Live Responsibly |
You cannot get though a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. - Jane Goodall | Safe Buy items with little or no packaging The less packaging you buy the less trash there is that may find its way to the sea where it can hurt animals or pollute the environment. The more we support products with less packaging or more environmentally friendly packaging the more likely it is that business people will change the way they package goods.An easy way to do this is to buy your fruits and vegetables from the market or fruit stands. Another possibility is to talk to your grocery store managers and ask that they sell their fruits and vegetables not packaged in bags and cling-wrap. For other items you will just have to look at the packing and decide between the brands offered. When you go to the store, carry your own reusable bag Many of us get a plastic bag every time we buy something. What happens
to these bags? Some of them are reused but many go Support organic farming Organic farming does not use chemical fertilizer, pesticides or weedicides but uses natural fertilizers such as manure and compost. This reduces the amount of these chemicals that enter our water systems. There are few farmers that utilize the organic method of growing crops locally but there are some. If we take an interest in how our food is grown and support those farmers who are interested in using organic methods we may be able to reduce the amount of chemical pollution in our surrounding oceans.Be careful of what goes down your sink or drains We sometimes forget that anything that goes down our drains reaches the rivers and ocean around us. Some of these things can poison the waterways and make them unsafe for animals and people as well. Always check that the things you are pouring down the drain will not cause severe damage to the environment. If you can, find out what is the proper procedure for disposal; many products will have these instructions on their containers. Do not release helium filled balloons into the air Why will this help to protect whales and dolphins? Think about it...where do the helium balloons go when you release them? Many of them may end up over the ocean or may wash into the ocean eventually. A deflated balloon may sometimes look like food to marine animals and may make the animal sick if ingested. Ensure that your balloons are safely disposed of in the trash. |
