Nesta:
I can feel another hot chocolate coming on. Is there any good news in all of this, or is it all bad?
Tim:
It’s not too late, Nesta, but people have to act now. Like another problem is that humans have been greedy, stripping the planet of resources such as oil, metals and gems which have taken millions of years to form and which can’t be replaced. And then we’ve gone and wasted all these resources by throwing them away as waste into enormous outdoor burial pits for rubbish called landfill sites.
TJ:
I know about these. There are over two thousand landfill sites in the UK and they are predicted to be full within five to ten years.
Tim:
That’s right, TJ. And chemicals and toxic waste leaks out from some rubbish, such as dumped fridges, and this pollutes the surrounding land.
TJ:
All that doesn’t sound good.
Tim:
It’s not.
Lucy:
But isn’t some rubbish biodegradable?
Tim:
Some is.
Nesta:
What’s biodegradable?
Tim:
Something that is biodegradable breaks down physically and/or chemically over time. For example, food scraps, cotton, wool and paper are biodegradable, but plastics, polyester and many other man-made items generally are not. Anything that isn’t biodegradable ends up as problem waste for the planet – not just because it’s generally buried in the landfill sites, which are filling up rapidly, but also because it’s transported there by large lorries, burning lots of fuel and causing pollution.
Izzie:
Can’t we just burn it?
Tim:
Burning waste isn’t the answer, because burning rubbish releases pollutants into the air, including gases that contribute to climate change. The ash that is left over is often toxic and has to be disposed of in landfill sites. We need to change our attitudes towards rubbish.
TJ:
Does that mean recycling?
Tim:
Yes, but that’s only one of the Three Rs. They’re all really important.
Lucy:
Three Rs? Didn’t we do those in infant school?
Tim:
No, these are the green Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. ‘Reduce’ means we should create less waste to begin with. That means only buying stuff we really need.
Izzie:
And not buying things with loads of packaging?
Tim:
That’s right, Izzie – a lot of packaging is unnecessary. We should also avoid using disposable items if there’s a good alternative available.
Izzie:
What, like those coffee cups everyone carries around?
Tim:
Yes, and many other products like disposable cloths, plates, cutlery, plastic bags, even cameras, which are designed to be used only once then thrown away. That means they’re not a good use of the Earth’s precious materials and fuel, and they also end up on those landfill sites. So it’s much better to choose things which can be used again and again. We should also repair things wherever possible, instead of replacing them.
TJ:
How about ‘Reuse’?
Tim:
Well, yes, ‘Reuse’ means not throwing anything away if it could still be useful – stuff which ends up on rubbish heaps could often be reused in some way – for example, using glass jars for storage. And once an item can’t be used any more in its current form, the materials it’s made of can often be turned into something new – that’s Recycling, and we all need to recycle as much as we can.
TJ:
So really you’re saying that we should think twice before we throw anything away?
Tim:
Exactly right.
Nesta:
OK, I’ve got a question for you. Why are we always being told that we should save water?
Tim:
Well, human beings in developed countries are demanding more and more water – for instance, to fill our kettles, our swimming pools and our garden water features. So water companies have to extract more water from existing underground reservoirs and rivers.
Izzie:
But aren’t they refilled by rain?
Nesta:
Yeah – we get enough of it!
Tim:
Not quickly enough. That means that too much water is drained away from the natural habitats of wildlife, and low river levels increase the concentration of pollutants in the water, so there is less oxygen for the plant and animal life there. And you may think that oceans aren’t affected by water use in your home, but think again. Waste water eventually finds its way back there, and if waste water is polluted, then the seas are polluted too. So saving water saves the oceans.
Nesta:
And what the heck is a carbon footprint?
Tim:
Your carbon footprint is a measurement of how much carbon dioxide you produce just by going about your daily life.
Lucy:
Like what we breathe out? Because we breathe out carbon dioxide, don’t we? I remember doing that in science. Are you saying stop breathing?
Tim:
No, Lucy, I’m not. You produce additional carbon dioxide when you travel in a car or aeroplane, put the heating on, switch on lights or boil a kettle. All those things rely on the burning of fossil fuels, which emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
TJ:
What’s food got to do with going green, Tim?
Tim:
A lot, TJ. Eating local produce is much better than eating stuff that’s grown miles away, because all the planes and lorries which transport food use up fuel and also emit carbon dioxide. That increases greenhouse gases, which in turn increase global warming, which increases climate change. Do you know what food miles are?
