Going Green?

[anotherlaujgirl]

So I'm in this Environmental Studies and Systems class this year.

ANd I find

"Ignorance is bliss."

-_____- I feel so guilty with everything I do now because everything we

do......... AFFECTS OUR WORLD IN SOME WAY SHAPE AND FORM!

How do we fix this huge loss of our water and this growing population before
we run out of resources?!!?!?!

[jmccaskill]

First things first, PLEASE!!  First thing is that people have been preaching doom and gloom of the planet due to overpopulation and 'pollution' since Noah landed!!  So take a minute to reflect on what is really happening in your classes. That would be an agenda that is very much debatable. World Population? Everyone on this planet could live inside the boundaries of Texas, and not be crowded! That is a FACT, not an opinion or talking point. Water shortage?? Really? 3/4s of the planet is WATER!! Oh, so they teach you we are running out of 'good water'? You can make a solar disstillation system that will clean up any 'dirty water' with items you will find in your kitchen and produce all the fresh, and REALLY pure drinking water you can use. So, before you panic, get so KNOWLEDGE, that is the facts and not the politically correct dogma.

[anotherlaujgirl]

First things first, PLEASE!!  First thing is that people have been preaching doom and gloom of the planet due to overpopulation and 'pollution' since Noah landed!!  So take a minute to reflect on what is really happening in your classes. That would be an agenda that is very much debatable. World Population? Everyone on this planet could live inside the boundaries of Texas, and not be crowded! That is a FACT, not an opinion or talking point. Water shortage?? Really? 3/4s of the planet is WATER!! Oh, so they teach you we are running out of 'good water'? You can make a solar disstillation system that will clean up any 'dirty water' with items you will find in your kitchen and produce all the fresh, and REALLY pure drinking water you can use. So, before you panic, get so KNOWLEDGE, that is the facts and not the politically correct dogma.

xD To be honest I have no clue what to expect.

Like said, both sides are very debatable. And yes 3/4s of the planet is water. Of that 75% of Earth's water, 96% of that water is of the ocean and 2% is freshwater.
Unfortunately of that 2% of fresh water, 68% of that fresh water is found in glaciers and ice caps and of that same 2% of fresh water only 30% comes from ground water.

And yes we can desalinate ocean water and make water wells to get that ground water and even use aquifers to get more water, but just like how we drill into the ground to pump oil we've taken so much. Just like how gas prices rise and drop, the amount of oil we have left in the ground might be less than what we think. Same as water wells. We pump so much and from so many places, can we really say we're taking just the minimum?

It's debatable. And yes, the whole planet can live inside the boundaries of Texas, but really can we really? We can't because we're selfish. The majority of people do things for self benefit. We wouldn't even want to fit the 300 billion people in the US into Texas. So to try to fit everyone on Earth, is quite questionable.

Most people can't even live comfortably with 15 people living in a 2 bedroom duplex and 1 bathroom. I've been there. It's not fun.

Thing is, although it seems easy to fix, like making a solar distillation system go ahead. But not everyone can do that, but if you can do it. But even then, how many people would want to drink distilled water all the time? Distilled water pretty much has no minerals in it which then increases the acidity in the body.

and then someone like me might argue to take vitamins and other stuff that'd make up for that loss of minerals... but It's just an endless debate.

Sorry, I might've just totally sounded like a biased A-hole... xD But it is genuinely me acknowledging the use of water and whether or not there really is enough if we're not sustainable.


Whooooooo. Sorry that was mucho. xD

[paints]

So I'm in this Environmental Studies and Systems class this year.

ANd I find

"Ignorance is bliss."

-_____- I feel so guilty with everything I do now because everything we

do......... AFFECTS OUR WORLD IN SOME WAY SHAPE AND FORM!

How do we fix this huge loss of our water and this growing population before
we run out of resources?!!?!?!

I get where you're coming from. I went through the same 'what're we gonna do??' a few years ago.

Here's what I've found. I can't fix the world. I can, however, fix my own habits.

