HOW TO PROTECT OUR PRECIOUS PLANET?
The e-book stands for the final product made under the terms of ”Let’s get green – raising the awareness of ecological problems” Erasmus + project.
Nowadays, we still hear that we all must do something to protect the environment, but why should we all get green? What does the word green mean? Why and how should we all protect our planet and why is it so important? Everybody knows the issue, everybody knows the questions but does everybody or at least majority of us really try to find correct answers and start acting‌?
In an ecological sense, the word ‘green’ means the colour of nature, life, energy, growth, freshness, safety, harmony, fertility and environment, so everything which is connected or should be connected to natural world. Nature has a lot to offer to each of us- who doesn’t like relaxing walking in the woods, watching breath-taking views in the mountains or listening to the calming sound of sea waves? Isn’t it an amazing experience to come across a proud deer in the green forest or be able to share your banana with a hungry or rather greedy monkey? However, we all must know that nature must be protected not only because it gives us moments of pure pleasure but in fact without it ‘working’ properly we all will die very soon…as nature gives us air, water, fertile soils, plenty of resources, health, safety and freedom. Acting irresponsibly and foolishly, we damage our nature so we destroy the home we live in and we limit our freedom…
If we want to stop this bad situation and if we want to have a bright green future, we all must start protecting our precious planet on a daily basis. We must act responsibly, but remembering that any good change need time. So, let’s start from increasing our ecological awareness of real things we can do to save our dear Mother Nature.
GREEN HOME We all live somewhere and so far we are lucky enough to have unlimited access to electricity and running water, but have you ever thought of a situation in which we are run of these valuable resources? Can you imagine not being able to have a shower or a bath, not to mention the fact that there is not enough drinkable water? And what about the lack of electricity? We couldn’t lit up our houses, cook, watch TV or search the internet. Hospitals, schools, offices and any other institutions would stop working. And how could we survive without our dearest smartphones? Can you imagine your life without an instagram or snapchat??
To avoid this catastrophic scenario, we all should do the following simple things:
SAVING ELECTRICITY - turn off the light when you don’t need it - use natural light as long as possibleit’s better for your eyes and the environment - buy LED (light emitting diode) bulbs - try to reduce using your smartphoneit produces lots of carbon dioxide and needs frequent recharging - turn off and unplug any electrical appliances when you don’t use them for a longer time - avoid using a hair dryer if possible as well as a clothes dryer - ask your parents to install solar panels on the roof
SAVING WATER - take a shower instead of a bath- it will save a lot of water - ask your parents to install a water showerhead or a dual flush on the toilet - while brushing your teeth or soaping yourself, turn off the tap - use a dishwasher and a washing machine only when it is full or use an ECO programme - if you notice a leaking tap, tell somebody older about it at oncethey should call a plumber or try to fix it themselves - use cold water to wash your clothes - re-use cooking water to water plants
WHAT OTHER GREEN THINGS CAN WE DO AT HOME? - segregate rubbish very carefully- it will pay off! - grow your own fruit and vegetables in your garden, on a balcony or in a window box - save paper, if you have to print something, use both sides of a sheet
ATTENTION! DANGEROUS PLASTIC! We all can stop using too many plastic products by reducing domestic waste: - try to eliminate using plastic packages, bags or cutlery- if you buy vegetables or fruit put them into a cotton or paper bag - don’t buy food in plastic packagesit ‘sweats’ so apart from being nonecological, it’s also unhealthy - segregate domestic waste- thanks to it your rubbish will be recycled - buy liquids in glass bottles - always have a reusable shopping bag with you, forget about using harmful plastic bags
ECOLOGICAL TRANSPORT Modern travelling is quite a controversial issue as most families owns up to even 3 cars. People have got used to this convenient means of transport and it can be easily noticed that there are more and more cars everywhere. As the world have become a global village, more and more people travel by plane.
