Environmental Strides We Can Be Thankful For

Turn on your computer and you’ll easily find website after website telling you what we can do that is environmentally friendly, including this one! Turn on the television and the news broadcasters will tell you the latest tales of impending doom. With all that’s going wrong, it’s easy to forget the accomplishments we’ve already made. With the holidays just around the corner, it may be time to assess some things we’ve done right.

Water

According to the National Atmospheric Deposition Program, since the instillation of the Clean Air Act of 1990, acid rain has decreased dramatically. From 1985 to 2008, sulfate emissions decreased by 50% while nitrate emissions fell by over 30%. Conversely, the levels of acid ions in our rainwater have decreased by similar percentages.

Acid rain damages buildings, bridges and roads and can cause widespread damage to the ecosystem. The study has shown the Clean Air Act has done what it set out to do and this is good news. While we do have work to do, knowing that we are on the right track is cause for celebration.

Climate

Many people have not heard of the Monte Pascoal-Pau, Brazil Ecological Corridor project for reforestation, but they should! Not only will the project create a 37-mile long corridor for migration, but will expand the habitat of threatened species in the country of Brazil. As if this wasn’t enough, the first 28 acres that have been planted will remove up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide per year for every 2.4 acres planted.

Once the project’s goal of covering 2400 acres with new forest, the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the air could be up to 360,000 tons over a 30-year period. Researchers estimate that this number is the equivalent of removing 65,000 vehicles from the world’s roadways!

Recycling

Do you know why we recycle? Most people are aware that recycling prevents mountains of waste from building up in landfills but, beyond this, have no idea how recycling helps the environment. Recycling reduces the waste and greenhouse gases that it takes to produce aluminum by up to 95%. The numbers are 70% for plastic, 60% for steel and 40% for plastic and glass.

Not only do we produce fewer emissions, but also for every ton of paper that is recycled the number of trees cut down to produce paper is reduced by 17. According to Stanford University, by recycling for one year, they saved over 33,000 trees and reduced the need for iron ore, coal and limestone by 636 tons. These numbers are staggering and only given by one university! Think of how dramatically these numbers would increase if all universities were tallied, and how those numbers could further soar if every business and household were factored in.

NASA

We all know that NASA is responsible for space exploration but did you know that they are also responsible for environmental research? NASA conducted a study on alternative-energy and, as a result, developed a method of using algae to produce clean fuel.

Scientists have since come up with an idea to place wastewater filled, semi-permeable membranes in the ocean. The algae that will eventually grow in the membranes will feed on the waste. The algae will then create their own waste, a byproduct of which is biofuel that can be harvested from the membranes. This method of biofuel production doesn’t pollute the ocean, as the algae consume all of the waste. The only end result byproducts are oxygen and water!

While there is still a long way to go towards healing our planet and preventing further damage, we do need to stop and remember to be thankful for the strides that have already been made. Perhaps our newscasters and politicians would do well to concentrate their efforts on letting us know how our ‘green’ changes are benefiting the environment. People are often more apt to follow through with a lifestyle change when they are aware of the positive effects. And follow through is what we need, now more than ever.

Author Tom Blanchard tries to be less wasteful about all things, and along with that is saving money that could be better used elsewhere. To that end, using discounts when possible, such as Coupon Croc of the UK, allows him to use money saved to donate to green projects whenever he can.