Most people view sustainable solutions like renewable energy and waste segregation as the ultimate planet protectors. There’s no doubt about their contribution to protecting Mother Earth and the many layers involved in their work. However, saving the environment is a collective effort that each individual and industry should contribute to.
Here are some of the more underrated initiatives planet protectors have undertaken. Learn how you can contribute to different sections along the way.
1. Upcycling Centers
Recycling is a popular practice that converts waste into new products. Its lesser-known counterpart, upcycling, also deserves praise. This process involves taking a discarded item and making something new from its current state.
Upcycling centers typically use less energy to do this. For instance, instead of breaking down newspaper to create recycled paper, they turn it into a box liner or basket container.
2. Community Gardens
Producing food is typically an exhaustive process involving producing, packing, and transportation. This results in food miles, embodied energy that can contribute to CO2 emissions. Luckily, a community garden can shorten the food supply chain by quickly providing plants and sustenance to a whole group.
Community gardens are ideal planet protectors because they encourage people to tend to the food actively. This can eventually create more eco-friendly households in a neighborhood.
3. Libraries
Libraries offer many resources to the public, including serving as a gathering spot for community members. They are also ideal locations to provide refuge during heat waves, rain storms, and snowfall, which are becoming more rampant due to climate change.
Libraries are also viewed as a haven of knowledge. The vast collection of books and documents available means you don’t need to buy your own copies, cutting back on waste. Libraries also offer internet connections that can relay crucial news regarding climate emergencies.
4. Street Sweepers
Street sweeping can be tedious, but those who do it are unsung heroes. Removing dirt and debris from the streets keeps an area spotless, lowers pollutant levels, and keeps the space hygienic for humans.
Street sweepers are also ideal for preserving water quality. Green waste from dead leaves and plants can wash into lakes and rivers, blooming into algae and creating toxins harmful to marine life. Sweeping it off the streets makes waterways safer for fish and other animals.
5. Electronics Repair
Electronic waste must be addressed as technology progresses. Fixable items can be brought to repair services, and people can change small components like batteries or screens themselves. It’s a good way to keep the same product and avoid wasteful upgrades.
Luckily, some manufacturers and retailers offer donation centers and recycling programs to keep the units or their parts in circulation. At the very least, it’s an environmentally friendly way to dispose of your devices.
6. Plant-Rich Diets
Plant-rich diets have a reputation for helping the planet, though they still receive less traction than other habits. Fruits and vegetables can reduce environmental damage since they require less energy and processing than meat.
Veganism will not automatically lower your carbon footprint, though. It’s still important to adopt conventional ecological practices. For instance, regulate your food intake and be environmentally conscious when grocery shopping. Look for eco-friendly products and packaging.
7. Green Roofs
Some people may view green roofs or roof gardens as an aesthetic design, but they also fight climate change. Most cities are subject to heavy heat and light exposure. Luckily, that layer of vegetation can insulate the effects of global warming.
Green roofs can be great places to grow food and plants. They also lengthen the overall life span of roofing and buildings since the greenery acts as a shield against wear and tear.
8. Direct Air Capture Technology
Many people have implemented climate change solutions, from solar panel systems to wind turbines. These innovations reduce or eliminate emissions. However, reducing the CO2 already present in the atmosphere is also essential. Direct air capture technology can target these impurities.
DAC technology extracts carbon directly from the air. It’s similar to carbon capture, which is installed in industrial buildings and plants to clear drafts before carbon is dispersed into the atmosphere. DAC works more efficiently since it targets a broader space.
The two main approaches for capturing carbon are through solid and liquid absorbents. Heat and electricity allow both elements to attract and store emissions.
9. Eco-Friendly Transportation
It’s no secret that certain transportation methods can affect the environment. A car can produce about 0.79 pounds of CO2 for every mile. Electronic bikes are a better alternative since they have a lower environmental impact and get you to your destination with minimal effort.
Regular bicycles or skateboards are also ideal since they use zero electricity when you’re traveling to a destination. You can also use public transportation, which allows you to travel with more passengers, improving energy efficiency.
If you need to get to a specific destination, carpooling is good for the environment. A shared ride lessens the number of cars on the road, reducing emissions released into the atmosphere.
10. Urban Planners
Urban planners are also important planet protectors. They are responsible for land use and layout and can significantly impact community development and environmental impact. For instance, they can direct green construction practices like passive house design.
