Our environment is delicate. As we continue to grow as a people, make advancements in technologies, and consume more goods, we are also negatively tipping the environmental balance. There are ways to improve this balance, even protect it. For example, The Wilderness Act was signed into law in 1964 which created The Wilderness Preservation System that currently protects nearly 110 million acres of wilderness across the Nation. The act was established to protect and preserve wilderness, and defined wilderness as “an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” This act alone helps to protect forests, wildlife, and all of the flora and fauna that lie within the boundaries of the protected area. However, this is not enough. For us to achieve a more harmonious balance with our environment, we as individuals must take steps as well.

Environmental degradation is a major topic in the world today. Environmental degradation would mean the deterioration of an environment through the depletion of resources such as water, air, soil, and wildlife. Many things cause this, like us for example. We use more and more resources every day, but who is putting back in what we are taking out? If we just take the resources, it stands to reason that sooner or later they will run out. Then what? There has been an environmental movement alive for years, but it never hurts to talk about it. What can be done? A lot. We can work to improve air quality, water quality, prevent erosion, protect wildlife, and so much more.

Wind Energy

Wind energy is one of the cleanest ways to generate power. Wind energy is domestic and it is sustainable. These are all excellent traits to have when looking for ways to improve the environment and use fewer resources. There are cons to this form of energy production also. Namely, noise, aesthetic loss, and the potential for wildlife (birds) the be struck by the rotating blades that produce the energy. There is also an option for homeowners to have their wind turbines produce energy for their use. These are much smaller turbines, but very environmentally friendly regardless.

Plant a Tree

There are hundreds, if not more, ways to get involved and help protect our environment. Planting a tree is probably one of the easiest things you can do. You can do it on your own, make it a family project, do a landscape project at the office, or join one of any of the numerous organizations that would love your help. Before discussing those, however, let’s think about why trees are so important and why planting a few every year is important. Did you know that trees provide oxygen for us to breathe, improve air quality, conserve water, preserve soils, and support wildlife? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ” one acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people”². Seems like a pretty good reason to plant a tree, right? If you aren’t convinced by that simple fact alone, try this. Trees also affect the climate by capturing radiant energy from the sun in their leaves, moderate wind and rain, help to cool our planet by reducing carbon dioxide, keep us warmer by blocking a cold wind, provide food for wildlife such as Giraffes, which eat leaves, provide habitat, provide shade for you when you are the park and want to get out of the sun and wouldn’t you agree tress are just plain nice to look at? There are numerous environmental and aesthetic reasons to plant trees. If you are interested in planting a tree at home or elsewhere, it is very easy to do. You can certainly visit your local greenhouse and find a tree you like to plant. Or, you can visit established companies like The Wilderness Society, The Nature Conservancy, or The Arbor Day Foundation. Those organizations are always looking for volunteers to plant trees.

Preventing Soil Erosion

Anyone who lives in the Midwest will know what SNIRT is. For those that may not, allow me to indulge. Snow+Dirt= SNIRT. Explained further, that if there is snow in the roadside ditches and it is black or brown, you have snirt. You also have soil erosion. This is a very common site in agricultural areas. The wind blows uncontrolled across vast areas of farmland and takes the topsoil with it. It is often deposited in low-lying areas, like a road ditch, and if said road ditch has snow it it, guess what? You have a snirt. Snirt is not pretty, but that isn’t the big issue. The big issue is erosion. Erosion can happen any place though. So what can we do about it?

Plant a tree. Oh yes, you knew that was coming. A tree’s root system will hold soil in place and prevent it from eroding. The more trees you have, the less erosion you have.

Plant grass. Grass will set a root system that will hold soil in place quite tightly. Those roots are strong when acting as a team, and they will prevent soil erosion. Also worth mentioning is that grass acts as a filter just like a tree does. Look at it this way; the leaves of a tree will capture unhealthy or bad particles in the air. The leaves act as a filter, and rain washes the rest to the ground. That’s where grass comes in. Did you know grass can also improve air quality? Grass, and shrubs too, can absorb things like carbon monoxide, which is toxic to humanoids. It’s a win-win.

If you live near water, be it a lake or creek, plant a buffer around the water to prevent soil erosion. Plant grass or a prairie mix. Add in some native wildflowers for aesthetic purposes and your water feature just got more beautiful and you are keeping soil from being displaced at the same time. All in all, preventing soil erosion is about stopping the soil from moving freely. The easiest way to do that is to add a root system.

When this is all added up, there are some steps we can take that are not going to put us out. Trees are easy to obtain and plant. As are shrubs and grasses. They work in concert together to produce better air quality, and help alleviate erosion issues and certain grasses planted around water can help keep water cleaner by acting as a filter. The important thing to remember is that when we look for a way to improve our environment, we need to remember that every part of it (trees, wildlife, etc…) is only part of an entire ecosystem. The goal should be to improve all parts of the system, as they are working together when we are not around.

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