TJ:
It’s the number of miles that food produce travels from where it’s grown to where it’s eaten. We did that at school.
Tim:
Exactly. And food that counts for a large number of food miles not only involves more fuel usage, it also needs more protective packaging to keep it in a decent state, so it’s a double whammy for the environment. You should choose local produce and less packaged food whenever you can.
Izzie:
So what about organic food?
Tim:
Organic food is much better for the environment because it hasn’t been grown using pesticides and fertilisers, which can have long-term effects on the land and also insects and animals which eat them – including us. For instance, if veg is treated with pesticides and fertilisers, humans may be eating those too when they eat the veg.
Lucy:
That’s what my dad says too, which is why he sells organic veg in his shop.
Izzie:
Tastes better too.
Nesta:
What is fair trade, Tim? For instance, is it something I could do with your girlfriend?
Tim:
Not sure she’d like that.
Nesta:
Worth a try. Like with going green, all you have to do is be open to changing a few things.
Tim:
(cough) OK. Um, not sure that’s what I meant exactly. So. Yes. Fair trade. This is a movement ensuring that people in the developing world are getting a fair deal for their products and encouraging them to use environmentally-friendly methods.
Lucy:
And any product that is fair trade is clearly marked so on the package, isn’t that right, Tim?
Tim:
That’s right. Fair trade can also help another big problem – population growth. If people have a reasonable quality of life, which fair trade promotes, they tend to have fewer children. That means the population grows more slowly, which is good for the planet.
TJ:
I’ve never properly understood what genetically-modified means. Can you explain?
Tim:
&nb
sp; Genetically modified plants have been scientifically altered to increase their yield or quality. Many people are worried about the long-term effects this will have on animals and humans.
Nesta:
You mentioned fossil fuels before, Tim. Sounds like they’re hot. A bit like you.
Tim:
Actually I am starting to feel a bit hot. Er, could I have a glass of water? Thanks. So, right, can any of you tell me what the three fossil fuels are?
Nesta:
My grandpa, my grandma and my Aunt Sadie. They really are a bunch of old fossils.
TJ:
Coal, oil and natural gas.
Nesta:
Smarty pants.
Tim:
You’re right, TJ. We burn these to produce energy. When they are burned, these components mix with oxygen in the atmosphere. The result is carbon dioxide – which as you now know is the main greenhouse gas, causing global warming, which causes climate change . . . which brings us back to where we started. Um . . . can I go now?
Nesta:
Just one last thing before you go – now that you have explained all the problems and made me feel totally depressed, can you say what we have to do to save the planet, for those of us who might have been slightly – um – distracted during what you just said?
Tim:
OK. Here goes.
1.
Save energy: only use what you really need, and switch off anything you’re not actually using – lights, heating, computers, TV.
2.
Don’t waste water.
3.
Bin the bin – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
4.
Walk, bike or take public transport rather than travelling by car. And don’t go by aeroplane if you can avoid it.
5.
Eat locally-grown, low-packaged and/or organic food whenever possible.
6.
When you’re shopping, only buy what you really need, reuse bags, go for products with little packaging, and choose fair trade and organic items when you can.
7.
Choose greener cleaning products, or make your own.
8.
Help conservation campaigns.
9.
Think green when it comes to gift-giving.
10.
Speak up about saving the planet! Nag your parents, teachers and mates to go greener. Email your MP.
Keep reading for loads of brilliant ideas on how to green up your act and make Tim’s tips a part of your everyday life.
A Note from TJ
I used to want to be a writer, but I’ve changed my mind recently. I think that I might become a politician. I want to make my mark and do something that will make a difference. OK, I might write the occasional book because books influence the way people think too, but politicians are the ones who have the main say about change and stuff – which makes me think, how come they just sit back and let our planet go down the drain? Don’t they care about people without enough water to drink, animals in danger of dying out and glaciers melting in Antarctica?
Anyway, the real point is, it’s politicians who have the most power to change things, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything. Politicians need voters, and in a few years’ time that will be you and me! Until then, we can talk to parents and teachers and any other adults who will listen, and make sure that they realise how crucial green issues are, so that they vote for politicians who will really act to protect the planet – not just talk about it. We can also get together and join protests and campaigns (this is a fab way to meet boys who have a bit of oomph). And if I do become a politician, you can vote for me some day!
