This essay was the winning essay in the high school age group. You’ve heard the phrase “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” probably multiple times before
but have you ever actually taken action? The thought of action might have come across your mind once or twice but you may have never committed to it before. Whether that be because you didn't have the resources to, were not motivated enough, or you were not educated enough to know what to do and how to do it or the importance it has on us as not only a community but everyone around us. There are many ways you can decrease your carbon footprint. The most known ways are “going solar” and using less gasses as that would be an ideal world for everyone having access towards those products however right now not everyone does. Climate action can be something anyone can do as long as they out their minds to it. You may have asked “What is Climate Action?” climate action is when efforts are made to reduce greenhouse gas and establish resilience to “climate-induced impacts”. Simple ways you can help reduce and reuse items is by buying used merchandise, looking for products that have “less packaging, buying reusable rather then disposable, repairing goods, maintaining merchandise, and borrowing, renting, or sharing products. These simple ideas can help alot with the environment. By buying used products this causes less items to be sent to landfills, most people think landfills are designed to break down waste but they are only used to store the items. The goods do decompose after time however when they decompose it releases a methane gas in the air which is considered a greenhouse gas that traps and holds 20 times more heat than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. When you use products that have less packaging not only are you reducing the amount of items going to landfills the manufacturers also use less which reduces waste and money. Reusable items can be a big impact as well using things like glass jars, reusing containers, gallon jugs, using silicone for baking, and cloth diapers are just some of the many things you can use to replace things that impact the earth poorly. If a shirt rips you can easily repair it by sewing rather then throwing it away, that not only goes for just a shirt but many other things. You can also use the broken or ripped item as a different purpose then it is intended for. By borrowing or renting merchandise such as birthday decorations is also helpful towards climate change even if it isn't as apparent as the other ideas. Benefits of climate action is not just preventing pollution but also saving energy, helping improve and maintaining the environment for youth and future generations, saving money, reducing waste and allows products to be used to the fullest. Reducing energy can also reduce toxic waste and fumes going into the atmosphere and the earth which means that reducing energy can protect ecosystems. Climate action can help the generations to come, whether it affects us in a good way today if we contribute it will affect the future generations to come in a good way. Another factor is saving money which can benefit your daily lives as well, however money isn't what we’re trying to accomplish but is just something that is also an outcome of a good act. These are only some of the contributes to saving our environment but this is where you can start. Just because we don't see great effects of climate changes today doesn't mean we wont tomorrow. Saving the earth for our future is a must, the amount of pollution is terrible. Its affecting ecosystems, waters, foods, health, and everything around us. Temperatures will continue to rise, there will be more droughts and heat waves, natural disasters will become stronger, artic is likely to be an ice-free place, sea levels will rise. If we don't take action now this is what the future is, if we don't take action who will. Climate change is real but we can stop it together.
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This essay was the winning essay in the middle school age group. Earth Day is celebrated on Wednesday, April 22 this year. Some things we could do to save the
Earth are throw plastic and other items in the correct bins and not on the ground and do not burn plastic when having a fire. There are more ways to take care of our planet. A lot of people just throw cans, plastic water bottles, plastic bags, styrofoam cups, plastic cups, straws, aluminum foil and six pack soda rings on the ground. We can always recycle items like cans, bottles and paper. Collect items found at home and school and recycle them. Share your ideas with friends and other family members so they know how to recycle as well. Recycling can help save the rainforests. When you recycle the rainforests stay preserved because harmful chemicals and greenhouse gasses are not being put into the air as much. Recycling reduces the need for raw material. Ways we can keep the air clean is by walking or biking to and from school everyday. When we drive places it is releasing bad chemicals into the air and then we breathe it in. When we spill it on accident we are killing plants, fish and putting the gasoline in the soil. If too many cars drive it is a real problem because a lot of gas is being put into the air. Some ways we can save paper is by using both sides of the paper at school and home. Do not throw the paper away if you mess up instead you can recycle it. When cleaning up messes we could use washcloths and sponges instead of paper towels. We do not need to use paper everyday we could always type on a computer and it won’t use as much paper unless you decide to print what you wrote. Some ways we could help save water is not to leave it running when we brush our teeth. Some other things we could do are turning off the water while we shave, take shorter showers or just take a bath. We could always install water-saving showerheads. Some other ways we can save water is by not using the toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket. We can also protect the planet by saving energy. We can save energy by turning off the lights when we leave a room, turn off the television as soon as you are done watching it and do not leave the refrigerator door open. Grab what you want quickly.Another way we could save energy is by hand washing clothes and air-drying them. Other things we could do to save the planet are planting trees in your yard, volunteering for a community clean up and reuse plastic water bottles, bags and cups. We can also reuse things like glass jars, takeout containers, gallon sized jugs, plastic soda bottles, newspaper, magazines, and paper bags. Some other items that are reusable are clothing, bedding, seeds, towels and old or damaged cd’s and dvd’s. Some things you could do with the cd’s and dvd’s are making art with the pieces. You can color them with sharpie and tie string through the middle from one to the other. Use a bunch of different colors and then hang the masterpiece in the window. When we recycle we should not put liquids and food in the recycling bin. Instead you can put clean plastic bottles, aluminium/tin cans, paper and cardboard. Some things we should not put in the recycling bin are plastic bags of any kind,food, pizza boxes, light bulbs, aluminium foil, capped water bottles, drinking glasses and ceramics. This essay was the winning essay in the elementary school age group. Why should we reduce?
