Saving the environment is important. Humans and animals alike rely on natural resources of every form in order to survive and adapt to the way the world is. Science has proved over and over again that we are dealing with harmful amounts of pollution, leading to global warming, and many are aware of this.
When people talk about environmentalism, they tend to focus on one aspect. We need to preserve the rainforests so the animals don’t go habitat-less and plant species don’t die. In order to implement this, it is suggested to cut down on paper products. To do this, you must either use plastic or something reusable.
Other people focus on plastic particles polluting the ocean, where the solution is to use decomposable materials, like paper.
Reading this, the answer seems simple: just use reusable materials, but even that is not as simple as it seems. Many ‘reusable’ grocery bags and containers are still made of plastic, which is made in factories that give off dangerous levels of carbon emissions. So even in an attempt to avoid harming the rainforest and the sea, the air around us is affected.
All of this leads to the question: what can we do? While change is possible on an individual level, the small changes we make will not fundamentally shift the current projections for how long the earth will last with this treatment. Instead, this issue calls for widespread global reform from big corporates and governments, in order to reverse the adverse effects before it is too late.
Written by Lilia
Artwork by Mrishana
