help influence the outlooks of other people towards the environment. I have known people out there that believe our world is beyond saving, and that our efforts are futile and ridiculous. These pessimistic attitudes are the reasons why our world is suffering. It is time for people to wake-up and smell the morning air- not the pollutants in it. I hope that my personal experience will make others realize that starting with small steps are like flowing ripples to a larger effect.

We are not living in a dream. We cannot leave the generations to come with the mess we have made. If we were all this committed, maybe the brace of the negative impact on our environment will be softened a bit. So let us not wither away from the world we planted ourselves in. We were born to blossom, not bloomed to perish.

Only a short eight months ago, my life has completely changed when my family and I moved to Canada. The first impression, right after I came out of the airport, was that smog-free sky above Vancouver is of a bluest hue I have ever seen in my life. Later on I saw that streets of this beautiful city always look clean, trees and parks cover large areas, all buildings have recycling containers, and Vancouverites seem to truly care about the environment and nature that surrounds them. In my mind, I started to question the information given by authorities like World Economic Forum about Canada being one of the biggest polluters of our beautiful planet. I wanted to find out why is that and how can I, even in some small way, help to change that.

I learned that one of the greatest contributors to global warming in Canada is a by-product of burning fossil fuels - carbon dioxide. And it is not only the oil sands in Alberta, or heavy industry in Ontario that are responsible, but also greenhouse gases released as we consume energy to power our frantic, modern lives. As it stands now, one-fifth of total energy use in Canada is consumed by the residential sector. And around 17 percent is used to heat water, making it one of the most energy consuming applications and one where, for example, a solar energy programs in Canada can make a massive impact in further reducing bills and helping the environment.

However, there are “smaller” things that we can do to slow done those changes. Most of them my family and I can do, as well as everyone else. First of all is to drive less and carpool; ride a bike or walk whenever is possible, because less emissions automatically means less pollution. The first thing my family has done when we moved to our new home was to replace all the light bulbs in our home with energy-efficient ones. We have also purchased some energy-efficient appliances and will do it again when it’s time to replace old ones. And even if we are using energy-efficient appliances, my brother and I always help to line-dry our clothes instead of using a tumble-dryer whenever possible. We have also learned that unplugging electronic devices when they are not in use can save lots of energy, and we make sure to always remind our friends and relatives to do the same.

In addition, greenhouse emissions are not and should not be our only concern. We, as consumers, continually produce waste of which some will decompose for what looks like eternity. In the meantime, our planet is suffering under this new weight. Therefore, we need to do other things that can help us to preserve our environment. Simply buying recycled paper products and recycle as much of our waste as possible, together with using reusable canvas grocery bags when grocery shopping is something that can put us on right track. Shop locally for foods instead travel a long distance to get to some other store is another way to do something good for the Nature. And the best thing for preserving our life source is planting a tree in our yard.

I also had an opportunity to participate in is the annual Shoreline Cleanup organised countrywide and in British Columbia supported by Vancouver Aquarium. Many companies and organisations give their support to VanAqua and participate in this event. Last year, I was participating with Reiyukai Canada, a humanitarian organisation that promotes self-growth by providing help to those in need. In this case, our Earth is the one that need our help. Last September, a team of around 20 volunteers of this organisation, gathered on Spanish Banks and worked to cleanup this beautiful beach. While stumbling upon old shoes, ropes, cups, forks, bags, beverage bottles and cans, food wrappers, six-pack holders, broken plastic toys, soiled baby diapers, and hundreds and hundreds of smoking-related residue items, I came to realise that my first impression of this city was not a completely accurate one and that residents of this city are not immune to leaving waste behind. What needs to be done is not only to involve more people in those cleaning activities, but also to teach people of all ages not to take for granted beautiful nature that surrounds us and to keep it clean. As for me, I have learned that I should always look at my own habits first, and then try to possibly inspire other people to do the same and try to make a difference. Experiences like this one help me grow to be a better person, and I know now that my actions in life do make a difference.

