Water Pollution-Solutions

Hi everyone, it's Julia! So now that Stella has talked about all the different kinds of water pollution and its effects on the planet, I will be going through 5 ways you can all help. 

1. Buy Organic: it was explained in the last post that pesticides ides on farms can end up finding their way into oceans,lakes etc. The solution to this is pretty simple, buy certified organic!

2. Watch what goes down your drain: like the big factories that dump harmful chemicals into lakes and rivers, we can sometimes use the sink and shower as our own personal garbage can. We can forget that the things that go down the drain can get into water supplies and seriously damage ecosystems. Some examples are to use softer dish soaps, detergents, and to use shower products that are more natural. Also, don't wash food down the drain, put it in your compost or garbage. 

3. Buy less plastic: as mentioned by Stella, surface pollution is a big problem because it can be harmful to marine life. Surface pollution is largely made up of plastic, so the solution is to buy less of it. From plastic water bottles to most packaging, limiting the amount of plastic you buy can make a big difference. 

4. Limit you water consumption: this one is pretty oblivious, but taking shorter showers and not leaving the sink on while brushing your teeth can help in limiting your water footprint. If you want to make a bigger different, going vegetarian/vegan is the way to go. If you want to know why, this website explains the reason eating less meat helps: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140804100107.htm

5. Don't litter: this isn't a hard challenge because you shouldn't be littering in general, but when you do it close to a lake, river or the ocean it can contribute to surface pollution. The wind can pick up the trash and it ends up going into the water so that the aquatic life can eventually die choking on it.

Water Pollution

     Hey. It's Stella! This week we will be focusing on water pollution. I am aware this has been a discussed topic here on 1actaday, but Julia and I would like to go into it more since it is a very significant issue we are dealing with.

     The earth's surface is 70% water. What does that mean? Well, water is pretty important, in fact, life began in the water! This is only one reason why it makes sense to keep our waters clean! Water pollution is basically when any type of toxic or unhealthy substance enters a body of water. There are many types of water pollution that I will briefly write about since water pollution can come from different sources.

Surface Water Pollution
     This one is pretty simple. Any toxic element or trash that remains on the surface of the water is considered surface water pollution. This included various plastics such as plastic bottles and even elements such as petroleum. 

Oxygen Depletion
     This one is pretty interesting. When there is an overload or a very increased level of biodegradable matter that is in a body of water a polluting cycle begins. Basically, there are many microorganisms that live in these waters that feed off of these substances. This causes a good kind (aeoribic) to die out causing the bad kind (anaerobic) to thrive. Why are these bad? They can create certain toxic chemicals and can be very harmful to marine life.

Chemicals
     This one is pretty obvious. Harmful chemicals in water just aren't healthy for anyone! So many industries just use lakes and rivers as their trash cans often by just simply getting rid of either poisonous materials or toxic waste into these bodies of water. This is not okay...I mean why is it even okay. Even certain chemicals such as pesticides that are used for our crops can end up in water streams. This is so dangerous for human populations as well as animal ones. Finally, oil spills! Fossil fuel industries mess up many times causing huge messes and eventually contaminating oceans with dirty oils. 

     There are many consequences to these pollutions. Firstly, marine life is in critical condition since they end up consuming so many chemicals and so much trash we create. Many people consume fish and seafood, well often us humans end up consuming these chemicals and can be very dangerous to us as well. Dangerous toxins in waters can cause issues with reproduction, breathing, they can lead to suffocation (many sea creatures choke and suffocate from trash) and they just generally decrease life expectancy. A good example of how water pollution affects our earth is acid rain. It is basically when toxic elements get into the water cycle becoming rain and eventually destroying entire ecosystems. 

     We really need to act on this now. Water is essential to life and cannot be treated like a trash can. Just think of how dependent you are on water. Julia will be posting soon concerning solutions and actions you could make to take your part. 

     Thank you for caring and keep making the world a better place<3             

Love Stella

Bibliographical Sources:

Information: www.water-pollution.org.uk, wwf.panda.org

Images: www.emaze.com, www.linkedin.com, www.keywordssuggests.com

The Fashion Industry-Solutions

     Hey! Stella here! Today's post is about the fashion industry and what you could do to create your own positive impact. As you may know, the fashion industry can be very harmful to out environment considering the fact that so much waste is produced from it and that so much energy is needed and consumed.

     What can you do? There are many things you can do to reduce the negative effects the fashion industry has on our planet. 

1. Thrift Shop

     Thrift shopping is a great way to help this cause. By thrift shopping not only are you getting cute vintage clothing, but you are also consuming way less energy, creating less waste and are not supporting fast fashion. You see, by buying something used, you aren't buying something new that can be associated with the consequences I mentioned previously.

2.Clothing Swap

     Having a clothing swap is a great way to meet up with friends and have some fun. It is always great to give some clothes that you may not like anymore to someone else who may love them. This way you are giving your old clothing away to a new owner who can get something new out of them. Also, you may get some nice pieces from your friends as well!

3.Buying Locally/Ethically

     Buying locally is the way to go. If you must buy clothing, it is way better for the environment, to buy from local businesses that are ethical.The quality is most likely way better, you know where the product is being made (avoiding issues like child labor), you know who is being paid and also you are avoiding fast fashion.

4.Dazzling Up

     What I mean by this is getting creative and giving your clothes a new life. By either adding accessories such as buttons or embroidering on you old clothes, you can make then new again. Sometimes you get bored of that same old piece of clothing, but by dazzling it up it becomes fun and interesting again. Also, nobody will have the same thing as you since your clothes will be completely authentic. 

5.Donating Clothing

     This is a way to be eco-friendly, but also to help others in need. Start donating clothing to organizations and you may make someone's life a little better. Maybe you do not like certain clothing, but I am sure someone else would be very thankful to take it. As they say: "One man's trash is another man's treasure". You can also donate clothing to thrift stores!

6.Borrowing Clothing

     Instead of buying a new dress for that dance, borrow it from a friend or loved one! It is really not necessary to go out and buy a new item every time an occasion arises. By borrowing clothing, you are getting closer with friends or loved ones and can find some really fun and different pieces. Also, you are helping our Earth<3

7.Avoid Fast Fashion

     When shopping, the best thing to do is to avoid fast fashion. Many huge companies that are considered fast fashion industries such as H&M will do anything and everything to produce their products in the cheapest and fastest ways. This includes enormous amounts of pollution from factories, child labor, workers in horrible conditions (that are mostly from developing countries such as Bangladesh), and bad quality clothing so they can get destroyed after one wash making you shop more!! This is a very serious issue so avoid companies like these. Check the labels and what country they are made in, Also aim for organic and natural material such as 100% cotton.

     That's it! I hope this has inspired you to be more conscious of the decisions you make the next time you go shopping! 

Thank you for caring and keep making the world a better place<3

-Love Stella<3

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