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April 22, 2001
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Earth
Day, event first observed internationally on April 22, 1970, to
emphasize the necessity for the conservation
of the world's natural resources. Starting as a student-led campus
movement, initially observed on March 21, Earth Day has become a major
educational and media event. Environmentalists use it as an occasion
to sum up current environmental problems of the planet: the pollution
of air, water, and soils; the destruction of habitats; the decimation
of hundreds of thousands of plant
and animal species; and the depletion of nonrenewable resources. The
emphasis is on solutions that will slow and possibly reverse the
negative effects of human activities. Such solutions include recycling
of manufactured materials, fuel
and energy conservation, banning the use of harmful chemicals, halting
the destruction of major habitats such as rain forests, and protecting
endangered
species.
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Do you want to see this happen?
Do you want your children to miss this beautiful
sight?
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| If we don't protect our environment NOW this is what
will start to happen and the progression will be slow and we won't
notice until suddenly we will have reached the point where it is to
late!
It starts with a few trees, then a few animals... and it
progresses slowly, as these pictures depict. Follow down and
notice the slow changes. |
Look how lush and fruitful it begins.
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Look how barren it ends!
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| These pictures were created by
me for this page to show what can happen.. with global warming, misuse
of fossil fuels and loss of vital habitats. |
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| An endangered species is any species of
fish, animal, or plant that is in danger of extinction throughout all
or a significant portion of its range. Subspecies and distinct
population segments of vertebrate species may also be listed. As of
February 2000, there were 1,473 species classified as endangered, 955
of which occur in the United States.
A threatened species is any species of fish, animal,
or plant that is likely to become an endangered species within the
foreseeable future. As of February 2000, there were 307 threatened
species, 267 of which occur in the United States.
A candidate species is one whose status warrants
listing but whose listing is precluded by lack of administrative
resources and/or funding. The Secretary of the Interior is required to
publish "notices of review" that list the status of
candidate species. A proposed species is one that is undergoing the
listing process. As of October 1999, 258 species were considered
candidates for listing under the ESA and 56 were considered proposed
species.
Species are considered for listing when the Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS) or the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) receives
notification of a species' status from one of the following sources:
federal agency surveys; state agency studies; private company
research; conservation organization data; academic research; private
individual study; or a listing petition. |
| Species can be added to the list for any one of five
reasons: |
(1)current or threatened destruction, modification, or
curtailment of habitat or range;
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(2)overuse for commercial, recreational, scientific, or
educational purposes;
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(3)disease or predation;
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(4)ineffective regulatory mechanisms;
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| (5)and other natural or man-made factors affecting
survival. |
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| Critical habitat is defined as the geographic
area containing physical or biological features essential to the
conservation of a listed species or as an area that may require
special management considerations or protection. |
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Why are Forest Important? |
| Besides being a place to live for the animals, forests
are a primary way that the Earth controls the amount of atmospheric
carbon dioxide, so deforestation is also an important factor in global
warming. |
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What exactly causes global warming? |
| Our consumption of fossil fuels causes over six billion
tons of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide to accumulate in the
Earth's atmosphere. These gases blanket the Earth, warming it. These
gases wreak havoc on our climate, leading to extreme weather, habitat
loss like shown above, and the spread of disease. |
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What happens as global warming occurs? |
We can expect to see more "freak" weather
conditions like cyclones, floods and droughts; potentially enormous
loss of life; millions of people displaced from their homes in the
worst-affected areas; greater risk from diseases like malaria as
mosquitoes widen their reach; and threats to entire species as their
habitat is wiped out.
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It's such a large problem... You ask, What
can I do?
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It's the "small" things that add
up!
Here are a few little things that would mean a lot in the long run.
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(1) Start a Reuse Policy
in your organization
and home. Avoid using disposable products, such as paper towels,
plastic cutlery, and foam cups and plates. Instead, use products
designed for durability and reuse, such as cloth napkins and towels,
ceramic mugs and dishes, and steel cutlery.
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(2)Start a Household Hazardous Waste Policy
in your home and your
workplace. Set up a system to properly dispose of Hazardous Waste,
such as paint, oil, solvents, batteries, pesticides and chemical
fertilizers. It does not belong in the garbage and down the drain.
Contact your local government to find out the location of your local
hazardous waste depot. If your community doesn’t have one, lobby
your local government to implement one.
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(3)Lower your city’s temperature
by planting native trees and by conserving existing trees. Speak out
at community meetings involving new developments that may destroy
natural areas.
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Another way to help is to think
"Reuse" before "Recycle"!
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(1) Use reusable containers to:
- shop for
products in bulk
- pack lunches
for school and work
- pack foods
for picnics, trips and outings
- store bulk
foods, spices and leftovers
- freeze foods
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(2) Use cloth napkins, tea
towels and sponges instead of paper products
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(3) Use jars, coffee tins, and
plastic containers for storage of small tools or toys.
Reuse wrapping paper, ribbons, birthday candles and gift boxes. Make
cloth gift bags from colorful scrap fabric.
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(4) Donate our unwanted
furniture, appliances, sporting goods and clothes to charitable
organizations like the Goodwill, St. Vincent De Paul or Salvation
Army. Donate books and magazines to hospitals, libraries, or senior
citizens' homes.
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(5) Connect our downspout to
capture rainwater in a cistern or barrel, then use the water for lawns
and gardens, washing the car, and other outdoor projects.
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(6) Reuse our egg cartons,
milk and juice cartons (cut off the top) to start seedlings.
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Ok Ok, I hear the
questions. :o)
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How can doing this help save
the environment? What does this have to do with global warming and
endangered species? Why not just recycle?
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When you "reuse"
an item or product, you preserve not only the materials that product
is made from, but you also:
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preserve all the energy and raw materials (natural resources) that
went into making that item or product in the first place
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preserve all the energy and raw materials (natural resources) that
would be used to make a new or recycled replacement for that item or
produce
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reduce the waste and pollution created when resources are extracted
from the earth and manufactured into products
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prevent the waste and pollution that are caused by recycling or
throwing the item or product into the garbage
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save the money that would be spent to recycle, landfill or incinerate
the item or product
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save money at home and work |
When You ReUse
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fewer natural resources are needed to
manufacture new or recycled raw materials and finished products. This
means less mining, less drilling for oil and gas, less tree-cutting,
less use of our fresh water supplies, less use of energy and chemicals
– and less pollution
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fewer items end up being thrown out or recycled, which means less
need for fuel-burning trucks and machinery, and less pollution from
landfills and incinerators
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| Every little bit helps. If you
do a little bit and your neighbor does a little bit eventually we will
be able to slow the process down. It has to start somewhere.. Why not
with you? Or with me? Let's work together to save the environment for
the future. |
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"The
earth will continue to regenerate its life sources only as long as we
and all the peoples of the world do our part to conserve its natural
resources. It is a responsibility which every human being shares.
Through voluntary action, each of us can join in building a productive
land in harmony with nature."
President
Gerald Ford
Proclaiming March 21st as Earth Day |
Visitors
Created hosted and maintained
by Strawberry
Copyright (C) 2001 The Strawberry
Patch
Created 04/17/01 Edited 05/18/02
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