It is evident that we can do very much by changing our habits and investing in future, whether it to be an activity like Shoreline Cleanup or utilisation of solar energy. Preventing global warming is possible if we all get together and implement smaller or greater changes to the way we live. Preservation of our Earth for future generation is something that should not have alternative, and should be considered as a priority in everyday life, since we will not have another chance to fix today’s errors. Each person can make a difference, and I surely will continue to do all I can as I want one day my grandchildren to live in a place with the clean waters, surrounded by trees, and ‘wrapped’ in the brightest blue sky that captured me in a heartbeat.

Amidst the industrial desert of steel and concrete of Macau city, there lies a piece of green, fertile oasis, undisturbed by the emission of smoke from nearby factories. Perhaps calling it an oasis is too much of an overstatement, but back in those days, a garden can feel like the entire world, and it was our entire world. It was our playground where we would catch fluttering white butterflies with chubby little fingers. It was our sanctuary when we wanted to escape from the occasional scowling from disappointed parents. It was our kingdom in which all the richness of the earth and soil belonged to little princes and princesses. It was the gift from a beloved teacher, who unknowingly taught us the beauty of Mother Nature and the appreciation for the very soil we walk upon.

I was in Grade three when we started the Apple Tree Project. My homeroom teacher at the time, the soft-spoken,mild-tempered Ms. Li had developed malignant brain tumour. She was a teacher beloved by everybody, and we were all saddened to see her gentle smile being replaced by numerous sombre frowns and impatient scowls. The class quietly waited for her to return and stand in front of the blackboard once again, a piece of chalk in hand and a field of knowledge blossoming under her feet. Yet after days and weeks, her graceful hands did not brush the blackboard. After days and weeks, she did not enchant us with her mesmerizing, and at times heart-wrenching stories of her childhood, one that is filled with the hardships of poverty. After days and weeks, we began to despair and agonize over our uselessness in her battle with the malicious tumours. Then finally one day, as we were resting under the shades of an oak tree during P.E class, we caught sight of the school garden that Ms. Li was previously in charge of before her illness. We silently observed the overgrown weeds, untrimmed bushes, and the apple tree, standing nobly amidst the sea of unkempt chaos, dignified and untouchable.

“That’s the apple tree Ms. Li watered every week,” the class president broke the silence “Remember the story of how she could only afford to buy apples as treats when she was young? She told me that she wanted to take special care of the apple tree to remind her of the sweetness of the fruits and perhaps share it with us one day. She sure took good care of it.”

“Yeah,” I whispered, touched by her desire to return what the earth gifted upon her, “Maybe we should look after the garden for her. She’ll be happy to see it when she comes back from the hospital.”

The class nodded and agreed enthusiastically. Excited plans were made by the class president and a task was assigned to every member of the class. Everyone felt content and relieved that we can finally put our feelings into action and take care of something that was deeply treasured by Ms. Li.

Every day after that, the students of class 301 became busy gardeners who weeded and watered the patch of land during every recess and lunchtime. Several ruddy faces with rolled up pant legs and muddy hands holding fistful of weeds are usually seen in the garden. Sandwiches and carefully prepared lunchboxes were usually enjoyed under the canopy of the apple tree. Speckles of sunlight danced to the warm summer breeze and sparkled playfully on the freshly watered grass. The students, who were so used to eating their meals inside brick buildings and in front of flickering TV screens, were amazed by the simple beauty of nature, one that’s colourful and vibrant without pixellated squares. The Apple Tree Project opened our eyes to a world of wonder and imagination that we had always brushed aside. We cared for the garden with sincerity and devotion, because Ms. Li had always treated every one of us with kindness and love. We returned all the love we had received to the apple tree, as a result it flourished under our care. By the end of the year, the garden was completely transformed. With the effort of 27 pairs of hands, we were able to plant rows of delicate pink hibiscus beside the apple tree. Its simple, fragile beauty along with the solid loveliness of the apple tree amazed us every time we visited our garden. At times it was hard for us to believe that we had created something so pure and beautiful with our own fingers.

Although Ms. Li never returned to experience the wonders she had unknowingly showed us, she would have smiled with pride and amazement at the sight of the square of land. She would have sat contently under the canopy of the apple tree, enjoying the beauty of the purest and simplest form, one that she taught us to cherish and love. We learned to never take nature for granted, and never think lightly of a single apple or a droplet of water. We learned to never toss our garbage carelessly behind us, or stain the blue sky with a layer of industrial smoke. We learned that the beauty in front of our eyes, the beauty that lifted our souls and lightened our hearts needed our care as well. So please, preserve this earth so that the future generations can smile like we did, because nature will only love us, if we learn to love nature.

