Essay On Environmental Conservation

Environmental Movement Report

Before the 1960s, environmentalism mainly focused on conservation of resources and the wilderness and was apparent through Theodore Roosevelt's creation of five National Parks, one hundred fifty National Forests and about two hundred thirty acres of land set aside for conservation. In the 1960s, the environmental movement was really able to garner support as it was during many other movements such as Civil Rights, Peace, and Women's. Many consider the spark forenvironmentalism to be Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1962), which exposed the harmful effects of pollutants such as DDT on the environment and the public. While minute amounts of DDT cause little to no harm to the organisms that are affected, as DDT moves up the food chain, it becomes more and more concentrated. A generally accepted value is that for each level up in the food chain, the concentration of pollutants increases by a thousand times. The effects of Silent Spring cannot be overestimated. As people began to become more informed about pollution, more people demanded that the federal government take action. The environmental movement then grew to encompass global warming, clean air, energy, the ozone layer, and also pollution. These concerns were vocalized in the very first Earth Day that occurred on April 22, 1970 and was established by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson. A group of twenty million Americans, all coming from vastly different backgrounds, celebrated the holiday

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The Conservation of the Environment

The conservation of the environment is essential for ecosystem functioning and protecting or managing natural plant and animal species. Many plant species are unique because they are irreplaceable and thus need to be protected so that they can be enjoyed to observe in the future just as they are enjoyed now. Conservation ofbiodiversity is needed due to population and economic growths causing habitat fragmentation, habitat loss, the introduction of invasive species, pollution, soil erosion, unbalanced overexploitation and nutrient loss in soils. Many plant species occurring in the Jan Marais Nature reserve are very vulnerable and very valuable as they are the only undisturbed natural plant species to still remain in the borders of Stellenbosch, which includes the Boland Granite Fynbos and Swartland Shale Renosterveld. The benefits that result from conservation areas are limitless and can include great economic, research, social and educational values. The establishment of conservation areas can benefit biodiversity and conserve or protect vulnerable ecosystems. Conservation areas provide great economical values such as eco–tourism and can also provide employment. Scientists can benefit from conservation areas as they can do research and conduct scientific experiments in natural environments which are not disturbed. Conservation areas are also an important component in education as people can visit these parks to learn more about what conservation is, what species are

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The following annotated bibliography covers a breath of topics under the major topic theme Environmental Management and Conservation. It was created as a starting point for building my knowledge of GIS tools used in environmental management and conservation for my concept map. The authors present an exploratory study using purposive testing among four different groups (scientist, non–scientist, agency manager and social scientist) included in the Coastal Landscape Analysis Modelling Study (CLAMS) in Western Oregon. CLAMS combines remote sensing with web base surveys. It was found that each participant had differing perspectives of the use of GIS to analyse and display natural resource data. For instances scientist believe that there is power in access to privileged knowledge such as data and GIS tools, giving rise to issues concerning credibility of maps produced using GIS as maps tend to be viewed as truth. I find this article beneficial to help build my knowledge of public involvement in Environmental Management and Conservation as many articles I have read are trending towards open source GIS and Public Participation GIS. It is also useful to get a grasp of the pros and cons of this topic. In an attempt to reduce the issues surrounding the limitations of information and data for decision makers. The authors sort to make an open source database for coastal and ocean ecosystem–based management. To achieve this geographical, biological and socio economic data was collected

The Benefits of the Green Movement Essay

The Green movement began in the Western World during the 1970's around the time of the Vietnam War. The green movement is a social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvements to the current health of the environment. The Green movement also promotes the conservation, restoration, and the overall improvement of our environment. Many people disagree with the green movement and its values because they don't see the immediate benefits from them. However, supporting the green movement by recycling, researching alternative energy sources, and mandating eco–friendly laws will lead to a better, greener, country. One fairly simple way that people can immediately contribute to the green movement is by recycling....show more content...

Another easy way to support the green movement is through the research of alternative energy sources. By switching to renewable energy sources we could drastically reduce or even eliminate the harmful emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels. "If 50 – 100 billion dollars were spent worldwide on the development of alternative energy sources we could reduce the world's consumption of fossil fuels by 25% and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50%."

