Reef Wise Farming

By Amy Nutt

Because of global warming, pollution, diminishing forests, and a limited supply of natural resources, people are becoming more aware of the importance of protecting the environment. Waste in the environment affects the air, water, land, animals, plants, and humans. When we use the environment as a waste dump, we take away land from wildlife, pollute the environment, and deplete natural resources. One way people are doing their part to protect the environment is adopting the Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Waste Program. The 3R program reduces the amount of garbage going into landfills thereby protecting and conserving our environment.

Reduce: People reduce by purchasing items that are durable and last a long time. By purchasing long lasting products with very little packaging, you will decrease the amount of waste entering a landfill. Other ways of reducing waste include:

- Buy products that do not require a lot of energy and resources to manufacture. Look for products that contain environmentally friendly packaging.

- Reduce car use by riding your bicycle, carpooling with friends, walking, or taking the bus.

- Composting is a great way to dispose of kitchen waste. It is healthy for the soil and less waste will go into the landfill.

- Turn off lights that you are not using and use energy efficient light bulbs.

- Turn off the taps when brushing your teeth.