Earth Charter Chicago

Most Important Things You Can Do for the Environment

The population is without doubt the most serious environmental problem in the world, because it strengthens all the others. The world population increased by 3 billion in 1959 to 6 billion in 1999, an increase of 100% in just 40 years. According to projections, the world population of 9 billion by 2040, growing more slowly than during the latter half of the 20th century, but you with many more people.

Planet Earth is a closed system with limited resources so that many fresh water and clean air, the number of hectares of land for growing food and world population increases our resources must be increasingly people. At some point, that will not be possible. Some scientists believe that we have at this point.

Finally, we need to support this growth through the evolution of humans on our planet, for a small size. This means more people decide to have fewer children. This seems very simple on the surface, but the drive to reproduce a fundamental importance in all types and the decision on the reduction or waiver of experience is an emotional, cultural or religious for many people.

In many developing countries, large families can be a matter of survival. Parents often have as many children as possible to ensure that some live in help, with agriculture or other work, and for the care of parents when they are older. For those cultures, such as this, the decline in birth rates is initially more serious subjects such as poverty, hunger, poor hygiene and freedom from the disease have also taken into account.

In addition, do you think of your own little family support programs, the fight against hunger and poverty, improving sanitation and hygiene or to promote family planning and reproductive health in developing countries.

* Use less water and Keep It Clean
Fresh, clean water is essential, no one can live long without it, he is one of the most valuable and vulnerable resources of our planet’s increasingly fragile.

Water more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, but most of the salt mines of water. Provides fresh water are much smaller, and today one third of the world’s population, lack access to safe drinking water. According to the UN, 95% of cities in the world more dump raw sewage into the water. It is not surprising that 80% of all diseases in developing countries with water unhygienic.

Use only water as necessary, do not use water waste and avoid damage to something or water supply.

* Restaurant responsible
Eating local has supported farmers and food distributors in their local community and reducing fuel consumption, air pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases is necessary for the food you eat, of the Court on the table. Eating organic produce meat and pesticides and chemical fertilizers to the plate and streams and rivers.

Restoration liability is also eating less meat, less animal products such as eggs and dairy products, or maybe not. It is a matter of good management of our finite resources. Farm animals emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas, the contribution to global warming, and registration of animals for food is often over land and water than growing food crops.

Pets now 30% of the surface of the earth, of which 33% of agricultural land in the world for the manufacture of feed. Whenever you to a meal made from plants instead of an animal-based meal, you save about 280 gallons of water and the protection of 12 to 50 square meters of land from deforestation, overgrazing, fertilizers and pesticides and pollution.

* The energy and switch to renewable energy
Walking, cycling and public transport more. Take less. Not only you will be better health and for the conservation of valuable energy resources, you can also save money. According to a study by the American Public Transportation Association, families, public transport can use their spending $ 6200 per year, more than the U.S. average food budget every year.

There are dozens of other possibilities, energy, turn off the lights and appliances for separating, if not in use are to replace the cold water hot, if practical and Weather stripping your doors and windows, no overheating or overcooling your home and office. One way to begin is a free energy audit of your business.

Every time it is possible to choose renewable energy, fossil fuels. For example, many municipal now offer green energy alternatives, so that some or all of your electricity generated from wind, solar or other renewable energy sources.

* Reduce your carbon footprint
Many human activities-from using coal-fired power plants to generate electricity to driving gasoline-powered vehicles cause greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

Scientists are already significant climate change, the likelihood of serious consequences, increased drought, further reduction of water supply and rising sea level to be flooded as islands and coastal areas and the creation of millions of environmental refugees.

Online, you can measure and reduce your carbon footprint, but climate change is a global problem requiring global solutions, and so far, the world’s people have hesitated so long, a common basis, see this subject. In addition to reducing its own carbon footprint, let officials know that you wait to take action on this matter and keep the pressure on until they do.