(Levi, Michael) There are many different ways to harness alternative sources. Some examples of renewable energy sources include Biomass Energy, Wind Energy, Solar Energy, Geothermal Energy, and Hydroelectric Energy. "Combined with the use of recycling, the use of clean alternative energies such as the home use of solar power systems will help ensure man's survival into the 21st century and beyond." (Alternative Energy – Wind, Solar, Hydro and Other Alt Energy Sources for Home Power) So far the most effective form of alternative energy currently available is solar. "A 1.5 kilowatt PV system will keep more than 110,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, out of the atmosphere over the next 25 years. The same solar system will also prevent the need to burn 60,000 pounds of coal. With

Environmental Conservation Essay

Energy Conservation

Jessica Goode

Axia College of University of Phoenix

We all use energy each and every day. We use energy for entertainment, cooking, transportation, lighting, heating, cooling, manufacturing, as well as many other things. According to the Webster Dictionary (2009),energy is defined as just being active. If that is truly the case, then anytime we are doing anything we are being active and using up energy. Shouldn't we try to conserve more energy if that is the case? According to the Business Dictionary (2007), energy conservation is the reduction in the consumption of natural resources by any individual, society, organization, or the economy as a whole. It is the elimination of waste being put back into the Earth...show more content...

A lot of this consumption could be decreased if humans were more aware of the dangers they were creating for the environment and their future generations. There are many sustainability strategies and solutions already in place. The most known about plan in place is the Solar Tax Credit. On October, 4, 2008, Congress passed an 18 billion dollar bill that provides those individuals that take the responsibility and costs upon themselves to utilize the renewable energy sources available (Yang, 2008). "Climate change and green buildings legislation are expected to be high on the agenda of the 111th Congress and the new administration" (2009 legislative outlook, 2009). There are also several other plans in place such as the Energy Star Heating and Cooling Program. This program is a voluntary program in which manufacturers agree to manufacture and market high efficiency heating, cooling, and control products to help lower energy usage (Green Communities, 2008). Although there have been many sustainable and strategic solutions developed to conserve energy, many have been unsuccessful. The reason that these plans have been so unsuccessful is because they have a limited time frame, the awareness of the public is not there and mainly because of the current economic crisis. My plan to reach sustainability is simple and should take no longer than two year's time

Student Number: 60373466

Module: GGH1502

ASSIGNMENT 2

712923

QUESTION 1

Environmental Worldviews and The Importance of Resource Conservation

QUESTION 3

Acid Rain – Uneven distribution and Human and Environmental Effects

QUESTION 1

The world consists of many opposing views on how the world should function and how to best interact with it. The first points describes different environmental worldviews and the second point describes the importance of resource conservation.

1.1 Environmental Worldviews and Values

Environmental worldviews are how people think the world works, where they fit, and how they think ethically and morally. These views can be human centred, earth–centered or a combination of the two(Tucker and Grim, 1994).

Human–Centered and Life–Centered Environmental Worldviews

Human–centered views consider humans to be the most important species and stewards(a person in charge of looking after something) of the earth.

Planetary management worldview

Humans are thought to be the dominant species. They believe that humans should manage the earth, all other life forms have some sort of instrumental value for human use.

Problems are solved with more economic growth and development, and better management and technology and that the planet should have a free–market global economy(Tucker and Grim, 1994).

Stewardship worldview

Humans have an ethical responsibility to care for the earth, they should make a better world and repay the earth by

The Importance Of Environmental Conservation

Among the world, natural parks and nature reserves are used to protect wildlife, biodiversity, and historical landmarks for indigenous people. A recent study has shown that natural parks and nature reserves are additionally aiding in the slowdown of global warming. Carbon emissions from tropical deforestation have been prevented over the years 2000–2012 by one third [1]. Defending biodiversity will help sustain large number of plant and animal species, and the variety of genes will not only provide a variety of organisms, but also help ensure survival of the ecosystem. Healthy ecosystems are more resilient in recovering from natural disasters with more biodiversity, and the survivability among social and biological organisms within will continue to thrive.