Over the years, it has become increasingly evident that human beings are a coddled species. In life, we are often given numerous chances to achieve our goals, despite their range in importance. As children, we would scream, “Do over!” until the other team eventually relented. And now, with a few simple strokes on our keyboards, we are able to rectify our mistakes using a sequence that has been engraved into our memories; the undo sequence. These luxuries that we have long taken for granted have contributed to the “Do-nothing” attitude that many have concerning the environment today. However, the earth does not come with an undo button. And unfortunately, no matter how hard we scream, our collective impact on the earth cannot be “redone”.

As part of a two year leadership program at the Vancouver YMCA, my teammates and I had organized and participated in several environmental awareness activities. Our goal was to reach out to the community in order to educate the public about the large-scale consequences of their actions. Unfortunately, our initial attempts ultimately backfired. At the end of each day, we discovered our meticulously drawn pamphlets regarding endangered coral and mosquitoes scattered in trash cans, rather than the paper recycling bins placed strategically beside them. Our suggestion box overflowed with various comments that can be all summarized into the phrase, “Provide food”, and our charitable donation box rang true with the deafening sound of silence.

Although we were discouraged by our obvious failure, it was then that we realized our mistake. As humans, we find it difficult to relate to organisms such as mosquitoes or coral. While it is true that these creatures are important links of our ecosystem, we have the tendency to overlook them due to their unappealing nature. Keeping this piece of newfound wisdom in mind, we began to revise our approach on relating global warming to our audience.

Soon after our monumental failure, we launched yet another public awareness day. We asked our participants to fill out a chart consisting of their habits, and then proceeded to calculate the size of their ecological footprints, meaning the amount of land necessary to sustain their lifestyles. We then handed out another set of pamphlets consisting of everyday methods which can be employed to reduce the effects of global warming such as turning down the thermostat or recycling.

The day was marked as an overall success. We managed to gain public interest in an issue that has been greatly ignored, and have converted many into actively aware citizens through motivation. Although we did find traces of discarded pamphlets, we were encouraged to see that they were at least placed in the paper recycling bin.

I’m not claiming to be the poster child of environmental awareness. In fact, I used to be quite the opposite. I had an increased sense of security when my home emanated a glow which rivaled that of a lighthouse, and I enjoyed listening to the sound of running water as I brushed my teeth. After calculating the size of my own ecological footprint, I was shocked to say the least.

My shame led me to reflect on my own lifestyle, and I began to make gradual changes to my habits. I encouraged the rest of my family to follow suit, and slowly but surely, environmental awareness was incorporated into our daily lives without resistance. We followed the three R’s; Reuse, reduce and recycle, and discovered many financial benefits which have accumulated as a result. I was surprised to see that our family caused a chain of events which I can only explain as a ripple effect. Our neighbours, friends, and family soon became more environmentally aware as well.

When approached with the subject of saving the world, it’s common to feel overwhelmed. However, global warming is an increasingly urgent issue that we as a society can no longer brush aside. Unlike topics such as abortion or cigarettes, the topic regarding our planet comes equipped with a catastrophic countdown. During the past few decades, we have been given numerous warning signs hinting at imminent disaster. We have achieved what has been thought to be impossible—we have tampered with the course of nature. Research has shown that if society does not embark on a stricter course of action, the earth will reach its point of no return within ten years.

“Loving the world” is no longer a hippie concept restricted to the 70’s. It must become a global objective if we are to preserve mankind. We cannot pass on our laissez-faire attitude, as that would simply tighten the noose we have already placed upon the necks of subsequent generations. We need to widen the reach of our individual ripples, in hopes that our cooperation will eventually cause a tide of change.

Have you ever thought about suffocating in the 70 million tons of pollution dumped into the air daily? Have you ever thought about the plastic bag’s future when you go shopping? And have you ever thought about the carbon dioxide emission that is a side dish to the mouth watering hamburger you just ate? These things have one thing in common. They are all causes to the only phenomenon that affects every human being, every animal, every plant and every environment on this planet. And that, my friends, is global warming.

