My public speaking speech!

Albert Einstein once said “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Pretty much everywhere you look today you will hear or see something reminding you that our planet’s health is diminishing. If our planet were a person it would be about time to buy the burial plot. Just a brief list of the things that is ailing her are:

§  pollution – caused by the release of chemicals into the atmosphere as well as the release of wastewater from industrial waste and untreated domestic sewage.

§  Acid rain - caused by the mix of dangerous chemicals into the air, released from power plant and auto-mobiles.

§  Climate change -

§  Deforestation - the permanent destruction of forests in order to make the land available for other uses.

§  Extinction of thousands of species of animals and plants - climatic oscillations, as well as species interactions; however, since the ascent of modern man, the causes of extinction have been dominated by the activities of us humans.

I think everyone in this room can agree that all of these issues exist and that humans have caused most of them. Thankfully many of us are concerned about the future of our planet and unless we can find a way of solving the problems then the environment will suffer.

I know this all sounds so depressing - but we can’t get overwhelmed. Every one of us can do something to help slow down or even reverse some of the damage. We cannot leave the problem-solving entirely to the experts - we all have a responsibility to our environment. We must learn to live in way that will sustain our world and we must use our natural resources which include air, freshwater, forests, wildlife, farmland and seas without damaging them. As populations expand and lifestyles change, we have to keep the world in a condition so that future generations will have the same natural resources that we have today.

The environment is constantly changing and this affects life on earth. Some these effects can be lasting and irreversible. We must realize that we should be concerned about the health of our environment and do what we can to help it regain its natural glory.

I know what you’re probably thinking, ‘what can I actually do to help save the environment?’. Well, you can actually do quite a lot.

§  Bring your own bag.

§  Shop vintage/ second-hand/ consignment. Try not to buy from major clothing shops.

§  Spread the word, you can encourage your friends, peers and family to go green. 

§  When buying things, think about what you need and how this product was made and sent to this store.

§  Use containers instead of plastic bags and glad-wrap.

§  Use a product that doesn’t have an excess amount of packaging.

§  Send letters/emails to retailers in regards to the amount of packaging and the use of non-environmental products.

§  Spend more time outside... connecting with Mother Nature!!

You may feel in a position that you can’t make a difference, but if you and everyone else does one little thing, it will make a big difference. Even if you turn of a light when leaving a room, or not using the air-conditioner can help.