Natural forests are home to over 13 million distinct species. Over a billion people depend on tropical forests: communities use them for water, food, housing, and medicine [2]. Furthermore, forests help prevent billions of tonnes of carbon from being released into the atmosphere. Deforestation causes up to twenty percent of all human emissions of greenhouse gases, which is more than all of the world's transport [2]. It is an unsustainable act that is a leading contributor to global warming. The mass burning of trees leads to severe air pollution locally and thousands of miles away. At its current rate, tropical rain forests will not be viable ecosystems within one–hundred years. A method to preventing deforestation

Abstract: There is no dearth of legislations on environmental safety in India but their enforcement has been too distant from satisfactory. There is must use for the effective and efficient enforcement of the Constitutional mandate and another environmental legislations. The creative role of judiciary has been significant and commendable. harmonious to the Constitutional provisions contained in Articles 48A and 51A(h), many Public Interest Litigations have been instituted in the Supreme Court of India against many industries for failing to arrange significant pollution control and also against Pollution Control Boards to direct them to take appropriate measures to ensure pollution control. For the aim of efficient and effective enforcement of these lays, it is compulsary to set up an Adjucatory Body which should consist of legal as well as technical advisers. Caring for controlling and protecting the environment is essentially a wish to see that national development should commenced along the rational sustainable laws.

Intoduction: The conservation, protection and improvement of human environment are major issues in the world. Human environment consists of both physical and biological environment. Physical environment wraps land, water and air. Biological environment covers plants, animals and other organisms. Both physical environment and biological environment are internally dependent. Industrialisation, urbanisation, Get

Sustainable development that allows the present generation to meet our current needs, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. In other words, sustainable development is a inseparable system of economic, social, resource and protection of environmental which not only can attain the objective of economic development, but also it can protect the natural resources of atmospheric, freshwater, marine and environment. It can make the future generations live and work in peace and environmental protection. Sustainable development has the connection with environmental protection, but it cannot be equated with environmental protection. environmental protection is one of the important aspect of environmental protection. The core of sustainable development is development, but the premise of social and economic development is controlling of population strictly, improving the quality of people, protecting the environment and using the resources permanently. There are 5 main points of sustainable development nowadays: 1. the support of development, 2. the cleanness of water, 3. the green trade, 4. the exploitation of energy, 5. the protection of environment. Specifically, the support of development is that developed countries enlarge the economic assistance to the developing countries. The proportion of the assistance should reach 0.7% of GDP. 2. the cleanness of water means that economizing the water for half of the population who are short of

An Environmental Conservationist, which is also known as a conservation scientist, is an excellent job for anyone who loves nature and wants to preserve all of earth's natural wonders. As a conservationist you need to, "Find your own ways to make less trash, and help others to learn how to reduce, reuse, and recycle." (EPA). The job is a hands–on job which means "spending a major portion of the workday outdoors without regard to weather." (Easton 35) Though this doesn't seem like a scientific job to most people it is because it involves calculating the outcome of certain things on the environment.

The purpose of this career is to protect the environment and the people and wildlife that live in it. The...show more content... Environmental Conservation is labeled as a field that is hazardous, because as an Environmental conservationist, you are " working with infectious materials, or where accidents are common." (Easton 35) To perform this job, you need a lot of initiative because you need to determine what needs to be done and often it can be a life or death situation for people and/or animals. It is easy to get burned out in this career, due to "enduring long–term stress and strain." (Easton 35) This is not a job people can have for a short time. This a career that people commit their whole lives to.

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People with degrees in this field can be employed by local, state or federal governments. It is also likely to be hired by an organization such as the EPA( the Environmental Protection Agency). Through 2010, "Growth will be strongest in state and local government thanks to efforts to protect the environment. Growth will probably be less at the federal level, despite growing need in areas of soil and water conservation." (Easton 89–90) It is estimated that "2,200 new jobs (will be established) between 2000–2010." (Easton 36) The federal government currently employs most of those in his field. There are agencies set up and people are hired by these agencies which are branches of the federal Get

The preservation of the environment and conservation of energy are dynamic topics in the political world of today and actions to be taken are discussed every day. It is time to advance beyond the ordinary gasoline engine automobile that has polluted our environment for several decades. The recurring problem that hasn't been solved is the pollution from automobiles that harms the environment and uses fuel that won't be around some time in the future. Neglect for the preservation of the environment has spread like an infection over the years, and automobiles are major players in the pollution of the environment. A change is vital, and hybrid cars have begun to lead the way to that change, besting regular car in cost–effectiveness and...show more content...

