Most of us care about the environment. We clean our rooms, we turn off the lights when we leave a room, and we feel bad when we see trash on our surroundings. But the truth is, many of the habits we do every single day are destroying the planet and we don’t even realize it.
Here are 10 everyday habits that are destroying the planet:
- Use of plastic: We use plastic in our everyday lives. Shopping bags, one-time cups, plates, straws, etc. are made of plastic that is used by us every day. We are throwing it. But a plastic needs more than hundreds of years to degrade in nature. Burning plastic also emits harmful gases that pollute air.
- Throwing Electronics Improperly: Old phones, batteries, chargers, and other electronics contain toxic substances like lead and mercury. When we throw these into regular trash, they make the soil polluted. From these electronics, harmful chemicals enter into soil and water.
- Overconsumption of vehicles: Vehicles emit carbon dioxide and other harmful gases. That harms our environment.
- Destroying Forests: We are cutting down trees continuously for housing, making furniture, paper, etc. Trees absorb harmful gases from the climate. But because of our deforestation habit, harmful gases are increasing, the ozone layer is damaged, and as a result, our climate is changing day by day, and natural calamities are destroying the harmony of nature.
- Leaving Electronics Plugged In: When a laptop or phone is not charging, leaving the charger unnecessarily plugged in emits carbon, especially in regions where electricity is generated from fossil fuels.
- Using air freshener and aerosol spray: We use air freshener for the beautiful fragrance around us. But these air fresheners contain benzene, toluene, and many dangerous gases that react with the ozone layer and pollute the environment.
- Smoking: In many countries, smoking is a common habit of individuals. Smoking releases harmful gases like carbon monoxide, methane, and volatile organic compounds into the air. These contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and ozone layer damage.
- Overusing Air Conditioning and Heaters: Air conditioners in our homes are great for comfort, but excessive use wastes energy, especially if the electricity comes from non-renewable sources. The majority of the world’s electricity is still generated from fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, which release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
- Throwing wastes everywhere: We often throw wastes recklessly. These wastes pollute soil and water. Soil contamination harms plant life and reduces agricultural productivity. Water pollution disrupts ecosystems underwater.
- Unwilling to maintain the recycling process: Paper, plastic, glass, metal, and electronics need to be recycled. If they are thrown away in nature, they release hazardous elements like lead, cadmium, etc. We usually use things and throw them away in the dustbin. We don’t even try to know its recycling process.
More habits are:
Wasting food, wasting water, overconsumption of fast fashion, driving short distances, excessive water usage, using too much paper, eating too much meat and dairy, using chemical fertilizer, keeping lights open unnecessarily, and buying products without knowing their source.
These are directly or indirectly causing harm in our world. We should be careful and change ourselves to save the Earth.
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