At the end of the warmest winter in memory we are reminded that climate change is here and with us, not at some time in the future but here and now.  The impacts for the future are debateable.  I have a set of beliefs but not everyone shares them.  Instead I am going to pass the blog posting to our staff member Mark.  Mark is from the Phillipines which over the holiday period experienced a tropic storm of monumental proportions (http://www.climateneeds.umd.edu/climatewire-12-19-11/article-04.php).  What is clear is that while we are arguing over what may happen in the future.  The price of prevarication is being paid by people living in island states like the Philippines.

It is not a secret to all of us that our planet today is on the brink of destruction unless we do something. With all the waste materials that we produce everyday, the environment is slowly dying. Especially today were in we are advancing and discovering new technologies, more energy is needed and a lot of wastes materials are made as a result. These waste materials include smoke from vehicles or power plants, toxins, plastics that we throw anywhere. Not to mention the trees that is being cut down, and the mineral resources that we harvest everyday. The planet is getting poor and taken for granted.

Some people do not realize this now, but our planet seriously needs our help. We don’t need to wait for calamities to happen in order to realize our mistakes. We can act now and keep our environment clean and green. There are a lot of ethical environmental solutions for this problem. These are the following:

• Plant trees

A lot of mountains today are now getting bald because of the trees that are being cut down. A lot of trees are used mostly to produce paper and for construction supplies. Don’t get me wrong, it’s okay to use trees to build houses; I’m just saying if we cut down trees, we should also learn to plant them. In that way, there would be balance. Trees are important because they control the flow of water from mountain tops, they provide oxygen, and they cool the environment. Without the trees, there would be flood and the environment would be much hotter.

• Proper disposal of wastes

Sometimes, we add problem to the environment by the wastes that we dispose. When we throw our wastes anywhere, it could poison the environment. Like for example, the plants that are throwing their toxic wastes in rivers or in the ocean. A lot of fishes and other living organisms could die and would result to a disruption of the food chain which could greatly affect the environment. We should learn to segregate our wastes with the biodegradable and the non-biodegradable.

• Conserve energy

Conserving energy also has a big part in saving the planet. We can minimize the wastes produce in energy plants when we use our electricity wisely. Like for example, when we are not using a certain room, we should turn off the lights.

• Use sustainable products

Sustainable products are those that are produced using eco friendly materials. Sustainable products are harmless to the environment so it is much advisable that we use them. We should avoid disposable products because they only add wastes to the environment. Sustainable products are very great to use because it helps the environment and it is also beneficial.

• Recycle

Recycling those materials that can be reused is one of the effective ways to save the planet. It does not only minimize wastes but it also helps you save money. Recycling only applies to disposable materials which can be redesigned to have another purpose.

There are still a lot of ways to help save the planet. We should always remember that it is not too late, we still got time to correct things.