Our World Our Earth
Human beings have been irresponsible stewards of planet Earth for a relatively short period of time considering the age of the Earth and the advent of civilization. It is hard to fathom how so much damage to the Earth could be done in the name of progress, and in so little time, most notably since the industrial revolution. Humans have put a tremendous burden on Earth by polluting the atmosphere with greenhouse gases, polluting our oceans and lands with tons of garbage and waste, destroying countless acres of wooded areas and rain forests, have contaminated ground water, created tons of toxic and chemical waste, caused countless species to go extinct, and so much more. Individuals and especially businesses need to take these issues seriously and change the way they act in order to leave a better planet for our future generations. Custom Earth Promos does its part by being a responsible business and offering environmentally friendly products such as eco friendly reusable bags like environmentally responsible custom reusable bags, as well as seed paper products, eco friendly lanyards, and more. These products are created with sustainable materials using eco-friendly manufacturing techniques that help reduce waste, and promote a more eco-conscious mindset for the consumers who use them. With so many environmental problems continuing to get worse and worse every year, it is important that we all do our part to reduce our impact on the environment to preserve it and the health of our planet for future generations.
Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming
Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, and others can be attributed to Global Warming through a process that is known as the Greenhouse Effect. These gases are produced heavily by corporations and governments around the globe in the name of progress. Energy production is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. According to the EPA (2012), an average coal plant in the USA emits 3,533,097 metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. Coal burning, not just in the United States, accounts for the vast majority of greenhouse gases according to many experts. Other, more sustainable, methods of energy production must be embraced because the current system is not sustainable for Earth and its inhabitants. Solar, wind, and hydro-electric power are viable alternatives. Nuclear power plants emit less greenhouse gases, but create toxic waste, and have other risks as well, so they are not the best alternative. Something must be done to limit the amount of greenhouse gases put into the Earth’s atmosphere or we risk destroying the Earth for our future generations, and the best way to do that is to look at and embrace alternate forms of energy production, as well as researching, developing, and embracing more sustainable methods of conducting business.
Oceans Are Not Landfills
People have been using the Earth’s oceans as dumping grounds since the beginning of civilization. Modern civilizations have dumped everything from garbage, raw sewage, and toxic waste, and even more things into the ocean. At least toxic waste dumping was made illegal with an international agreement, but not before thousands of tons were dumped into the ocean, and remember, with very long half-lives this stuff doesn’t just “go away” overnight. Ocean disposal continues to be a major issue impacting our oceans, wildlife, and ecosystems. Not to mention all of the health problems for wildlife and humans that it causes. Islands of trash form in the ocean, ocean beds are lined with glass bottles, entire coral reefs are wiped out due to dumping, and so much more. Countless birds die each year due to ingesting plastics and other garbage. Fisheries are endangered due to poor water conditions, especially rising water temperatures,loss of habitat, and of course over-fishing.
Hundreds of millions of plastic bottles that were used only once are disposed of every single year, what a waste! This is an especially big problem in the United States, where one-use water bottles are used and disposed of at a sickening pace. Switching to reusable water bottles is a great way to immediately and personally make an impact in the amount of plastic bottles that end up in the ocean, landfills, rivers, and everywhere else. To compound the issue, most of the plastic water bottles are not recycled, which means the vast majority of these plastic bottles end up in landfills and the ocean. Both stainless steel water bottles and BPA free plastic water bottles are great options to reduce your carbon footprint by not contributing to the one-and-done plastic water bottle issue. In order to keep our planet’s oceans and wildlife clean and habitable, we must make efforts to reduce the amount of waste we dump into our oceans. More sustainable methods of production must be embraced, and recycling efforts need to be seriously ramped up in all countries.
Deforestation has been increasing at an incredible rate year after year and has been taking its toll on Earth’s wooded areas; most notably forests and tropical rain forests. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), agriculture is the major contributor to deforestation. Subsistence farming is responsible for 48%, commercial agriculture is responsible for 32%, logging accounts for 14%, and fuel wood removal accounts for 5% of deforestation, with 1% due to other causes. Deforestation is another major contributing factor to global warming, and an estimated 20% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are from tropical deforestation. Also, as massive areas of forests are removed, less plants are available to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen through photosynthesis. Deforestation also causes massive loss to wildlife and biodiversity since entire micro and macro-ecosystems are destroyed. We have lost countless species to extinction due to deforestation. There are sustainable ways of harvesting forests and growing agriculture that don’t require the massive destruction of our forests. These more sustainable methods must be embraced or we risk the health and wellness of future generations. If this issue speaks to you, and you are interested in volunteering with an organization to re-plant or care for trees can make a big impact, a great resource for volunteer tree planters is Arbordaynow.org.
Just thinking about these issues impacting the future health of our beautiful planet Earth and all its inhabitants will not make them better. If you truly care about these issues, take action! It is true, as they say, “actions speak louder than words,” especially when it comes to the Earth liberation front. There are many things, both big and small, to help. Seemingly small things can make a big difference, and get you started with the habit of making a change. An important way to make an impact that people usually don’t think about is to let your money do the talking. Support responsible businesses who use and promote sustainable business practices, recycling, lower emissions, organic and non-GMO foods, and so on by buying their products and purposefully not buying from companies that don’t embrace these things. Custom Earth Promos only offers eco friendly promotional products made through responsible business practices.
Another great way to take action is to volunteer with an environmental organization – there are many local and national organizations, and a small amount of searching will net many results. There are also more specific organizations or groups you can volunteer with such as a local beach clean-up, park clean up, tree planting, and so much more. If you are interested in volunteering, a quick search online will provide many ideas and opportunities.
Don’t forget to spread the word! Environmental sustainability is the key to our future, and that means supporting responsible and sustainable businesses and educating people on these issues and why they are important. Don’t forget to do your part to make our world a better place, no matter how you choose to make an impact, any contribution makes our world a better place for us and future generations.
Custom Earth Promos Contribution
We do our part by offering sustainably produced eco-friendly promotional products. Our promotional products are made with sustainably produced materials and manufactured using environmentally friendly processes. This helps reduced the carbon footprint of our business and have less of an impact on the environment. Our eco-friendly products help promote businesses that are more eco-minded, and help consumers understand the problems the environment faces, and help to reduce them. Our products are not only sustainably produced with eco-friendly materials, they are also durable and long lasting, so customers will use them longer, which leads to even less waste. They provide a valuable marketing message for the businesses who use them, and are a valuable product for the consumers who receive them. A great example are custom reusable bags which are used to replace single-use plastic grocery bags. Our reusable bags can be used hundreds of times without showing wear, because they are durable and functional. They are available in different materials such as bamboo bags, recycled RPET bags, canvas bags, biodegradable bags, and so much more. This is just a small sample from the many eco-friendly promotional products we offer that will help you, your customers, your employees, and your family reduce the amount of impact they have on the environment, and help preserve it for future generations.