@basika 22 April 2022

Today is Earth Day! This year's Earth Day theme, "Investing in Our Planet," highlights the effects of climate change and environmental pollution on Earth, which almost everyone notices and is aware of to some extent, listening to news about air pollution, soil depletion, rivers, seas and oceans. flooded with plastic waste, deforestation, endangerment of animal and plant species, reduction of biodiversity, etc. All this also has a negative impact on people, our health and general well-being. If we ask ourselves what we as individuals can do to minimize, mitigate and avoid the consequences of lack of care and investment in our planet Earth, the only planet we and all living things have at our disposal for life now and in the future, the answer is - we can do a lot if we decide to act. Every social change begins with the individual and continues, grows and spreads through the activation of other individuals, who follow good examples of caring for nature, the planet and everything that inhabits it. Or as our great poet, D. Cesarić, wrote: It flows and flows, one waterfall flows; What does my little drop mean in it? Behold, a rainbow is formed in the water, And it shines and trembles in a thousand patterns. That dream in the waterfall to be able to shine, And my drop helps weave it. Each of us is like that one drop, which can help to try to reduce and mitigate the consequences of poor and unsustainable management of the planet and its natural resources, diversity and resources, because each can contribute to the realization of at least some of the following useful suggestions: Use the bike. The fewer cars, the less carbon emissions that pollute the air and contribute to global warming. Cycling or just walking are two easily accessible options, which are also very good for health. Use reusable bags, bottles and containers. One reusable bag replaces the use of up to 600 plastic bags and their disposal in nature. An estimated 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic waste each year, making it more humane and environmentally friendly to procure reusable bags, as well as similar bottles and containers. Turn off unnecessary lights. Electricity production often comes from fossil fuels (such as coal, oil or natural gas) that contribute to climate change. Therefore, it is good to use electricity for lighting rationally and only when necessary. Use water carefully. Clean, drinking water is a limited resource, so it is good not to let it run out of the tap when it is not needed (for example, while brushing your teeth, washing dishes with detergent, etc.). Replace old bulbs. By replacing an ordinary 60 W bulb with a so-called energy-saving light bulbs, not only can be saved by buying them, since energy-saving light bulbs last longer than conventional ones, but also electricity can be saved, since energy-saving light bulbs consume two thirds of electricity. energy less than classical. Use rechargeable batteries. Every year, more than 15 billion batteries are produced and sold, mostly disposable alkaline, and only a small number of these batteries are recycled. It requires a one-time investment in a charger and a package of several rechargeable batteries, but this investment pays off many times over. In this way, we also protect the environment, because batteries belong to the category of hazardous waste. Plant a tree. The benefits of trees are manifold. Trees clean the air, absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, protect the soil from erosion, leaching and landslides. Depending on where the trees are planted, canopy shade can even reduce the need for air conditioners in hot weather, and in urban areas it helps reduce the heat and high summer temperatures caused by the radiation of concrete and asphalt.