Earth Day

When we care for the planet, we care for ourselves.

In this post I will be sharing information in hopes that it brings awareness to the drastic state of our planet. The Earth needs us now more than ever! It's crucial that everyone does their part to help restore the environment and preserve it's natural resources. Whether it be composting at home or using cloth bags at the local grocery store, no effort is too small!

Keep reading to see how you can reduce your environmental footprint and make a positive impact not only for yourself and your neighbors, but also future generations to come!

a bloodroot flower from my local park

Pollution

Sadly, it's not a surprise that almost every surface of the Earth is polluted in one way or another - air, water, land... it's all tainted! Humans have done permanent damage to the Earth by filling the air with toxic chemicals, dumping waste into it's waters, and burying trash into the crust.

AIR

Although air quality can be affected by natural disasters outside anyone's control (such as wild fires), humans still have the biggest impact on the quality overall. Everything from gas powdered cars, to coal burning trains, and fossil fueled factories - the emissions from these things greatly reduce the purity of our atmosphere. This damages the Earth's ozone layer and causes breathing problems for many people. But, polluted air harms more than just our lungs, it also has detrimental effects on the environment around where we live. Animals, trees, microorganisms, and waterways are all negatively affected by poor air quality!

top air polluters:

• airborne particles

• animal dander

• pollen

• mold

• lead (leaded gas)

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

• Carbon Monoxide (CO)

• Ozone (O3)

• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)

• Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

WATER

It is believed that there are around 2.2 billion people who do not have access to clean water, many of them living in highly populated and/ or under-developed countries, but, this issue isn't limited to just these areas! The CDC estimates that contaminated drinking water causes illnesses in at least 1.1 million Americans each year. Regularly consuming "dirty" water can result in various health conditions - ranging from diarrhea, to cancer, and even death. However, humans aren't the the only creatures being sickened by these poisoned waters. Other living things like fish, birds, turtles, coral, seaweed, etc. are also facing devastating consequences from this man-made problem. Sources show that 80% of marine pollution comes from land based sources. These include products like factory waste, agricultural run-off, and everyday trash.

top water pollutants:

• industrial waste

• oil / fuel

• plastic / microplastics

• wastewater

• crop sprays and fertilizers

• radioactive waste

• prescription meds

  
  

SOIL

Having clean soil isn't optional, it's essential. Not just for plants growing in the ground, but for humans as well. Think about it - the food we eat begins from the Earth in some way. Our fruits, vegetables, herbs, and grains absorb the nutrients (and the toxins) from the soil in which they are grown. Then we eat those crops or by products and ingest the pollutants ourselves. Studies show that being in constant contact with soil thats contaminated with heavy metals can lead to a host of heath conditions, including, but not limited to: metabolic disorders, hormone disruption, organ damage, weakened immune systems, and neurological impairment.

top soil contaminates:

• PFAS - forever chemicals (teflon / nonstick pans)

• heavy metals

• pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers

• cleaning agents

• asbestos

Wasted goods

According to Earthday.org "Bad trash management could be the downfall of humanity, wildlife, and the health of all ecosystems."

While we are heading in the right direction with improvements like Sanitary Landfills, there is still A LOT more progress that needs to be made if we ever want to try to remediate a fraction of the damage we've done. Sanitary Landfills are different than traditional landfills because they have safe guards, like liners and coverings, in place to reduce the amount of chemicals leaked into the environment from trash decomposition. However, they only make up 8% of the world's landfills, which leaves "open dumping" the primary method of waste disposal globally. These types of landfills accelerate climate decline because there are no preventatives to keep garbage from releasing 'greenhouse gasses' (carbon dioxide and methane) into the the air and leeching pollutants into the ground and surrounding waters.

Next time - think twice before throwing something in the trash! Can it be recycled? Can it be reused or repurposed? Can it be fixed if it's broken? Can it be donated to someone else? There are many other options that are far better choices than just tossing it in the can. Many items that are found in landfills only break down after hundreds of years.... IF they breakdown at all. The less that ends up in the city dump the better!

facts:

• Over 2 BILLION tons of waste is thrown away globally each year

• North America generates more trash than any other country in the world (even China & India combined)

• Food waste accounts for 22% of waste in the U.S.

• 10% of global methane emissions are produced by landfills

  
  

top 10 items found in landfills:

• food scraps

• plastic water bottles

• plastic bags

• glass bottles

• paper cups

• plastic film

• aluminum cans

• clothing

• shoes

• disposable diapers

Becoming more Eco - Conscious

Making simple swaps of your everyday items can be an easy way to significantly improve your relationship with the Earth and reduce wastefulness.

How many of the things listed below can you change in your life?!

• plastic grocery bags -> paper bags -> reusable tote bags

• plastic bottles of water -> refillable plastic bottle -> refillable stainless steel bottle

• plastic ziploc bags -> silicon bags -> glass containers

• plastic / cling wrap -> beewax wraps

• disposable dishware -> regular dishes and silverware

• paper towels -> swedish dishcloth or rag

• dryer sheets -> wool dryer balls

• disposable diapers -> cloth diapers

• throw away clothes -> donate clothes

• buy new -> buy second hand

  
  

** What eco-friendly alternatives can YOU think of?

How you can help

reduce, reuse, recycle

• reduce your use of plastic, chemicals, fossil fuels , etc.

• reuse items whenever possible, give them a new purpose.

• recycle everything that you can!

  
  

conserve, compost, clean-up

• conserve natural resources

• compost food scraps & yard-waste instead of throwing it in the trash

• clean up any trash you see laying around and dispose of it properly!

support businesses who care

• uses sustainable & ethical resourcing

• practices regenerative & organic farming

• has clean / nontoxic ingredients

• aids environmental clean-up

sources:

• https://www.developmentaid.org/news-stream/post/152754/water-pollution-in-the-world

• https://www.earthday.org/how-our-trash-impacts-the-environment/

• https://greenprintproducts.com/the-top-10-longest-lasting-items-in-our-landfills/?srsltid=AfmBOoqFuaw9zEZ_GRcl0eITEU8FBOJhHvNsa5E8BRm5h7aCiwEG3D2o#toc-heading-2

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10064841/#cvac082-s2

• https://www.iqair.com/us/newsroom/10-most-harmful-air-pollutants-youre-breathing-everyday