Human activities are responsible for most of the loss in biodiversity throughout the world. With an increasing population, we are consuming more and more natural resources.. We do this by driving more, using more energy in our homes, and buying many more products than we need.
This doesn’t mean that all Canadians live this way though. Many people work very hard to make changes to their lifestyles that lessen their impact on the environment, which also helps preserve biodiversity.
Biodiversity is important since it provides us with raw materials that we use to make products such as clothes, shoes and paper. And although we use many natural products and materials in our daily lives, we also use many human-made chemicals--cleaners, fertilizers, bug spray, pesticides, and many others. Even though we use them to help us, they have many side effects. StuffToxins and pollution are very harmful to biodiversity. The chemicals that we use end up in our waterways. Plants and animals are killed by oil spills. Wildlife gets caught in plastic trash. You get the idea!
There are many things that you can do to help. Start by asking yourself a few questions about what you buy. Do you really need the item or just want it? Is the product made using environment-friendly materials and processes? How far does the product have to travel to get to me? What is the social and environmental reputation of the company that makes the product? Is the product able to disposed of in a manner that doesn’t negatively impact the environment?
In the end it is up to us to make informed choices in our daily lives. Learn more!