The environmental impacts from automobiles come in the dozens ranging from brake and tire debris to the toxicity of the lead acid batteries in cars. These problems are also not to be taken lightly. For example, the debris from tires and braking raises the toxicity levels of nearby soils and leads to the formation of black carbon. Both pollutants have been shown to cause lung toxicity and significant portions of particulate matter in urban areas. Painting and coating cause discharges of harmful materials such as nickel, copper, and hexavalent chromium into the atmosphere. Batteries are a more critical part of the automobile, and even though they can be recycled they account for the release of 42,000 tons of unwanted lead release into the environment. The plethora of environmental problems from automobiles today is affecting the lifespan of our atmosphere and causing a downward spiral that is exponentially increasing. With these problems, the transportation revolution is knocking on the door and as the guardians of our planet, humanity needs to find a way to decrease pollution and that way has been opened with the hybrid car. Hybrid cars are more beneficial to the environment than their traditional counterparts, but not all hybrid vehicles function the same way. To decrease emissions all hybrid cars run on some form of electricity, whether it run on pure electricity or splits power with

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The Environmental Issue Of Water Conservation

Water is essential for humanity's survival, and even though the world is largely covered by water, only a small percentage is potable for human utilization. Approximately, on average, 120,000 gallons of water is used annually for a single–family household (Galbraith). This alarming number could be reduced dramatically for the efforts of water conservation and lowering water bill prices for families could subsequently save money that could be used for other expenses. Thus, conserving water would prove beneficial and advantageous to not just in Texas, but to everyone else as well. Although environmental policies have not been as popular with Congress and the state legislature, it is still an important issue to consider since there are only a limited amount of resources for public use, such as water. Both the federal and state governments have enacted policies towards the efforts of water conservation that mainly affect cities and corporations and considered how it affects other organisms in the environment. One current environmental issue between the U.S. federal and state governments is concerning about the efforts of water conservation and other natural resources by passing several laws that mainly affect both cities and companies that somewhat relate to preserving wildlife as well for the ecosystem. The reasons initiating these legal changes are to conserve clean water for human consumption and to preserve wildlife as well. Congress passed the Water PollutionControl Act

Broad Topic: Environmental Protection/Nature Conservation

Narrow topic: Animal protection

Research Question: What are some of the measures that need to be implemented by the Jamaican Government to protect endangered animal species?

Introduction:

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way its animals are treated." This proclamation that is attributed to the great Mahatma Gandhi has frighteningly opposed the graphic and upsetting images of slaughtered, abused and neglected animals that are so often seen in newspapers and on social media. Animals play a very essential role in our environment. They assist with the maintenance of biodiversity in nature. Moreover, many animal species are in danger of extinction...show more content...

Deforestation, burning and bulldozing of their habitat must be prevented or minimized. Moreover, the government can construct more national parks, wildlife preserves and nature reserves so that endangered species can be free from negative human interference. These places allow endangered animal to have a suitable habitat, which will accelerate their survival rate. All animal life is important and worth protecting because they help to maintain an equilibrium in the ecosystem.

II.Secondly, teaching animal welfare in schools should be employed as the primary tool to execute protection of endangered animals in our Jamaican society; since not everyone is aware that some animals are at risk of extinction.

A.Teaching animal welfare will educate the active and passive abusers about animal protection so that they can implement better measures to protect endangered species.

B.According to Phillips (2009) teaching animal welfare in schools will result in an improvement in animal wellbeing. Thus, the use of education is an effective avenue to achieve an improvement in the treatment and care of endangered

Environmental Science Essay

Environmental Fundamentals

Laura Jackson

Env/100

April 8, 2013

JOHN ENSWORTH

Environmental Fundamentals

Introduction

Environmental science is defined as the study of the environment and the interconnecting systems it contains, furthermore, the way people interact with their natural surroundings and use natural resources (wise geek, 2013). Scientist in this field is highly interdisciplinary and extremely diverse, for example, a scientist might study volcanoes or climate change. This essay will cover the following; the definition of environmental science, the relationship between science and technology and how it affects environmental problems; the concept of environmental sustainability and why it should be studied; how human...show more content...

Environmental Sustainability

Environmental sustainability is the process of making sure current processes of interaction with the environment are pursued with the idea of keeping the environment as pristine as naturally possible based on ideal–seeking behavior (Wikipedia, 2010). What makes environmental sustainability so important is that it demands that society designs activities to meet human needs while indefinitely preserving the life support systems of the planet (Wikipedia, 2010). Human consumption can only use the nature's resources at a rate that can be replenished naturally.