We should reduce because if we do then climate action will narrow to littler so it might be easier to handle. And what if you can’t? Then just try your best. My examples of reducing: when you go to the supermarket bring your own bag so that you can reduce the use of plastic bags or if they have paper bags it’s better but they cut down trees which trees help cut the line of CO2 Why Should We Reuse? We should reuse so that we can keep the stuff but still use it again and again. so if you can reuse instead of throwing it away that would make the world a better place. My examples of reusing: we can reuse when you right use both sides of the papor and just that little thing could change the planet. Why Should We Recycle? We should Recycle because if we do they end up in other things like toys but garbage they just burn which releases CO2 into the air.This is my example for recycling: If you have papor recycle it keep the planet clean! And then you will keep the air clean for you AND others. Awareness. People are aware of lots of things. Gossip, politics, lots of other
things that don’t matter here, but not everyone is aware of how the Earth is changing. There are things that are changing for the better or worse. Lots of people are hoping that one day, things will change for the better. There are lots of different ideas out there on how and what to do for the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. My favorite is reuse because I am a really big crafter! We usually have a pretty good selection of random supplies in our recycling bin, which I love to go through! Sometimes there are good things from the thrift store, though not as often. One thing you could do for earth day this year is taking an old yogurt container and fill it with soil. Then, plant some seeds in it and water frequently! Later, transplant the grown plants outside, and enjoy looking/eating your plants! A really easy project to reuse your old yogurt containers right there! While staying on the topic of yogurt, you can easily recycle your old yogurt containers as long as they are able to be recycled. If the lid is made of tinfoil, you could probably recycle that too! Sometimes, things are not always recyclable, so go find a cool Do-It-Yourself project for whatever you can’t recycle, but always check before throwing it in the trash! (Though the trash idea is not as recommended...) Recycling prevents a lot of things from going into a landfill, but things can only be recycled so many times before they just can’t be turned into something else, so always recycle so that there are enough recyclables to make something new at all times! Have you ever thought about making your own yogurt?! By doing that, you could save a lot of energy spent making store-bought yogurt, just by having fun by making some yummy food! Need some scrap paper ‘cause you just about run out?! Why, take some of those old junk mail letters in your recycling bin and open them up! It’s really easy to just write on the back of some old paper or envelopes, so why not do it and save some good paper for more important things! If you really, REALLY, need something from a store, take a reusable bag with you! Reduce is one of the hardest R’s because everybody loves to buy, buy, buy, and 7once you start, it’s hard to stop! It’s really hard to remember to bring a cloth bag, so why not just use a plastic bag! Don’t you see?! If everyone did that, companies would keep making bags, which puts lots of gross toxic stuff in the air, and plastic usually goes straight to the landfill! Plastic takes FOREVER to decompose! (maybe forever...) If you at least try to do something, it could lead to something BIG! But just remember, the possibilities, are always endless. Hello fellow contributors of pollution. Most of you have probably been told to shut off lights when you leave a room, recycle when you can, and such, but do you really know why?
