Personal Contributions for Problems that Harm the Earth

You don’t have to look far to find harmful problems plaguing the Earth. Social media, newscasts, and scientific studies often contain graphic information about the Earth’s declining health. While it may or may not be obvious what to do about each and every problem the Earth has, every problem has easy elements to the solution. Though solving the problem in its entirety may be complex, there is always something that can be done to help.

Complex Problems are Multi-Faceted

There’s no denying that many of the problems affecting the health of the Earth are beyond one person’s control; however, that doesn’t mean there aren’t simple, easy contributions that we can each provide for at least part of the problem.

For example, did you know that during 2020, the drop in the number of cars on the road began to heal the environment almost instantly? Fewer people driving to and from work dramatically decreased the pollutants going into the air in major cities. The complex problem of air pollution has fixes that are relatively easy…driving less being one of them.

Multi-faceted problems often have more than one solution. Find the element of the solution you can confidently contribute to.

Choose Easy Solutions for Some of the Earth’s Biggest Health Problems

Problem: Air pollution-

Easy solutions you can contribute:

Hold off using your air conditioning in your car and home until it’s unreasonably hot. Roll down the windows in your car or open the windows in your home. Use a whole-house fan, ceiling fans, and other means that don’t release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. (Difficult to do this summer with the unprecedented heat!)
Carpool, bicycle, or walk to work or to do errands when possible. Walking and biking have the added benefit of helping your physical health and the planet.
Plant trees and a garden. Every plant helps offset air pollution. Your small backyard garden is an easy contribution to a much larger air quality problem. Purchase food from local farmers and ranchers who have a smaller carbon footprint than mass-produced meats and produce.

Problem: Climate Change-

Easy Solutions You Can Contribute

Adopt a vegetarian or mixed diet. A plant-based diet with less meat and dairy can help reduce the impact on land, air, and water. Large-scale meat production is a chief contributor to deforestation, carbon dioxide production, and other unhealthy activities for the planet.
Consume what you bring home. Whether it’s food or other resources, waste management is a significant health issue for the planet. When food is wasted, that means the energy used to grow it was wasted too. The packaging is harmful to the environment, and the gases omitted from rotting foods negatively impact the air.
Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Repairing things, reusing them in new ways, and buying second-hand all help to ease the burden on the environment by reducing the demand for new items like clothing, electronics, and other goods that require energy to produce.

It’s unrealistic to think you can single-handedly solve the Earth’s health problems, but you can find the easiest solution for the multi-faceted issues. Focus on what you can do right now that is easy and be proud of your efforts.