9 pollution solutions

9 pollution solutions

Preserving our planet begins with you. Here are simple and sensible ways to be kinder to our environment.
Updated:
2009-10-12 15:59
Published:
2006-03-29 00:00
By 
Dee Van Dyk

Pollution solutions 1 to 4

Are you doing all you can to save our Earth? It's not as difficult as you might think. Protecting the environment isn't as laborious or time-consuming as you may think, just small adjustments to your lifestyle can have a big impact.

1. Choose re-usable over disposable
Unfortunately, convenience often trumps environmental concerns in our everyday living. Living life with disposables is easy, but with a little forethought you can make environmentally friendly decisions.

Instead of paper towels, use dishcloths. Choose a re-usable mug over its disposable counterpart. Choose a regular camera over disposable cameras.

2. Household hazardous material
You probably haven't given a lot of thought to the number of household chemicals you have, much less how to dispose of them. Vehicle products (antifreeze, automotive batteries, brake and transmission fluid, used motor oil), gardening products (ant and rodent killer, fertilizers, weed killer), and cleaning products (oven cleaners, septic tank cleaners, cleaning solvents) need to be disposed of properly to help protect our environment.

Check with your city for guidelines on how to dispose of hazardous household materials. Many cities have annual household chemical clean-up days and specific drop-off points in city landfills.

To find instructions/directions to disposal sites in your area, visit www.Earth911.org.

3. Can and bottle returns
Turning in your pop cans and bottles is not only environmentally friendly, but profitable. Aluminum cans are the most recycled container in the world! The turn-around time for an aluminium can from the time it's taken in to be recycled to the time it shows up as a new can on your supermarket shelf can be as little as 60 days. The same recycled aluminium can potentially show up on shelves six times a year. More than 50 per cent of cans are recycled.

4. Recycle old technology
According to a June 2003 study from Environment Canada, we dispose of more than 140,000 tonnes of old computer equipment, phone, television, and appliances in our landfills.

While your computer might be outdated to your needs, someone else may still benefit. Consider donating to an organization or charity. Here are a couple of suggestions:

Computers for Schools: http://cfs-ope.ic.gc.ca/default.asp
Electronics Product Stewardship Canada: http://www.epsc.ca/index.html

Click to continue for more ways to be earth-friendly...

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9 pollution solutions

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  • Dieter Pekrul wrote:

    Oct 02, 2006

    2009-09-22 10:48 AM

    Cars are a large contributor to our environmental problems. Consider how little our primary automobile companies actually care about the environment relative to company profits. The weight of the average car sold in the U.S. in 2005 was 4,150 lbs.. In the 21st Century cars are still propelled by hydrocarbons in an internal combustion engine. If you want to see an interesting and creative solution to automobile pollution, visit theaircar.com. When you view the site, think about "why" you have never heard of this (assuming that you haven't), and "why" the mainstream car companies, and obviously the oil companies, do not want the general populus to know about this technology. Regards, Dieter Pekrul
  • Ruth Csoma wrote:

    Oct 01, 2007

    2009-09-22 10:49 AM

    I love to know more people are becoming more aware of health issues especially from the environment.I use all natural cleaning products in my home .No more harsh fumes.I've also began a cleansing program for my body to get those toxins out while reducing my chances of getting up to 60 degenerative diseases that are related to toxins and chemicals in the body.
  • Marian Lewicki wrote:

    Dec 18, 2008

    2009-09-22 10:50 AM

    As so many trees had been cut for the land to be used for farming, why there is no law stating that the some percentage of farms should have the trees replanted. We all know that the areas that are rich with the tres have the most rains and retention of water is much greater. While this creates more green spaces we will have more oxigene and the wild life need this to exist. The wind does not take as much good soil away. This can bee aplied with some distance from a roads that will prevent the snow and the wind blowing on it. More effort should be done toward building more wind generators se egzample in Germany that have become a a country that most of electricity have from that resorce.The some with the pigs and cow farms that use a waist from that animals to generate heat and electricyty , with that there will be less problem with the water polution. There are many thinks that could be done - we need to be more conces of that ant learn more faster from others who already are far ahead and for sure those country will be more than willing to teach us how to do it. We should look forward to build more smaller wind farms and others already egzisting and working thinks . Insteady relying on big corporations that would like to generate the money only for them and telling us that there is no other way, mos of them are stating that they are the best and there is no other way - no way there is a different way we just need to learn and readjust our thinking. Evwery household should have a small wind generator and the sollar panels if possible . some regulations should be changed to do this improvement . I just think that this will be hard to achive for the reason of some powerfull people who will loose their profit and will work against that. That what we had learned from the oil producers and others who try keep us in line as ther wish.
  • James wrote:

    Mar 30, 2009

    2009-11-18 3:01 PM

    A few things bother me here: To me your suggestions seem very small and almost insignificant. Yes, it's a start to get people to think and change habits, and if everyone did these things they would add up. But is it enough? I don't see much about bigger picture items like ways to retrofit homes for better efficiency, or to build more efficient homes right from the start. I also see little said about people's cars and our driving habits. There is talk of more public transit, but still there is so much driving going on it's like an unquestioned given. Especially when so much of the "present" economy revolves around the auto sector. Nor do I see much about what people can do to encourage their employers to have more efficient buildings and factories. Attention to these eco-unfriendly infrastructures and energy gluts is just as important for the public to think about in changing our habits.
  • Lockwood wrote:

    Dec 11, 2009

    2009-12-11 5:38 PM

    How about STOP SHORT HAUL FLYING! Plenty of Torontonians fly to New York or Chicago to shop for the day... or take in the Macy's day parade. Taking a flight to Ottawa or Montreal for meetings is idiotic. We need fast trains to these desinations rather than taking a flight. OR better yet, conduct your meeting by video conferencing and stay home. Planes are polluters...
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