Chances are you’ve heard of greenhouse gases before. If not, they are gases responsible for the greenhouse effect. Which is basically what occurs when light from the sun shines down on the Earth's surface and heats it, most of it is absorbed but some bounces off and goes back into the atmosphere. That light is then reflected back off the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and goes back to earth to further heat it. Without the greenhouse effect the earth would be much colder, so it’s important but there has been a large increase in greenhouse gas. The rise in temperature has caused large parts of glaciers to melt and animals that live in cold habitats are having a harder time doing daily things like catching food, which makes life for polar bears and many other animals more difficult. This meltage has in turn caused an accelerated rise in sea level. Also heat waves are getting longer and more intense. Which also includes having a generally hotter earth so deserts that are already hot will get hotter, fires will spread easier, and be harder to put out. What are we doing that is causing this? A few major causes are, burning fossil fuels which includes driving cars, heating oil and natural gas used to generate electricity, burning coal and many other things. Another serious cause is deforestation, plants and trees take in carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) and let out oxygen. Next up is the increase in population, due to this there has been an increased demand for food, clothes, shelter, and other things people want or need. Factories that make these things release harmful gases and there is more waste being made. Another cause of climate change is farming, some farmers use nitrous oxide in their fertilizers and it is a greenhouse gas. Not only that but cows also release methane, each year a single cow can release 220 pounds of methane which is 28 times more potent in warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. Coming in at number five we have industrial waste and landfills, during the process of decomposition the waste in these landfills release a lot of methane. Also the gas from the landfill contributes to smog, which worsens health problems like asthma. Now you are hopefully asking, what can we do to stop this. Well I have a few suggestions that can help make a change. First of all, recycling is very important and I think there should be recycling bins in public places along with trash cans. That would definitely cut down on recyclable things being thrown away and put in landfills. Clothes or other items that you have that are in good condition shouldn’t be thrown away, but rather given to places like goodwill, the bargain hut, or other thrift stores. Or possibly consider having a garage sale. When you are in need of new clothes or whatever it might be, be humble and try going to a thrift store/garage sale you might be surprised by the things you find. If it wouldn’t be too inconvenient try walking or riding a bike to work or wherever you might be going. If you aren’t in a room at the time, shut off the light. Before you buy something try to consider if you are actually going to use it and if it’s really necessary. To those of you who use reusable grocery bags, if you have a cotton one, you have to use it 7,100 times before you would actually be helping the earth. Other bags like polypropylene bags would have to be reused 37 times to start doing something good. Not only that but they take a lot more energy to make and some of the reusable bag materials break down slower. But most people use more than one of those and replace them before that many uses. I suggest using the normal walmart bags but don’t just throw them away when you get home, use them for small garbage bags, recycle them, etc. Lastly but most definitely not least, if you have a good space for it, plant a few trees or help plant them in other places around the community. All in all, everyone can make a difference and it’s a great idea to try to do these a little more and help others around you do so as well. I am not trying to say that I do all of these perfectly without hesitation, but I try and I suggest you try as well and think about the effects your actions have on the world. Thank you for reading to the end and I hope you have a good day. :) The planet Earth was once a beautiful place; green, flourishing and unpolluted. As the human
population grew, so did technology advance, becoming so complex that it began to harm the earth and its people more than it was helping them. For example, various power plants emit smoke into the atmosphere every day. Plastic, which is useful in many ways, is often thrown onto the sides of roads, into streams, forests, yards, everywhere, harming the animals that eat it. Gas consuming vehicles emit fossil fuels into the air, harming both the atmosphere and humans. People began to suggest giving up some of these technologies in order to save our Earth. Most types of technology are helpful, lifesaving even, such as medical equipment. Therefore, completely giving up all forms of technology would not help the people of the world. Even simply banning plastic, as some have suggested, would harm as much as it would help. For instance, something so simple as stitches, which are extremely helpful when injured, would be banned. Instead of sacrificing all modern technology to save our planet, there are many other ways that we could help out Earth. Recycling, reusing and reducing everyday objects, such as plastic and paper conveniences, would be one way. Substances used by people every day, like paper, plastic and metal, contribute to the pollution of Earth when they are thrown into the garbage can. This garbage, which may seem like a little bit, eventually makes its way to a landfill. Soon landfills may get so full of small amounts of garbage from many peoples’ homes, that new ones are made. This takes up land that could be used for many other things. It also may ruin animals’ habitats. This could all change, though, if everybody began to throw their garbage into their recycling bin, where it would be taken to a recycling plant, and would be used over and over again, being beneficial to people and the earth. If recycling is either not possible or not enough for you, then reduce your trash. Using dinnerware that can be reused, such as glass plates and cups and silverware, can reduce the amount of trash you accumulate noticeably. Instead of plastic or paper bags, use cloth. Reuse your bags, dinnerware, paper, cans, containers, anything that can be cleaned and still be usable. Everytime you throw something away, look at it and think to yourself, I wonder if I could buy that in a reusable form? Even food scraps can be reused. Plant a garden and make a compost pile. All of your food scraps could go to this compost pile, which would be used to enrich the soil in your garden. Planting gardens is also a way of cleaning the atmosphere. Many people use vehicles to get around, even to go places within walking or biking distance. These gas consuming vehicles emit fossil fuels into the air that pollute the atmosphere and harm people. To reduce these fossil fuels, people could bike, drive solar powered cars, or even car pool more often to get around. Ride the bus if you can. By biking to most nearby destinations, you would be doing your part to clean the atmosphere, and you would also be getting exercise and staying fit. Carpooling and riding buses would lessen the amount of fossil fuels permeating the atmosphere somewhat. By recycling, reusing and reducing everything you can, as much as you can, you can help to clean up our planet. If everyone practiced these three methods daily, the world would be a much better place, even with technologies like medical equipment, various forms of entertainment and electronic devices. By all doing our part to help the planet, we can continue to keep Earth as clean, healthy and beautiful as it once was. |
About ContestPublished here are the essays of all the contest finalists. Their prompt was "How can you reduce, reuse, and recycle to promote climate action?" |