Fun Facts:

 

 
by Manar Suleiman
 
Gaylord Nelson once declared, “the ultimate test of a man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”  This statement has become increasingly true as global warming develops into a bigger problem.  In recent years, global warming has become a
primary topic in many political, economic, and public issues around the world.  As these, sometimes drastic, climate changes occur, the importance of recycling becomes evident to a bewildered public looking for solutions.  In fact, scientific research has shown, for years now, that there is a clear correlation between recycling and pollution.  Recycling then is a valuable alternative to turning garbage into unusable waste.  Interestingly, one recycled tin can save enough
energy to power a television for three hours.  With this in mind, it is crucially important, now more than ever, that consumers take recycling seriously by following three simple steps to a better earth: reduce, reuse, and recycle.  First of all, it is important for a consumer to understand why recycling impacts his or her life.  In 2000, the EPA claimed the average U.S. citizen produced 4.4 pounds of waste per day, or 1600 pounds of trash per year.  Overall, the United States alone, produces more than 220 million tons of waste each year, which is enough to bury 82,000 football fields, six-feet-deep, in garbage.  These facts prove that each person has played a part in polluting the environment and should also play a part in cleaning it up.  Environmentally,  decomposing waste that builds in landfill sites releases harmful greenhouse gasses and chemicals into the air.  Recycling helps to reduce this pollution.  Also, recycling helps to reduce the need for raw materials, which, in turn, helps to reduce habitat destruction and deforestation.  Furthermore, consumer products that are made from raw materials require large amounts of energy to produce.  Recycling would help to preserve natural resources because it requires much less energy.  More personal factors include,
reduction of financial expenditure in the economy and preservation of natural resources for future generations.  Ironically, about 16 percent of the money spent on products pays for the packaging, which ends up as garbage.  Understandably, it is not easy to find ways of
limiting waste, when economic development constantly calls for new products and materials that are not biodegradable.  Although it is difficult, and, at times, confusing, consumers should
take responsibility, and give back to the earth.  “Reduce, reuse, recycle” is a commonly used phrase which is often misunderstood.  Reduction, which is choosing what garbage you want to throw away, seems to be the most difficult of the three to comprehend.  Nine out of ten people said they would recycle more if this were easier.  Consequently, consumers can find easy tips to reduction in a number of places.  These tips include, buying only what you need, buying products which can be reused, avoid buying products which contain hazardous material, and buying products with little packaging.  Secondly, reuse is using items found around the home for different purposes, rather than throwing them away.  For example, carrier bags can be reused in shops or in garbage cans, old envelopes can be used as scrap paper or can be reused for mailing, and old jars and pots can be cleaned and used to store loose ends.  Last, recycling is important for conserving natural resources and improving the environment.  Recycling needs to be thought about even before items are purchased.  Consumers should be thinking of how the item they are purchasing can be reduced and reused, and if the material can be recycled.  Easy and effective ways students and consumers can help the environment are planting trees in their communities, find and use the local recycling facilities, use schools and businesses to encourage recycling, and organize community projects regarding recycling.  Individuals can help by donating old electrical equipment, clothes, or books for reuse, using rechargeable batteries, rather than creating unnecessary waste, building a compost bin for use in the garden, and grass cycling grass cuttings.  With the world‘s population continually growing, it is not likely that waste piles will soon decrease to near nothingness, and the earth will once again become lush with green trees and somewhat predictable temperatures.  Although, many countries are now recycling in record numbers, drastic changes are yet to be seen.  With celebrities and many other important names now on board with the “Go Green” initiative, there is more hope for a cleaner tomorrow.  Former presidential candidate, Al Gore, once stated, “ if we do not take
action to solve this crisis, it could indeed threaten the future of human civilization… that sounds hard to accept.  I believe it is deadly accurate.  But again, we can solve it.”