That is why, we must remember to: - use public transport as often as possible- it reduces emission of exhaustive fumes and you can socialise with interesting people at the same time - if you don’t like spending money on public transport, use a bike! It’s very ecological, fun, helps to keep fit and doesn’t cost a thing! - if you are old enough to drive and use a car going to school, take some schoolmates with you, it’s funnier and helps save money and the environment - try to choose airlines which care about the environment and use less nitrogen oxide and/or emit less carbon
GREEN SHOPPING If you help doing shopping at home, this information will be very useful. You can’t do shopping being hungry or in a hurry- the key to green shopping is intelligent buying with a well-prepared shopping list.
Bear in mind the following things: - don’t buy unnecessary items- you will save a lot of time, money, space and….natural resources - if your smartphone works properly or can be fixed, don’t buy a new one every 2 years or more often - buy real/unprocessed food in local shops to which you can get on foot or by bike - again: FORGET ABOUT PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS OR PLASTIC PACKAGES!- you will save sea life - buy e-tickets if you travel by plane, train or bus or go to the cinema or theatre - paper tickets are in use for a few seconds only and they can’t be recycled
ECO FASHION Lots of us like looking good and fashionable. Nowadays, there are lots of cheap clothes everywhere and we tend to buy them in huge amounts. However, being trendy also means being green and responsible. We must know that fashion industry damages the environment very badly- making clothes takes a lot of energy, for example one T-shirt needs 800 litres of water to be produced.
- buy second-hand clothes, change your clothes with friends or buy recycled ones online, moreover, you will have brilliant, cheap and unique clothes - don’t throw away old clothes- give them to your friends, charities or sell them online - read the labels- pay attention to the way we should take care of our clothes to take advantage of them for a longer time - don’t be tempted by sales, promotional activities and special offers- you will spend your money on things you don’t really need - have your clothes mended by a tailor or try to do it yourself
GREEN DIET Our everyday diet is strictly connected with protection of the environment, even if we don’t realise it. Meat production requires huge amounts of water, plants and other resources. Did you know that about 90% of tropical forest deforestation within last 50 years is connected with the demand for making meat products?
Next time, you plan your meals, please remember about the following things: - cut down on eating meat - eat more fruit and vegetables - try to eat vegan products once a week - don’t waste food- prepare an ‘intelligent’ shopping list and never do your shopping being hungry- you are likey to buy lots of unnecessary products - if you like cooking, prepare tasty, simple and healthy dishes using your creativity and intuition - prepare bowls for peelings and cores- after some time you will have lots of ideas on how to use them effectively
GREEN TRAVELLING ”Travelling broadens the mind” but it can also contribute to the environment protection. As more and more people travel by plane and most families have even up to 3 cars, all of us must remember about these green pieces of advice: - buy e-ticket to save paper - don’t buy new books- visit a library or choose e-books - don’t use hotel cosmetics- take your own from home - take your own metal cutlery and a bottle - take a cotton shopping bag to buy local products- you will get to know new culture with its tastes - instead of moist wipes, take a flaxen cloth or a cotton cloth impregnated with beeswax - don’t buy unnecessary souvenirs, especially those made of plastic - tell your parents to choose ecological fuel and airlines which try to reduce air pollution emitting less nitrogen oxide, carbon and noise footprint - choose trains instead of a car anytime possible
To sum up, apart from green home, transport, diet, fashion and travelling, there is something beautiful and really green- it is our Mother Nature with all its miraclesvariety of animals, birds, insects, reptiles, trees, plants, flowers, river, lakes, seas, oceans, mountains and deserts. We have to constantly improve our knowledge on nature, including endangered species to appreciate this very complex and wellorganised wildlife. It’s high time we turned to nature taking a deep bow as now we need it much more than ever and we must do our best to thank it for its precious treasures and apologise to it for all the damages we have done. After all, we all are the children of our dear Mature Nature.
ENJOY A GREEN PLANET
Disclaimer: This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This e-book reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.