It is becoming clear that global warming has caused our environment to go into “a rising fever”, alarming us that something is wrong. Animals up north are losing the ice caps as their habitats, polar bears are drowning due to the melting of the ice, temperatures and water levels are rising rapidly. This is an illness caused by men that will not heal on its own. “We are what is wrong, and we must make it right.” The time is now for us to begin the healing process of our home. The time is now for us to unite and fight against this virus that has been robbing the Earth of its health. The time is now for us to take a stand and make changes, not just for this generation, but for our future generations to come. How can I, a speck in a world so big, help to create a healthy environment? No matter how small we may be, small changes we make can lead to an immense difference on the planet. We have everything we need to reduce, reuse and recycle and it all starts with a greener me.

Reduce, a verb meaning to bring down to a smaller extent, number, size and amount. The average person in North America produces nearly 40,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually. By the year of 2010, North America will have consumed more than 263 quadrillion units of energy, which will result to more waste and carbon dioxide in the environment. However, when we reduce our energy consumption, we do not only save money on our energy bills, but we also reduce the amount of fossil fuels burnt to give us this energy. This results in lower greenhouse gas emissions which causes global warming and other harmful pollutants to the air, soil and water. By practicing flicking off the television and lights when not in use, reducing the amount of hot water when bathing and changing to energy efficient light bulbs can help reduce nearly a ton of carbon dioxide. By car pooling, taking public transportation, walking or biking, every gallon of gasoline conserved reduces 22 pounds of carbon dioxide and air pollution that blackens air. At home, I have begun a habit of using energy efficient light bulbs, switching off lights and other appliances when not in use. Regularly, I take the bus or car pool which saves a great deal of money on gasoline. For short distances, I choose to walk, bike or rollerblade. The changes I have made, however small they may be, reduce greenhouse gas emissions which in turn help to reduce the effects of global warming.

Secondly, reusing can be a huge part in creating a healthy planet. Every time we go grocery shopping, we return home with quite a few plastic bags, which add to the 10 billion plastic bags used annually in Canada. These bags use up heaps of non-renewable resources, enlarge global warming as they are produced and takes hundreds of years to decompose. Why not turn to an alternative? Grocery stores and supermarkets vend durable, light weight and environment-friendly shopping bags made of recycled material. You can use these bags just about anywhere: the pool, shopping or the library. If 25% of families in America use these shopping bags, it is possible to reduce 2.5 million plastic bags made each year. When I go shopping for groceries, I try to use my own shopping bag whenever possible. It is more convenient to carry all the items in one load and it makes finding certain items easier than having to rummage through ten bags. It was troublesome at first to remember to bring a shopping bag but it has become a habit to not leave home without it. By changing just the use of one commonly used item, I have helped to create a healthier environment and reduced waste.

Lastly, one of the words that is strongly associated with the environment, recycle. Paper, juice boxes, pop cans, cardboard, newspapers and magazines found in our home, office and school, can be recycled. These items can be recycled again to make new objects like bottles, cans and paper. Recycling can trim down the use of resources, pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions involved in making the item. For every ton of recycled paper, 380 gallons of oil is saved and for every recycled aluminium can recycled, a television set can operate for three hours. However, if we do not recycle, these recyclables end up filling landfills and more resources will be necessary to produce new ones. It has become a habit for me to recycle at home, at school and in public places. It can be done easily, efficiently and effectively. I also encourage family and friends to put recyclables in the recycling bin rather than just chucking it away in the trash can. I want to be able to influence others in thinking about greening the planet in their lives. By influencing just one other person, it can start a chain reaction and soon many others will join together to fight against this cause of global warming and greening the planet.

The planet’s life is at stake and we must cure it before this illness becomes incurable. Men are gifted with intelligence so that we may able to solve problems in times of need. The time for us to take action is at hand. We ought to join as one to take responsibility for our actions and reconstruct a healthy world. So let us not hide from the fear of this international crisis and rescue our globe now. The slightest changes to our daily routines can lead to great changes in the environment. Caring is contagious. Let us learn to take this care for our environment and spread the word to others. “We have a purpose. We are many. For this purpose we will rise, and we will act.” Let us act now.