Human Values affecting Society

The most devastating environmental change of all is the loss of biodiversity. The rate of species extinction has remained at one species per million per year, furthermore, the accelerating destruction of habitats throughout the world leads to projections of the loss of two–thirds of all species on earth by the end of this century, and millions of years to recover from the Cretaceous period (mindfully.org, 2013). As individuals, we obtain our

food, directly or indirectly from plants, for example, plant our primary use of medicines. Biodiversity also determines the properties of communities and ecosystems, which capture energy from the sun. The world is less resilient, more homogeneous, less interesting, and with fewer opportunities for our descendants and ourselves: where the process reaches

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The Importance Of Climate Change

Climate change has been evident across the globe, and mostly, it has impacted some areas more than others. However, there has been a strong correlation that climate change has been linked to the new threat to humans, diseases caused by vectors. The purpose of this paper is to examine climate change and the spread of the zika virus.

One cannot shy away from the fact that climate change has been caused by some of the human–based activities on the environment. These activities have been at an increasing rate over the past years generated a wave that cannot be stopped by anyone since our natural environment is no longer independent, but being interfered by humans. We know that different economies are trying their best to up their game through urbanization, technological advancements, and globalization, however, it is not all good at all since there are alterations in both the economic and social patterns on the globe. Land, air, and water are the top most endangered natural resources in the environment since their degradation is increasing each day and every night (McMichael & Confalonieri, 2015).

Climate change cannot be disputed citing the fact that it is real and basically, the human activities are primarily responsible for these changes in climate. Most of the human population lives in desperation and poverty citing that close to 2.5 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation, something which increases the prevalence of diseases in the areas they live.

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The Importance Of Environmental Conservation

Numerous sensitization campaigns have been launched, all over the world, with the aim of promoting awareness of the rising cases of ecological destruction. These campaigns have not only targeted human activities but also business operations. Shaw (22), highlights the major environmental challenges faced in the modern world; most notoriously, water and air pollution, which he says, kills crops and vegetation, damages the ozone layer and threatens people's lives and health. Businesses play a massive role in contributing towards ecological damage. According to Shaw (22), "businesses damage the environment when they take natural resources from the earth and dispose of waste" (4). Most sensitization campaigns, however, argue on environmental conservation from ahuman interest perspective. Shaw, for example, states that industrial chemicals harm animals and plants which consequently causes poisoning and possible death to human beings (75). This article, therefore, aims at establishing that, apart from their interest to human beings, plants and animal's rights should also be conserved for their own sole interest.

As argued by Torley, every animal and non–animal member of the ecosystem has its own share of rights that ensure it is protected against harm or damage which, as Torley adds, are natural and not obsolete. A right is defined as the entitlement to possess, utilize or freely do something (Taylor 13). According to Torley, most countries only recognize the moral rights of the

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Response 3: Arguments for Environmental Conservation Since the beginning of civilization humanity has adopted a subjugating stance toward nature. Ecological exploitation has become the de facto standard, contributing to the illusion of self–subsistence provided by modern society. This mindset is untenable given humanities reliance on the natural world, as best demonstrated by the critical importance of various parts of the environment to humanities continued existence. This includes the importance of biodiversity to medicinal advancement and climate adaptation, the role of insects in the renewal of the biosphere, and the importance of the environment for humanities psychological health. A huge number of modern medicines are derived...show more content...

(31) In addition, biodiversity will be crucial for humanities continued survival in the case of climate change or widespread crop failures. The majority of people on earth are reliant on four crops for subsistence; wheat, rice, corn, and millet. (11) These crops are threatened by climate change and the spread of disease facilitated by modern transportation. If humanity is to survive such an eventuality it must be ready to draw upon the earth's biodiversity for replacements. And while there are approximately 50 thousand plantspecies that could offer alternatives, this bank of resources is quickly thinning as various ecosystems are being destroyed. (11) Other services nature provides are more easily taken for granted. We depend on plant life to replenish the oxygen in the atmosphere, and on insects to replace nutrients in the soil. (31) These insects are especially vital, as they are part of the foundation of nearly all ecosystems. Without insects, plant species that rely on them for pollination would quickly become extinct, including many of the species we rely on for food. Following them would be species that feed on insects, as well as species which rely on vegetation as part of their habitats. Finally, as insects make the prime contribution to soil renewal, even non–insect pollinated plant life would begin to decline. (34) The result, according to Wilson, would Get more content

Economic Conservation vs. Environmental Conservation

Around the world people are being affected by conservation and endangered species laws and regulations. Some want the biggest house on the most beautiful land and have the money to get it, while others feel that we have developed enough and there has to be more land left to nature. I feel that while endangered species should be protected, their protection should not change the way that local people function, and interact with one another. This has prompted a battle of economic growth versusenvironmental conservation that can be found both locally such as in Duxbury, Massachusetts, and world wide such as the southern mountainous region of Vietnam.

