Contamination is a growing problem, but most people seem to ignore it, saying phrases such as “we will all die one day” or generally not seeing a real way to solve the problem when, in reality, it is extremely easy to help put an end to. Going a few extra steps can make a change as long as we think collectively and not individually. Contamination is a big word and sometimes we do not know where to start. It is not only made out of trash, but also sound and light can also contaminate our environment, these types of contamination are called noise and light pollution.
Noise pollution is when sounds produced by human kind start becoming constant in day to day life and can result in headaches or disruption of sleep, meaning it creates an unbalance in our life. It is a result of industrialization, construction sites, wrongfully timed events, badly planned housing (for example houses close to highways), or even just small electronic appliances around the house that will make a reoccurring sound. These have all invaded what is our natural state, not only that but noise pollution affects animals negatively too, not being able to listen to mating calls, migration can be compromised, among other problems.
Light pollution is an excessive amount of lights that are not needed which much like noise pollution disrupt the balance of nature, it comes from the industrialization that is not thought out were external lights are placed when they might not even be needed. These can result in similar damages to animals as the noise pollution, an example is types of turtles that use the light of the moon to guide themselves to shore are confused by artificial lights nearby, move inland and die of dehydration.
It is very easy to help stop both noise and light pollution by keeping your music at leveled volumes and avoid any during night time at the extent you can, making sure you have lights that are not being used at the moment turned off, support groups that protest for regulation of light and noise through laws and if there is nobody in your area fighting for it maybe it is time you make the fight yourself.
Now contamination as most people know it, that being trash, can also be stopped. Sometimes people think that it is more expensive to buy reusable things such as water bottles, forgetting that in the long run buying a different $1 disposable bottle every time you want water is less cost efficient than buying a $3 reusable bottle that you only buy once and refill it every time you want more without paying more. At times people will use disposable dishware in circumstances were reusable dishware is available just because they do not want to make a mess that they would later have to clean up when in reality they are making a mess of the world just because they feel too lazy to clean a plate. Both of these circumstances go to show how we as a society think in short term consequences instead of long term if you can spend a couple more dollars or a couple more minutes now you will have the satisfaction of a clean healthy world later.
The reality is that we do not have to take on long measures to do good in the world, we just have to avoid doing bad. The world is round and it is just a matter of time for when the trash you are sending one way hits you from the other, it will affect every single one of us. Things can be so much better if we all put a little bit of time and effort. When we know that what we are doing is killing the world but we keep doing it anyways it makes us part of the problem.
