Digital Voices

I believe in green. Believing in a color may sound foolish, but the green I believe in is the way in which your live to be more eco-friendly. I am passionate about living green because I want to change this world for the better before I pass away.

According to Webster’s Dictionary pollution is; “To contaminate the environment with man-made waste”. Pollution affects the planet in many ways by tarnishing the air, water and soil of the earth. A University of Cornell researcher concludes, “These types of pollution account for about 40% of deaths worldwide.”(Pimentel, David)

The problem of environmental pollution is due to human wastefulness, greed and ignorance. A great example of human wastefulness is the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island which opened in 1948. When it closed in March 2001, it became one of the largest garbage heaps in human history. The area of the landfill is 4.5 square miles and used to receive 26 million pounds of garbage each and everyday. The volume of the site was greater than the Great Wall of China, and at one point it towered 15 meters over the Statue of Liberty. (Lloyd, John…)

I believe that by improving the environment we improve our lives and the lives of generations to come. By reducing air, water, and, soil pollution, we improve the health of our livestock our crops and ourselves. The smog that lingers on the skyline is a silent and preventable killer. Air pollution takes lives, causes respiratory difficulties and destroys crops. “Air pollution claims the lives of over one million people a year.”(Indoor air…)
The pollution in the air causes acid rain, which leads to soil contaminated lands that harm our livestock our crops and ultimately ourselves. Due to modern treatment facilities, many may think that water pollution is not a problem, but “globally speaking 88% of diseases are attributed to unsafe water supplies.”(Water…), and the acid rain mentioned before falls to the earth and pollutes our water supply. Analyzing theses problems makes me think of a famous quota by Sir Isaac Newton “By asking the right question you are half way to solving the problem”. (Farah, Mourir…) Ask yourself what you can do to aid the environment? By learning and getting actively involved in conservation efforts, there are numerous answers to that question.

Many small steps can be taken in our daily lives that better the environment. Recycling pop cans instead of discarding them is a great and effortless way to reduce pollution and save energy. “Recycling aluminum creates 97% less water pollution than producing new metal from ore.” In addition, “Recycling aluminum cans saves 95 percent of the energy used to make aluminum cans from new ore”. (Recycling…) Another easy way to reduce energy use is to dry clothes on the line. A recent study by Cambridge University’s Institute of Manufacturing “found that 60% of the energy associated with a piece of clothing is spent on washing and drying it.”(Walsh, Bryan) When you know about the many eco-friendly options available, you can pick the ones that best suit your lifestyle.
Here are some websites you can use to find ways to be more eco-friendly.
www.greenpeace.org
earth911.org
www.sierraclub.org

branden-green-living.mp3