Science is one of the best tools we have for improving life.
Unfortunately, humanity has used many scientific discoveries and technological inventions in ways that have exacerbated the state of the environment and made the world a less safe place. Thousands of nuclear bombs sit around us waiting ... oil spills at a rate ... burning fossil fuels creates smog and global climate change ... and that's just a small part of how humanity is negatively impacting the world.
Some people look at these grim results of science and technology and blame science itself. They blame inventions and technology rather than humanity itself for the overpopulated population, the urge to control lands and resources, and short-term profit-driven thinking.
The solution to bad use of science is not to remove responsibility from ourselves and blame science, but to use science in a better, more responsible and more mature way, with long-term thinking.
The UN has created Science Day for Peace to urge people to use science in the name of peace and find innovative technologies to make the future sustainable!
The field of sustainable development is extremely important for the environment. The damage done to the environment not only harms vegetation and wildlife but also humans and endangers the present and future of us all. If we continue to live the way we live today, we will already in this century need three planets to survive, instead of one Earth.
Ways to live sustainably
Every day the choices we make in our lives affect the environment, the climate and other species besides us. From what we eat to how many children we decide to give birth to. We can do a lot to “choose sustainability” and reduce our environmental footprint to leave more room for animals and wild plants that are important to our continued existence in the world and advanced science and technologies have an important contribution to make to enable us to do so.
Think twice before you go shopping. Every product we buy has an environmental footprint, from the materials used to make it to the pollution emitted during its production and the packaging that ends its days in landfills. Think about the amount of space we need for the garbage we produce! To get rid of this much garbage one has to bury it in the soil, which pollutes it and our water sources, or burn it, which pollutes the air. Both options are bad for the environment. If you are already buying something, try to buy something recycled or second hand that has minimal packaging.
Make sure your large purchases have great environmental benefits. If you are buying appliances, make sure they are energy efficient. Buying a car? Buy cars that are as fuel efficient as possible. If you are buying a house or apartment, make sure they are built with a standard of green construction. All of these benefits will also reduce your electricity bill and fuel expenses.
Stop using plastic. The plastic is not biodegradable. It fills in vast quantities about 40 percent of the world's oceans. Every year thousands of seabirds, sea turtles, seals and other marine mammals are killed by trapping or suffocating in plastic. You can reduce your use of plastic in a few simple steps: use reusable bags when shopping, use reusable water bottles, use bags as little as possible. Give up the hardships of drinking and avoid products made of plastic or packaged in them if possible (choose products that are not wrapped when you shop in the grocery store or stores, reduce the online shopping that uses a lot of plastic packaging materials).
Reduce the consumption of animal products. Food engineers are developing meat substitutes and substitutes for milk and eggs from plants. Leather and fur products also have synthetic substitutes. The industrial farms for animal husbandry are among the main causes of the environmental crisis. This is according to a detailed UN report examining the impact of the meat, dairy and egg industries on the environment. According to the report, the animal food industries are a major cause of global warming and are responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions as a result of human activity (more than all transportation combined: by air, sea and land).
Avoid products that endanger wildlife. Some products contain ingredients that threaten the living environment of animals, because of deforestation or the use of their water they need. One of the elements that threaten the livelihoods of animals is the palm oil whose production is responsible for the extinction of tropical forests, which are home to a huge variety of organisms, threaten the ecology and contribute to the extinction of wildlife such as the orangutan, sumetra tiger and Asian rhino.
Drive less, drive green. Ride less in cars and walk more or ride a bike. If you are traveling, try to travel with more people to reduce the number of cars on the road, use more public transportation.
November 10 is also Sesame Street Day and Vanilla Cupcake Day