How does this make you feel?

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erdelyii wrote:

How does this make me feel?

like doing something about it.

Yes, it's overwhelming and dire.

But doing nothing is a depressing option.

Every action or inaction of any person has an effect on the environment—be it good, neutral, or negative. By becoming aware and doing the right thing, we choose to be part of the solution. Here are some things you can do:

Stop smoking or don't throw your butts on the ground. Cigarette butts are not biodegradable and contain extremely toxic soluble chemicals. One butt thrown on the ground can remain for up to 25 years, leaking chemicals like arsenic, ammonia, acetone, benzene, cadmium, formaldehyde, lead, and toluene into the environment.
Drive an electric or hybrid car or at least one that uses unleaded gasoline.
Keep your car in good running condition to avoid emissions.
Share a ride or carpool.
Choose to walk or ride a bicycle whenever possible.
Never use open fires to dispose of waste, especially chemicals and plastic.
Adopt the 3 Rs of solid waste management: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Use sustainable, reclaimed, or recycled building materials.
Start composting leaves and clippings from your yard and food scraps from your kitchen to reduce waste while improving your soil.
Use the power supplied abundantly and freely by wind and sun. Hang your laundry to dry to minimize your use of gas or electricity and open a window or put on a sweater rather than turning on the air conditioner or heater.
Buy local foods and goods. In this manner, the use of fuel for transporting goods can be minimized.
Look around you house or place of business for ways you could conserve water.
Use and buy products that are eco-friendly or made with biodegradable materials. Avoid plastic.
Always bring a bag when you shop.
Get rid of your lawn: Plant bee-friendly, drought-tolerant, native plants instead.
Plant more trees. They clean the air, provide oxygen, and beautify your surroundings.
Take care to properly dispose of your pet's waste.
Do not litter. Start an anti-litter campaign to educate your community.
If you own a business, make sure you have considered the environmental impact of your business practices. If you work for someone else, take the time to assess your company's environmental impact and try to implement positive change.
Say a big "NO" to pesticides and GMOs (genetically modified organisms).
Join an Earth Day celebration (every April 22nd) and consider making its tenets an everyday practice.

from here.

I'd add eat less animal products
Use metal water bottles
Take reusable cups to the cafe instead of taking plastic takeaway cups.

You don't have to be an asshole about it, either. Silly self-righteous folks ruin it a bit.

Our models indicate that a full-scale system roll-out could clean up 50% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 5 years.

Research shows the majority of plastic by mass is currently in the larger debris. By removing the plastic while most of it is still large, we prevent it from breaking down into dangerous microplastics.

That's just one initiative that's out there.

Pick a clean up cause and donate.

Yes we're inclined to be stupid, selfish, wasteful and lazy but we're also prone to copying what others do and adapting to norms, and businesses do listen when consumers get together and demand different products.

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Aim_Deep wrote:

Dont be so cynical "suicideall"


lol

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Aim_Deep wrote:

I like your approach - it all starts at home and by being informed.

I became a vegetarian after watching cowspiracy movie few years back. The environmental degradation is insane because we want to eat meat. Like cows displacing native americans in brazil, rain forests, aquifers etc.

Learned a few things from you post too thanks!

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SuicideAll wrote:

Cynical or realistic?

Dupont/Chemour has been dumping toxic waste into the water for longer than most people here have been alive. Your vegetarianism doesn't stop the toxic waste that is pouring into the water as we speak.

Still hopeful?

How about the fact that no one knows how to even clean up the toxic waste?

Even if the multi-billion dollar global company is shut down, the waste they have been dumping for half a century is here to stay.

Still hopeful?

Dupont has already been successfully sued by multiple people. They have even been fined by the EPA. The courts and federal government have not stopped Dupont. Who is going to stop them if the courts and federal government wont?

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erdelyii wrote:

"

SuicideAll wrote:

Cynical or realistic?

Dupont/Chemour has been dumping toxic waste into the water for longer than most people here have been alive. Your vegetarianism doesn't stop the toxic waste that is pouring into the water as we speak.

Still hopeful?

How about the fact that no one knows how to even clean up the toxic waste?

Even if the multi-billion dollar global company is shut down, the waste they have been dumping for half a century is here to stay.

Still hopeful?

Dupont has already been successfully sued by multiple people. They have even been fined by the EPA. The courts and federal government have not stopped Dupont. Who is going to stop them if the courts and federal government wont?

Avaaz

Attitudes can be toxic, too, y'know

Said from experience, not because I'm the human equivalent of Evian water.

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SuicideAll wrote:

My attitude is toxic. So is your water and air. It seems neither is getting cleaned up any time soon.

I wonder what the aliens will do with Earth after we die.