Why Go Green?

By: Malerie Eeds

Time and time again I see trash cans full of recyclable material, the time wasn’t taken to simply separate the garbage. Lots of people do not consider the environment or what their actions do to our earth, but I believe it is simply because they don’t know. They haven’t been educated on why recycling and going green is important, they don’t understand the severity, and they will continue with their wasteful habits until they are enlightened somehow. So, that is why I decided to share the following information I found on www.green.org, to enlighten you in hopes that you will go on to enlighten others. Together we can help sustain the earth for future generations. 

“To decide to go green isn’t just about the present state of the planet, it’s also about the ever-unfolding future. It’s about the limited resources of the planet. In 1800 there were 1 billion people populating earth, which doubled by 1922. That 2 billion tripled to 6 billion by 2000, and conservative estimates are that there will be 9 billion people inhabiting our little planet by 2050.

Considering how many people are homeless and starving at present, what will that future be like if ways to go green and sustaining the planet and its population are not put into place before that future arrives?

Some of the smallest things people do on a daily basis have the greatest negative impact, and can easily be changed into small daily “go green” habits with a positive impact on life on earth.

Household electronics, batteries and harsh cleaners add dangerous chemicals to our environment and seep into the groundwater, which is the source of water that sustains human life. This harmful chemistry contaminates the soil where all our food grows. Much of this poisonous chemistry cannot be removed from the drinking water, cannot be removed from the soil, cannot be removed from the crops, and cannot be removed from the systems of the animals that eat the crops. Meanwhile, responsibly recycling these harmful components and using products that are green and kind to the environment, can easily be done. Simply go green!”

Sometimes it’s helpful to see examples of the effects of recycling and being conservative with resources. Here are a few:
• One recycled glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100 watt bulb for 4 hours
• One recycled aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for 6 hours
• Recycling 100 pounds of paper saves 350 gallons of water, 19 gallons of oil PLUS saves enough energy to run the electricity in an entire house for nine days!