Environmental Action Plan Issues - Essay Example

Environmental Action Plan Environmental Action Plan Introduction Environment refers to the surroundings of a living organism. It includes both biotic and abiotic factors such as other living organisms, plants and the natural environment. In the book of Genesis, God created man and gave him the responsibility for the earth. These responsibilities involve participating in conservation measures that ensure that the earth and the environment in general are well preserved. Over time, the activities of man have led to environmental degradation. As the human society develops and its number increases, more and more cases of pollution occur in the environment. The pollution of the environment is caused by residential, commercial, and industrial wastes. These include Carbon dioxide (CO­2)), Carbon monoxide (CO), Nitrogen, and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) (ENERGY.GOV, 2014). The release of such compounds into the environment leads to environmental degradation. Therefore, it is prudent for human beings to take necessary steps in preventing any further damage to the environment and mitigate on the damages that have already occurred. This responsibility is a concern of the international community, respective governments, and every individual. The individuals can work hard to care for the environment by participating in environmental conservation measures. It is important for individuals to take care of the environment because it is where they live. Polluted air means that there would be an increase in respiratory diseases. Furthermore, polluted soil, full of chemicals and fertilizers, will result into crops with high levels of toxic substances and pollute the water bodies when these fertilizers are washed into streams and rivers. This paper explores three goals and action plans, which an individual can use to become more aware of environmental issues and human impact on the environment. Goal 1 – Reduce utility bills, which in return will help the environment by using less electric, gas, and water The production of electricity often involves a lot of emission of gasses, which cause considerable damage to the environment. Therefore, an individual should bear this in mind when operating electrical appliances. This can involve a slight change in their habits or using more energy efficient appliances. For example, change of habits include: One can make sure they turn all the lights off they are not using, particularly when they leave a room Sealing off windows with plastics to avoid the escaping of the heated air into the environment Using cold water to wash laundry and hanging them out to dry instead of using the dryer. This habit will ensure that when doing laundry, less electric energy is consumed, and the one utilizes the abundant natural energy of the sun to dry the clothes Some of the energy efficient appliances that can be used include: Installing energy efficient bulbs, which save more energy and are longer lasting as compared to incandescent light bulbs. These bulbs save between 3%- 80% of energy and lasts for 3-25 times more than the incandescent (Mirosa, Lawson, Gnoth, 2013). However, the energy efficient bulbs are expensive during the initial purchase, but they always provide savings over the entire lifetime of the bulb. Installing a new thermostat that is more sensitive and will effectively regulate the energy consumption of appliances The period for achieving this goal is estimated to be between six and seven months. Sadly, the market prices of the energy efficient fixtures are very high. As such, it makes the process of changing from the conventional fixtures like bulbs to the energy efficient ones expensive. The cost of acquisition will thus have to be spread through the period between six to seven months. To access the progress made, an individual can monitor the electric bills for a period of three to six months after the installation of the energy efficient fixtures and compare with the old bills. Such measure will give a comparison between the two and tell whether the energy efficient has helped to reduce the utility bills. Goal 2 – Drive less, idle car less, walk more, which will aid with the environment by using less petrol and releasing fewer fumes Exhaust emissions from vehicles are a major cause of environmental pollution. Some gasses such as CO, CO2 cause air pollution and they ultimately lead to the greenhouse effect (ENERGY.GOV, 2014). The greenhouse effect causes global warming, which in turn causes the change of weather patterns and rise of sea levels. Individuals employ creative and ingenious ways to reduce the levels of exhaust gasses that is released into the environment. These include: Use public transportation In order to reduce the pollution from the large number of small passenger’s vehicles, the people should be encouraged to use the mass transportation system. This system is the backbone of the public transport. It carries a large number of people into the city who would have otherwise used their transport system. Ride bike to work when feasible Bike riding is a viable option, which not only reduces the emissions from the personal vehicles, but also improves the health of the rider. Its only limitation is it cannot be operated during cold and rainy weather. Carpool with nearby co-workers Workers living in the same area may decide to pool their resources and fuel a single, which they will use to commute to and from work. It is an ingenious way that reduces the pollution by reducing the number of vehicles that are on the road at a particular time on the road. In addition, cars can be installed with GPS to help guide the driver to their destination. Installing the GPS will prevent unnecessary running of the car while the driver is trying to find their destination. The timeline for this goal is between one week and one month. The individual will be required to make personal decisions to change their mode of transportation from one form to another and from one place to another. The main obstacle to this goal is changing from one form of transportation to another. It is also difficult to get the same work mates who are living in the same area or who would agree to carpool. This goal is measurable. The increase in the number of co-workers signing up for carpool is one clear way of measuring this goal. Other means of measuring this include an increased number of people using their bicycles to work, or a large number of people start walking to buy their groceries instead of using cars for short distances. Goal 3 – Start a recycling program within the community I live in. I recycle, but it is not easy in my apartment complex. Recycling is a process that allows the conversion of waste materials into new materials. By using what is perceived as a waste material, recycle can lower the demand on the use of fresh raw materials; reduce energy demands and air pollution. These demands and pollution could have occurred if the new material were manufactured in an industrial setting. In order for the recycling process to occur, the people have to be sensitized on the need to sort out their waste at the point of generation (Waite, 2013). Sorting out waste means that the different types of wastes produced by the residential and commercial areas are dropped in their designated waste bins. To get people to sign up on the recycling program, requires a lot of effort from an individual. A person may resort to: Talking with apartment complex owners An individual can approach the apartment complex owners and show them the inherent benefits of providing recycle bins for each flat. Such an initiative will allow the tenants to sort their waste easily and will make it easier for the recycling company to come up quickly come up with new products from the recycled wastes. Creating a petition This is a creative way of collecting signatures from like-minded individuals, public, and groups in the community. These people have pledged their support for the idea of conserving the environment. The signatures can be used to compel the local authorities to publish and enact laws regarding recycling and reuse of waste materials. Come up with a small presentation An individual can come up with a small presentation in the community center. This presentation will be used to educate the community members on the process of sorting out the waste and the benefits of recycling to the environment. Raise awareness through the use door hangers. This is a more direct and personal approach of targeting individual members of the community. The individual door hangers can be used to hold banners, which convey the recycling messages. The timeline of achieving this goal is two months. This goal requires a relatively short period to conceive and implement. The community has to be sensitized on the benefits of sorting their wastes for recycling purposes. After which the goal will be implemented of sorting out the waste and the ones to be recycled will be sent off to recycling companies. This goal is easily measurable. Records will be kept on the amount of waste sorted out per week and a comparison made between the amounts over a period of four months. An increase in the waste collected for recycle will mean that the goals are being achieved (Waite, 2013). In conclusion, it is prudent for a man to take care of the environment that he lives and works in. Man draws his livelihood from the environment: the air he breathes, the water he drinks and the food he eats. However, his activities always result into environmental pollution. Therefore, he has to take the necessary steps to clean up the environment. This paper explores three goals, which can be used at the individual level to attain a clean environment and the challenges that one will face through the course of achieving them. The results of all the three goals are measurable. This quality gives an individual the ability to determine the effectiveness of each goal in conserving the environment. References ENERGY.GOV. (2014, November 5). How Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs Compare with Traditional Incandescents. Retrieved from Energy.Gov: http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/how-energy-efficient-light-bulbs-compare-traditional-incandescents Mirosa, M., Lawson, R., & Gnoth, D. (2013). Linking Personal Values to Energy-Efficient Behaviors in the Home. Dunedin, New Zealand: University of Otago. Waite, R. (2013). Household Waste Recycling. Abingdon: Earthscan. Read More