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How Can We Prevent Pollution?
Surprisingly, pollution prevention is not difficult. Opportunities can be found at home, when you shop at the store, when you go to school or when you go to work. You can take steps every day to help stop pollution. Once you get in the habit of thinking about the pollution you are creating, you will soon recognize more and more opportunities for preventing it.
Challenge yourself to find a new way to reduce pollution each week or improve on something you have already started, like riding your bike more often, or walking to school every day instead of once or twice a week.
Keep reading to find out how you can join in this effort to protect the environment.
Preventing AIR Pollution
Preventing WATER Pollution
Preventing LAND Pollution
Preventing NOISE Pollution
Litter Blitz
Preventing AIR Pollution
We can help to reduce and prevent air pollution by using less electricity and gasoline.
- Walk, cycle or use public transportation
- Give friends that are going to the same place as you a ride (i.e. car pooling)
- Turn off lights, TV, radio and other electrical items when not in use
- Use low-energy or energy-saving light bulbs
- Avoid using gas powered machinery (i.e. lawn mowers)
- Fill up the car with cleaner fuels
- Keep your car tuned and schedule routine maintenance checks
- Turn off your engine when waiting - do not idle!
Reduce Engine Idling
When cars, trucks and buses are left running while parked, they produce unnecessary pollution that contributes to climate change and smog, which affects our health. A recent study in Toronto found that more than a third of parents or caregivers waiting to pick up their children sit in their vehicles with the engines idling.
To find out how you can start an anti-idling campaign at your school developed by the Office of Energy Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada at http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca or on the Greenest City web site www.greenestcity.org/asrts/idling.html that includes resource materials and information.
Teachers can support the school anti idling program by linking it to the Ontario curriculum. There are several opportunities in math, science and technology, arts and language in all grades from 1 through 8. |
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Preventing WATER Pollution
There are a number of ways that you can help prevent water pollution around your house, school, work or neighbourhood. Here are just some of the ideas:
- Install "low-flow" shower heads and faucets to reduce water use
- Only run the dishwasher when it is full and use dishwasher soap that does not contain phosphates
- Disconnect the down spout from your eaves trough if it discharges into a sewer system
- Install a rain barrel to collect rain for watering plants and your lawn. Share your rainwater with neighbours.
- Plant plants that can grow with low moisture content in soils and do not need to be watered very often
- Take your car to a car wash facility rather than washing it in your driveway or on the street
- Don't pour chemicals down the storm sewer
- Buy biodegradable or environmentally friendly soap and other cleaning supplies
- Fix taps, faucets and pipes that are leaking
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Preventing LAND Pollution
The best thing we can all do to cut down on waste is to make less of it! When we reduce the amount of waste that we produce this will reduce amount of garbage that we have to dispose in landfills. Some ideas on reducing land pollution include:
- Try to purchase materials that are sold in reusable containers
- Look for products that have very little packaging to throw away
- Buy biodegradable products
- Buy in bulk to reduce packaging
- Use safer alternatives to pesticides.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
- Buy organically grown fruits and vegetable. (i.e. those that are grown with natural fertilizers such as composted manure or compost)
- Take old clothing, furniture and appliances in good working condition to collection depots and centres
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Preventing NOISE Pollution
Reducing noise pollution is the easiest one of all.
- Keep the volume of music and the television down at home so you don't disturb other family members or neighbours
- Don't slam doors
- Don't thunder up and down stairs - try to walk quietly
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Organize your friends and neighbours to do a litter blitz. Get together with friends and clean up your local street, park, school ground or beach. Pick up all the litter you can find. Make a couple of piles - one for garbage and the other for items that can be recycled. Make sure you are very careful and always wear gloves when handling litter. Combine your activity with other national events such as Earth Day (April) or Environment (first week in June). |
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