But we can all start RIGHT NOW by taking responsibility for our own lives. How? I hear you say. Read on. We’ve written about all the things we think we can do to make the world a better place, and we’ve divided them up into three sections: Green Girl (‘easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy’ level), Green Queen (‘bit of a challenge’ level) and Green Goddess (‘polish that halo’ level).
So here goes with the easy-peasy stuff.
TJ X
Did you know that households in the UK produce about twenty-seven million tonnes of rubbish each year? That’s about the weight of 2.7 million dinosaurs! Keep reading to find out how a lot of that rubbish could be put to good use.
Our biggest turn-offs used to be greasy hair, B.O. and boys who acted like they knew it all. But now we think about turn-offs in a very different way. Every time you use an electrical gadget in your house you’re using electricity – which comes from burning fossil fuels – which pumps out greenhouse gases into the atmosphere – which contributes to climate change – which will wreak havoc on the environment and destroy living things and could lead to the end of the planet. And you may not know this, but leaving electrical equipment on standby uses almost as much electricity as when you’re actually using it. Aaargh! However, there’s a simple solution. Turn things off! (Yay. Tick. Can do. Off goes my computer for a start when I’m not using it – I used to leave it on standby – Lucy)
SOME EASY CAN-DOS
1
If you have a radio alarm that’s mains operated, flick it off at the plug every morning – it’ll take you only a few extra seconds to reset it at night.
2
Turn your DVD player, CD player, Nintendo Wii player etc. off at the wall socket (or unplug it) when you’re not using it.
3
When you’re watching TV, don’t have all the lights blazing in the room at the same time.
4
When your programme’s finished, don’t leave the telly on in the background – make the break and turn it off instead.
5
Don’t use the remote to put the set onto standby – actually walk across the room and turn it off properly. (As a bonus, you’ll burn off a bit of the chocolate you’ve probably just noshed back in front of the box too. Only a couple of calories – but it all adds up, doesn’t it?– Izzie.)
6
Unplug your mobile charger as soon as your phone’s juiced up. Whatever you do, don’t leave it charging overnight.
7
Make it a habit to turn off the light when you leave a room – unless someone’s still in there, of course . . . (Though it’s quite a laugh to turn off the light in the loo when your brother’s in there – Lucy.)
TOP TIPS FOR GREEN GIRLS
Go around your house and count how many lightbulbs you have. How many of these are energy-saving lightbulbs? If you replace normal lightbulbs with energy-saving ones, your family won’t just be saving the planet, they’ll be saving money on their electricity bill too.
Did you know that a colour TV left on standby can use eighty-five per cent of the energy it uses when it’s actually on? And in the UK, out of all the energy used by mobile phones, a whopping ninety-five per cent is wasted energy because of chargers being left plugged in when the phone’s actually finished charging. So switch things off when they’re not in use and be instantly greener!
A wind-up alarm clock is a fantastic green alternative to one that runs on mains electricity or batteries.
If you’re anything like us, you spend a-g-e-s on your computer every day. What with Facebook and MySpace and homework and coursework and Facebook and emailing mates and checking your online horoscope and Facebook and chat rooms and blogging and – oh, yes, did we mention Facebook? While computers are great for cutting down on paper (for instance, you can get your celeb gossip online rather than having to buy a magazine) they’re not good when it comes to electricity usage. So here are our top green tips for being cuter when you use your computer.
1
Position your computer near a window if possible, so you can do your homework in natural light as often as you can rather than needing to turn the light on. (It’s better for your overall energy flow to be in natural than artificial light anyway – Izzie.)
2
Try to ration your computer-usage to cut down on electricity. Do you really need to
spend that long in a chat room? Try to allocate one day every week to be computer-free.
3
Think twice before you use your computer printer – only use it when it’s really necessary, because laser printers release ozone into the environment, as well as eating up paper.
4
When you’re printing, set your printer to the ‘quick print’ option, so you use less ink.
5
Always print on both sides of your paper.
6
Put a box next to your computer so you can collect any printouts you don’t need for recycling.
7
Don’t leave your computer on standby when your mates phone up for a chat – use the ‘sleep’ function (which can reduce energy wastage by sixty-five per cent) or, even better, turn it off altogether.
Mates, Dates and Saving the Planet Page 2