I recycle whatever I can. I reuse what I can. I repurpose what I can. I repair things instead of buying new.
I buy from companies that use sustainable business practices.

And I talk to my friends, to share ideas on how to make it better.

[CharmedPhoenix]

I get where you're coming from. I went through the same 'what're we gonna do??' a few years ago.

Here's what I've found. I can't fix the world. I can, however, fix my own habits.

I recycle whatever I can. I reuse what I can. I repurpose what I can. I repair things instead of buying new.
I buy from companies that use sustainable business practices.

And I talk to my friends, to share ideas on how to make it better.

Ah, but you are fixing the world by fixing your own habits.  If everyone followed your example we'd be in good shape.  I do these things too.  Let's all be the change we want to see.   




[/quote]

[NempieBlues]

I love this whole idea of water shortage.  *shakes head*  Polar ice-caps are melting due to global warming, yet we're facing a water shortage.   

[black1304]

I don't know what the solution is. We try to recycle and reuse what we can. I've stopped using bottled water and started using a Brita pitcher to fill our own water bottles. I don't know how much difference it will make to the planet overall but if we aren't the only ones doing it maybe it'll help in the end.

[BMaston12]

So I'm in this Environmental Studies and Systems class this year.

ANd I find

"Ignorance is bliss."

-_____- I feel so guilty with everything I do now because everything we

do......... AFFECTS OUR WORLD IN SOME WAY SHAPE AND FORM!

How do we fix this huge loss of our water and this growing population before
we run out of resources?!!?!?!

Those are great questions and unfortunately, not everyone will contribute to solve the problem. One of the best ways to save water is, beleive it or not, Stop Drinking Bottled Water! Bottle your own tap water. Not only does it stop the use of plastic bottles, which are not good to store consumables, but the water corporations are robbing us of our ground water and polluting the water they use in production. Start saving your rain water in barrels or some other large containers. There is a man in CentralTexas who lives entirely off his rain water. It cost him over $10,000 to have the system installed, but he never has to worry about running out of clean water to drink or water his vegetables. Plus he never has to pay a water bill! He is never restricted to water schedules! I am going to be on the lookout for rainwater containers for the runoff from my house roof. I already have a drain for part of my barn that goes into my pond and I catch other rain in barrels from the barn roof. It really helps me in the summer keep my bill down. I use it to water my vegetables. One thing we can't control is the population.
BMaston12

[Gerianne]

There are companies who can help They are selling products like water pitchers.
Berkey is one ***
Seychelle is another ***
If you rent, you are limited as to what you can do.
I am going to buy a Berkey myself next month.

[bremer51]

I get overwhelmed by all the problems in the world, but I try to follow this philosophy:
“I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.”
       Edward Everett Hale

[johncache]

Anyone got any websites that give maybe simple, daily tips on easy things you can do in your daily routine to go green(er)

[mark81265]

I feel that you as long as you do all the things that your able to help prevent that at least you are trying but you also cant dwell on it everyday either.

[ghunter]

I try but it is so hard to save cans, paper etc. but I am trying and I will continue to do my best with going green.

[plennis]

I think it helps, because if we each do a little, it adds up to a lot.  Save your cans, recycle anything you can, reuse whatever you, re-purpose, patronize business who do the same.

I think we should me it mandatory that any new building......commerical or residential should have to put in all of the latest technologies to go green.   When you add it in at that time the cost if way less, and will pay for itself even more quickly.   

[kapeh12]

If one thinks about things in the greater scheme of history, the human species has survived long before the inventions of filtered water and vitamins, etc.  The majority of our species existence survived off of what nature provided, and we adapted to survive.

If we do run out of "clean water" due to poor stewardship of our resources, I suspect our species will still survive, but only those capable of adapting will flourish (survival of the fittest and all...).  Most likely the population will reduce due to increased disease and we won't have the same longevity we enjoy with our modern medicine...but the species will find a way to continue.

If we want to maintain our longevity (which is one of the contributing factors to overpopulation, let's not forget that), we must first take personal responsibility to be good stewards of everything in our control.  Then teach that to others as we can.