Welcome to my Environmental A-Z…today its the letter O…

Last weeks post was rather a scary one to write…it also seems many of you feel like I do that we need to take out own steps to avoid pollution wherever we can…

Abraham Lincoln is correct we need to act now to create the future for our families that we want…but at the moment we can only dream of…

The best way to predict your future is to create it...Abraham Lincoln.

 

The A-Z of the environment and Climate Change… letter O.

Oil Spill…

We have all seen these over the years and the damage it does to the wildlife those poor animals which flash across our screens covered in thick black oil…These are the obvious spills the ones which make national and international headlines…HOWEVER, these account for only a small part of the total amount of pollution in our oceans…according to scientists many of the other sources such as automobile oil go largely unnoticed…

Here are three little-reported sources of oil that contribute to oil pollution in North American oceans.

• Natural Seeps. …
• Cars and Other Land Vehicles. …
• Recreational Boats.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/140325-texas-pollution-oil-spills-animals-science

Organic Food…

I think we all have heard of Organic Food…Organic farming is widely considered to be a far more sustainable alternative when it comes to food production. The lack of pesticides and a wider variety of plants enhances biodiversity and results in better soil quality and reduced pollution from fertilizer or pesticide run-off…

Pesticides even those created from natural sources are often called organic products. But no matter whether they are created in a test tube or are derived from a plant, if they are labelled as killing a pest, they are a pesticide. That is the law. The bottom line is, organically produced fruits and vegetables may not be pesticide-free.

I personally use Neem oil as a pesticide which it is but it is an organic natural pesticide always check your organic food where it is grown if local I’m sure the farmer will tell you what method he uses whether it planting marigolds among some of his vegetables or an organic oil like Neem…Take nothing at face value ask the questions…

As Organic food is a big subject I will make it a topic of a single post in the future…

Ozone…

Ozone (O3) is a highly reactive gas composed of three oxygen atoms. It is both a natural and a man-made product that occurs in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. (the stratosphere) and lower atmosphere (the troposphere). Depending on where it is in the atmosphere, ozone affects life on Earth in either good or bad ways.

Ozone Layer…

If you watched the video you know what is happening and what happens if the hole DOES NOT CLOSE UP ….What can we do?

1. Avoid the consumption of gases dangerous to the ozone layer, due to their content or manufacturing process. Some of the most dangerous gases are CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), halogenated hydrocarbon, methyl bromide and nitrous oxide…FOR EXAMPLE manufacturer of CFCs ceased in the United States as of December 31, 1995, because of their destructive effect on the ultraviolet radiation shield (ozone) of the atmosphere. HOWEVER these compounds are still available for sale, and some areas have stockpiled supplies. Fluorocarbons are still an issue although they have been banned in 197 countries around the world…
2. Minimize the use of cars. The best transport option is by bicycle or walking. If you use a car to a destination, try to carpool with others to decrease the use of cars in order to pollute less and save…or when buying your next car choose electric.
3. Do not use cleaning products that are harmful to the environment and to us. Many cleaning products contain solvents and substances corrosive, but you can replace these dangerous substances with non-toxic products such as vinegar or bicarbonate…I use both of these for cleaning and they work…it also saves plastic coming into your home and saves you money.
4. Buy local products or grow your own where possible. In this way, you not only get fresh products but you avoid consuming food that has travelled long distances. As the more distance travelled, the more nitrous oxide is produced due to the medium used to transport that product.
5. Maintain air conditioners, as their malfunctions cause CFC to escape into the atmosphere.

Over Utilisation…

Over-utilisation of natural resources such as water, land, forests, wildlife, minerals and energy lead to disasters in the environment. Causes of over-utilisation of resources. In the olden days, man used the resources in a controlled manner to satisfy his basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter.

Today   I see signs of it everywhere seas overfished, wild vegetables and mushrooms over picked…THE FIRST SIGN OF FOOD SHORTAGES (WE)  saw this quite graphically during the early days of covid…people just filling their trolleys to overflowing…Man’s greed for themselves is not something I like to see and certainly not something which makes me proud of the human race and what we have become.

I was reading something earlier today and it made me think of Sir David Attenborough and the Blue Planet films in fact it was the first thing I thought of…”throwing facts and information at people rarely changes minds”…how many of you on seeing these films made big changes to your lifestyle?…

It’s true as I was reading and mentioned it in a previous post that the percentage of people who changed their shopping habits and lifestyle after watching these films was in fact very low…

What does it take?… I was watching the news on the terrible devastation Hurricane Ida has and is still wreaking the lives and homes lost…One lady was being interviewed and asked why she didn’t evacuate to higher ground as was recommended…Her answer ” I didn’t think it would be this bad”….come on…it has been 16 years to the day when Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc and cost lives …are memories that short…I would be out of there…The same goes for Climate Change people are complacent and when something really hits they will take notice…Let’s hope it isn’t too late…

That’s all for today…I hope you have a lovely day and my condolences go out to anyone affected by Hurricane Ida…Be safe.xx