I recently spent a few days in the desert. In this very dry environment, you can easily see how plants have adapted to the difficult living conditions. They have many specialized attributes that allow them to survive in hot weather during long periods without rain. These plants could not survive in a wet climate, and plants from wet climates could not survive in the desert. Animals and insects have adapted to the climate and plants that are available. Although it looks desolate to many, the deserts are thriving ecosystems where the plants, animals, insects, birds, and lizards are all dependent on each other. Similarly, rainforests, prairie grasslands, and oceans have specialized ecosystems. If these ecosystems are disrupted by human activity, some of the inhabitants (including the plants) can no longer thrive, which then further disrupts the ability of other inhabitants to survive. When you visit public lands, be careful to avoid damaging the area and follow posted rules. If you control an area of land (even if it’s very small), you can help maintain or restore the natural ecosystem by encouraging native plants and discouraging invasive species. The critters that depend on the native plants will have a better chance to thrive. If you don’t control any land or can’t return your small backyard to native habitat, here are some ideas:
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I recently found a report (Dovetail Partners - Consuming Responsibly Number 1) discussing research to calculate the environmental impacts of municipal tap water vs. single-use bottled water. According to the report, ”single-use bottled water systems consume 11-90 times more energy than tap systems”. The impacts studied for single-use bottled water included those from production of the bottles, transportation of the bottled water, and disposal or recycling of the bottles. Impacts studied for municipal tap water systems included the steps performed by the treatment plant to treat the water so it is safe before being pumped to your tap. Municipal water supply systems in the US are required to provide water that meets safety standards developed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Although there are times when single-use bottled water is useful and appropriate, much of the time a reusable water bottle filled from the tap or a drinking fountain provides water that is just as good but has much less impact on the environment. You can read the entire report at this link:
http://www.dovetailinc.org/report_pdfs/2018/DovetailConsumeResp1Water.pdf |
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