Transcripts
"About the environment"
by Dominique Berland
Being a member of or adherent to Friends of le Monde Diplomatique, you are interested in understanding what is happening in our World today. But maybe you find yourself frustrated by the low level of impact we can have on such big issues, even if the protests are substantial in size?
The earth may seem a very big place, but when it comes to the environment, it is rather small.
We need to save water, fuel and non-renewable energy because these are in short supply and create great amounts of pollution. Doing so will help to protect the wildlife of the earth as well as our own future generations. As you all know, "little drops create a river....", which means that even if your actions are little, it helps to save our environment. What can you do?
Well, here are some ideas.
In your daily home life:
- You can save water by turning off the tap when brushing your teeth and by having a shower instead of a bath.
- You can save energy by switching off the television, stereo (not leaving them in stand-by mode) and lights when you are not using them.
- You can recycle by bringing bottles, cans, tins, paper to your local recycling banks
- You can also re-use envelopes and carrier bags
When shopping:
- You can buy cleaning products who care about environment
- You can save paper and plastic by not buying goods with lots of packaging
- You can buy Fair trade goods, which pay the producer a fair price for him and his family and not a market price
When out and about:
- Try to walk, cycle or used public transport as often has you can.
- Bring rubbish home when walking in the countryside
Hopefully this non-exhaustive list will bring to your attention that we can all have an impact in our environment, and that we all can do something.
Many raw materials are in short supply or will be in the future. Keep in mind that the less rubbish we produce, the less we need to recycle.
The climate is changing by the creation of carbon dioxide and other gas, so every action you take to reduce their levels helps the environment and will benefit us all. Thanks
Dominique BERLAND
Friends of Le Monde Diplomatique
London, February 2002
© Friends Of Le Monde Diplomatique
