WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Changing life habits on an individual basis is the first step in doing so. For example, trying to slowly transform into a vegetarian or a vegan from a meat eater decreases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
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Eating Less Meat
Eating meat has always been part of the human diet. However, data has shown that eating vegetarian options has a positive impact on health and a less likely chance of obtaining diseases such as colon cancer. Similarly, a vegetarian diet decreases one's chance of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. However, changing to a vegetarian is no easy task. The change involves reducing the amount of meat even though numerous individuals enjoy eating red meat, poultry, and beef. Yet, one can first change their diet to incorporate fish. Once their bodies calibrate to eating fish, they can eventually remove fish from their diet and become vegetarian.
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Less Air Travel
Every day, millions of people board planes to travel or work. However, when flying, the airplane generates large amounts of carbon dioxide, leading to global warming. To reduce your reliance on air travel, take only necessary vacations. If travel is crucial, minimize your luggage and choose airlines that use biofuels, aka green flights. Additionally, bringing your reusable products is beneficial for the environment. Moreover, the carbon footprint will decrease significantly, as will all the species living on this beautiful Earth.
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Walk and/or Bike When Possible
It is common knowledge that walking and biking have positive health benefits, promoting heart health, reducing stress, and managing emotions and overall well-being. Beyond personal well-being, walking and biking impact one's global footprint, exhibiting their eco-friendly transportation. However, countless individuals live far from where they work. Therefore, carpooling with a colleague is another alternative to walking and biking.
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Biodegradable or No Plastics
Non-biodegradable plastics have been a common threat to marine and terrestrial ecosystems, contributing to pollution. Given this emergency crisis, we must reduce the quantity of non-biodegradable plastics and replace them with biodegradable ones, or ideally, eliminate plastics. Switching to biodegradable or no plastics can help safeguard animals and their ecosystems and reduce pollution. Furthermore, this transition is necessary for a cleaner, healthier environment.
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Less Overfishing
Fishing has been a part of many cultures throughout history and in many locations. However, as time passes, the fish population declines dramatically. Therefore, we must conserve these species. This disturbing trend jeopardizes marine communities and the traditions that depend on them. To combat this threat, we must prioritize saving these species by enacting fishing regulations and reconstructing potentially extinct marine communities. By reconstructing endangered or theoretically extinct fish species, we can preserve biodiversity and hope that future generations will have the rich traditions and environmental assets in our oceans.
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Less Litter
Waste has always been a part of society, yet various types of litter have exponentially increased. Organic wastes undergo a decomposition process that does not utilize anaerobic breakdown. Therefore, the organic materials in landfills emit ample amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere, increasing the severity of global warming. Non-biodegradable litter, when exposed to immense sunlight, will break down into microplastics. This process slowly increases the greenhouse gases in the environment, which adds to climate change. Further, plastics require inexhaustible amounts of fossil fuel during the creation process, impacting climate change. In marine ecosystems, litter threatens the ecosystems as they naturally absorb the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Similarly, in terrestrial ecosystems, litter influences floral and faunal life. To combat this, individuals can use products that do not utilize plastics to place the correct wastes into the trash or recycle.
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Less Mining
Reducing mining involves multitudinous crucial strategies. Developing and utilizing eco-friendly alternatives such as biodegradable resources to diminish the necessity of mined machinery helps abridge the impact mining has. Improving mining efficiency and technological advancements target the immense wastes exposed to various life forms. Encouraging specific consumption and regulations leads to promoting an unsullied biosphere. As the most complex form of terrestrial life, humans can collaborate to integrate these approaches to minimize the greenhouse effect. By amalgamating various policies, utilizing technological innovation, and federal policies, we can amortize mining companies' carbon footprints and, therefore, create a healthier environment for future generations.
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More Reforestation
Over the past few decades, there has been an exponential increase in deforestation due to forest clearance for urbanization, agrarian goals, and development. Reforestation, however, provides a vital remedy for the declining habitats in the woods of biodiverse importance. Native tree planting helps mitigate global warming by restoring natural diversity, enhancing carbon sequestration, and improving air quality in deforested areas and other locations. People can help by taking part in local tree-planting campaigns and organizations that support reforestation. Additionally, integrating agroforestry—the fusion of agribusiness and forestry—offers the perfect balance between farming and forestry.