Urban planners can also take on bigger plans, such as 15-minute cities. This design concept seeks to create an accessible space. Residents can get to almost any facility, such as schools, workplaces, grocery stores and more, within 15 minutes. It’s meant to promote walking and traveling to minimize transportation emissions.
11. Forest Protection Organizations
Many tree-planting initiatives help the planet. However, it’s also imperative to care for the existing woodlands on Earth. Many hectares have been lost due to deforestation and natural disasters like landslides and forest fires.
Forest protection organizations strive to achieve environmental and social justice worldwide. They advocate against destructive logging practices and regulate industries that may abuse natural resources.
12. Ocean Care Initiatives
Many people are focusing on keeping further pollution out of the ocean with alternative disposal methods. One aspect that isn’t discussed enough is ocean care initiatives to fix the damage already done. Various cleanup systems help these immense bodies of water heal.
For example, The Ocean Cleanup nonprofit group focuses on capturing plastic to reduce harm to marine life. Innovative inventions like water drones automate removing debris from currents before it reaches the ocean.
13. Animal Protection Services
Animal rights advocates are also essential planet protectors because they call for recognizing and preserving different creatures. So many beings are integral to Mother Earth’s safety. For instance, beavers manage waterways to keep the ecosystem moving.
However, some are facing population decline. Bees are active pollinators that help with plant reproduction but are affected by habitat loss and human activity. Birds target insects and exterminate disease-carrying carcasses in the natural environment. Unfortunately, some species have become extinct due to the same reasons.
14. Sustainability-Minded Celebrities
Some people may say posting about anything sustainable is the bare minimum for a celebrity. Their wide platform and reputation has a strong influence on many individuals. Capitalizing on celebrity to get attention from others is a win for the planet.
For example, actor Zac Efron explored sustainability in the hit Netflix show “Down to Earth.” Actress Cate Blanchett was also hailed as an environmentalist for repeating outfits and starting a conversation about climate change consciousness regarding fashion.
15. Climate Education
Knowledge is power when dealing with climate change. Although the issue has been raised several times in the past, some people still lack information about the state of the world. Education helps people understand global warming and how they can minimize their footprint.
The Office of Sustainability in Austin launched a sustainable program called the Planet Protectors in 2022. These sessions provide summer activities and lessons to kids who want to learn more about saving the environment.
Education is also imperative to improve media literacy and information consumption. The internet makes knowledge accessible, but false data can cultivate unwarranted fear in eco-friendly individuals. It’s important to seek accurate details and proven instructions on how to protect the Earth.
16. Conversations on Climate Change
Awareness and passion are vital elements in rallying people to help the environment. Talking about the planet’s issues with your family, friends and acquaintances is important. Starting the conversation can direct people’s attention to the matter at hand.
It also helps to have presentations and seminars surrounding environmental awareness. For example, public health social worker Laprisha Berry Daniels uses her TED talk to spread a message on climate change. She highlights the importance of reviewing the past to prepare for current and future crises on the planet.
17. Democracy
One more impactful way to protect the planet is to use your voice in politics. Your vote can put people into influential positions where they can pass environmental laws and regulations. Review candidates and see whether their values match yours.
It’s also important to join the calls for more eco-friendly mandates. Various protest movements demand large-scale actions against climate change. The more people who speak out, the more traction those movements will gain in the long run.
These calls can even motivate corporations to change. For instance, SC Johnson pledged to stop using polyvinylidene chloride in Saran Wrap. The polymer plastic provided a clinging effect, but it was toxic to the planet and the environment. The company reformulated its composition to be more eco-friendly.
Acknowledge the Planet Protectors
Many planet protectors exist in the form of initiatives, habits, and living beings. Their presence can provide hope for helping the world heal and get back on track. Recognize and continue with your efforts to be eco-friendly and contribute to the cause.
Watch this video by Planet Protector, Laprisha Berry Daniels, talking about the importance of community and its impact on climate change.
References and Useful Resources
- https://www.zerohourclimate.org/participate-in-or-start-a-community-garden-climate-change/
- https://nonprofitquarterly.org/what-do-public-libraries-have-to-do-with-climate-justice/
- https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/deforestation/
- https://www.austintexas.gov/blog/new-sustainability-programming-kids-planet-protectors
