Transcriber: Charlotte Louise Meader Reviewer: Lucas Kaimaras
Typhus. Plague. Dysentery. Leprosy.
Can you imagine having to worry about catching these awful diseases?
Well, if you lived in William Shakespeare’s time,
you would have to worry about these and more,
because there were no rules about what to do with trash and sewage.
This made it very smelly and disgusting everywhere.
We have come a long way since then.
But there are still things we need to improve.
You’ve probably heard the phrase: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
But why are these three actions so important?
Well, I will tell you how these actions truly help the environment.
“Reduce” means to lessen the amount of waste you create.
One of the easiest ways to do this is by buying less.
I mean, do you really need 100 pairs of shoes?
(Laughter)
Buy less and donate more.
Donating your used items will allow others to reuse.
It’s a win-win.
Obviously not all things can be reused, but so many things can be recycled.
When we implement the three R's, we can truly change the world.
Composting food waste is another great way to reduce trash.
Speaking of reducing,
did you know that only eight states have outlawed single use plastic bags?
This may not seem like a big deal,
but think about how much plastic waste
the other 42 states could be reducing by creating a similar law.
I believe we should all do our part to help the environment
by only using reusable bags and paperbags.
Ever since I can remember, I have wanted to be a marine biologist.
Marine life fascinates me.
So it really hurts my heart to hear about all of that trash that goes to the ocean.
Trashing the ocean,
we see animals swallowing, getting stuck in and killed by trash and plastic.
And did you know?
Most of the time, plastic does not even decompose in the ocean.
I would be devastated if all the sea creatures went extinct because of us.
So when you recycle, it will save our animals.
There are so many materials that can be recycled.
Such as paper, cardboard, glass bottles and jars,
metal containers and many plastics.
The EPA - Environmental Protection Agency -
estimates about 75% of the trash in America is recycable.
But we only recycle about 30% of it.
Yes, you heard that right.
Isn’t that shocking?
This proves we have much room for improvement in this area.
Do you know what a landfill is?
As the name states, it’s filling the land.
With what? Trash.
Well, there are things that need to go in the trash.
When you recycle, less goes to landfills and landfills take up less room.
When a landfill takes up a lot of room, trash may overflow into animals habitats.
How sad!
And all that trash is bad for our health too,
as it can have toxic chemicals which can seep into our water, contaminating it.
And we need water to survive.
Something else we can do to make less trash for landfill is use reusable straws.
Restaurants and individuals can use reusable plastic and metal straws
and wash them in hot temperatures.
Another material that some restaurants have tried is paper.
Still a better solution for single use plastic straws,
but they do eventually get soggy.
Can anyone give me a good reason not to recycle?
It’s so easy.
Have you ever seen ALL the trash trucks that drive down ALL the streets
and dump ALL the trash into the back?
Well, all that trash either goes to a landfill or the ocean.
This means we are hurting the earth.
I really support trying to save the Earth and I hope you do, too.
All of the earth depends on us.
The animals, along with humans, could ALL go extinct
if YOU don’t do YOUR part in recycling.
As the actor Harrison Ford once said,
“Nature doesn’t need people. People need nature.”
Thank you for using your time to listen to my TED Talk.
(Applause)