Duxbury is a small town...show more content... However, for the past few seasons the beach seems to have become less accessible because of the increase in Piping Plover, an endangered species of shorebirds, which have been migrating to Duxbury beach. I have been to the beach when a line of cars are being denied access because the birds have moved, or the Harbormasters can not find one. According to Debora Katz in a recent series of articles she wrote for The Duxbury Clipper, there are only about 2500 piping plover pairs left, and they are only found in North America. The adult plover weighs only about 1.5 to 2 ounces and is about seven inches long ("Plight of the Plover,"2003) The birds do not adapt well to coastal development, and when they are not watched out for by organizations such as the Audubon Society, there population begins to plummet ("Pitfalls," 2003).

Senior shorebird scientist at the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Brian Harrington, conducted a study in 2002 looking for a connection between human activity on the beach and the how the needs of the shorebirds were or were not met. Harrington concluded that in areas of on–sand vehicle access the bird flocks are disturbed more often than in areas banned to cars, and when the flocks are disturbed more often, they are using up more of the energy that they are trying to gain and save for their long flight to the south in August ("Pitfalls," 2003). Also according to Katz, each

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The And Environmental Energy Conservation

PERSONAL STATEMENT DRAFT_081114

Growing up my dad would always say "switch off the lights, save power" and "do not waste things, other people need to use it" those statements instilled in me an indelible dislike for wastage of any kind and to be considerate of other people's needs like just my dad. These doctrines helped also helped to forge my interest in recycling and environmental energy conservation especially now as the demand for energy resources is growing at an alarming rate. Chevron PLC stated in an article that the world population which is currently around 7 billion is projected to grow by an additional 1 billion in the next 12 years, especially in NOECD or developing countries as predicted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), this growth would result in more demand for energy resources particularly globalfossil fuel consumption, clean water supply, electricity as well as food, public health services and shelter. Having grown up in Nigeria, a country with a population of 167 million persons and ranked as the seventh crude oil producer in the world and the largest oil–producing country in Africa, it is ironic that about 117.8 million Nigerians rely on fuels such as animal dung, crop residues, wood, charcoal and kerosene as sources of energy to cook and to power lanterns, an estimated 60 million Nigerians own generators, and spend an estimated N1.56 trillion ($13.35m) annually to power them. Only about 40% of the populations have access to Get

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Many people assume that the environment is not in danger. They believe that as technology advances, we do not need to worry about renewing natural resources, recycling, and finding new ways to produce energy. They state that one person in the world does not make a large difference. In reality, each individual's contribution greatly affects our environment. Our natural resources are slowly disappearing, and we must work together to save them and the Earth from ruin. Recycling is important in the effort to preserve our environment for future generations. We are running out of locations to put landfills. Recycling is a simple and effective way to reduce the amount of waste stored in landfills, yet many people do not know how easy it can...show more content...

It seems like a small, insignificant action, but the way I see it, I save money on trash bags while getting a second use out of the plastic bags. Some people would just throw away the bags and buy new trash bags, but doing that would send double the plastic bags to be filled in a landfill. Another simple way to reduce landfill size and preserve resources is to refill water bottles. By refilling water bottles, people save a considerable amount of energy and natural resources by not having to purchase single serve bottles, which are made of nonrenewable petroleum. Additionally, the plastic manufacturing process is associated with toxic byproducts. Most people are reluctant to refill their water bottles because they assume that tap water is not as ?clean? as bottled water. That is a common misconception, however. In 2000, a study in The Archives of Family Medicine compared 57 samples of bottled water to the tap water in Cleveland and found that while 39 samples of the bottled water were cleaner than tap, more than a dozen had at least 10 times the bacterial levels found in the city's water. Tap water is often better regulated than bottled water and has to meet more stringent health standards at both the federal and local levels. According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protections (NJDEP) Solid Waste Management Plan SectionB.1., ?Source Reduction is the first tier of the solid waste management hierarchy. The Get more content