Earth Day is an opportunity to reflect the relationship we have with our planet. Photo by Lauris Rozentals Via Pexels
Brandon Ramos, Staff Reporter
Next week, April 22, marks the 52nd anniversary of Earth Day, a day where the big question roams many of us; How can we preserve mother nature for future generations? We can all play a part in conserving the Earth and keeping our environment clean. Here are five different ways we can all help protect the earth, not just on Earth Day but also on any other day.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Using the three R’s can help keep waste out of landfills and conserve our natural resources. Reducing the amount of waste that is thrown out limits the amount of trash and unnatural waste that gets into our forests and oceans. Reusing is a key factor that helps utilize an item many different times so there is no need for wasting. The most common reused items are water bottles or plastic bags. Recycling can be done within your home with the paper or plastic items that you throw out, or at public places by tossing your waste in the correct containers.
“I don’t like to use plastic water bottles or bags for anything, but when I do I make sure to reuse the water bottle at least five times before recycling it,” said Karina Espitia, a Senior at California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH).
Converting Waste Into Compost: Whether you have a garden at home or school, natural nutrients can come from compost made from scraps and waste that we often use on a daily basis. Natural waste such as fruit peels, small leftovers, and trimmings can add years of life to a garden at no extra cost. Beginning to compost is a fast and easy process.
Start by finding a dry and shady location within your garden. Lay down some twigs and moist soil in a container as a base for your compost. You can continue to add scraps and waste until the bottom materials are dark and moist, when you see this it will be ready to use in your garden. This can take anywhere from two months to two years depending on the size of your compost.
“I started composting by adding my leftovers and food scraps into my grandmother’s small rose bush and now we have an entire garden of blooming flowers,” mentioned Jesus Ayala, a sophomore at CSUDH.
Plant A Tree: Planting a tree is much more important than many people would think. By planting a tree it provides us with a supply of oxygen for many years to come; trees also provide wildlife with habitats and food. Flooding and water pollution can also be reduced by surrounding trees.
Save Water: Saving water is one of the most important things that we can do in order to conserve our planet and keep fresh water available. Some ways to conserve water are by turning off faucets when brushing your teeth, checking for water leaks throughout your home, and limiting the time and frequency in which you water your lawn and plants. These are all very simple and attainable ways to conserve water within your home.
With California being in the worst drought in history it is important to help conserve water and help to limit the amount of water usage in our homes. The CSUDH campus provides an excellent example by having over 90% of the campus irrigated with recycled water from the local community.
Educate Yourself: Not only on Earth Day should we all be interested in helping the environment and keeping the planet clean. By educating ourselves on environmental issues we can help to keep the planet clean. There are a number of issues that are affecting the planet including endangered species, climate change, and water shortages, just to name a few. If we all play our part the Earth can stay clean and habitable for generations to come.
The following are resources that provide useful information on how we can help to save the earth in different ways:
Website:Nature.com
Website:https://www.noaa.gov
Video: What Can You Do RIGHT NOW To Save The Earth?
Video: How to Take Care of the Environment – 10 Ways to Take Care of the Environment
Book: “The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis” by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac
