Ways to Invest in Our Planet and Protect Wildlife
Amelia Chung ’27
Daphne Wong ’26
Amidst growing concerns about our environment, there’s a rising interest in investing in different ways to benefit our planet and its species. So what can we do to do our part to preserve our environment? Although it may not seem impactful, making minor changes to one’s daily life can help to make a difference.
Annually, the world produces 380 million tons of plastic (Marine Mammal Center, 2024), with a majority not being recycled. This plastic ends up in landfills, oceans, and the environment around us, affecting over 700 species of marine animals that consume and become entangled in plastic waste (Earth Law Center, 2018). A realistic way to reduce plastic in landfills is to minimize our use of single-use plastics. This can include avoiding plastic utensils, using reusable water bottles and food containers, and recycling whenever possible. This way, we can reduce animal deaths caused by suffocation and consumption of plastics and reduce the amount of toxic microplastics in the ocean.
Another way to help the environment is to plant native trees and plants in your area. Native plants offer both shelter and food for native wildlife. (USDA, 2024). Be sure to research beforehand so as not to accidentally plant a non-native or invasive species, which can repopulate out of control and destroy the balance of an ecosystem even more.
Finally, donating to nonprofit environmental organizations can make an even more significant impact. In 2021, only 3% of all giving went to environmental and animal welfare organizations (Giving USA, 2021). Donating to nonprofits can help raise that percentage and make a difference for our planet on a much larger scale. Educating the public on where to donate their funds would help us solve a significant problem rather than just slowing down the decay of the Earth (Neon One, 2022).
Ultimately, we all can reduce our environmental impact by reducing our consumption of single-use plastics and planting native trees and plants. Donating to ecological nonprofits can help conserve and restore much larger-scale efforts. Happy Earth Day!
References
Add reusable eating utensils to your everyday carry. Earth Day. (2020, January 29).
https://www.earthday.org/actions/add-reusable-eating-utensils-to-your-everyday-carry/
Mammal Center. https://www.marinemammalcenter.org/science-conservation/conservation/ocean-trash
OctoberCMS. (n.d.). Ocean trash: The Marine Mammal Center. Ocean Trash | The Marine
Smith, A. (2022, June 9). Why don’t donors give to environmental nonprofits? Neon One.
https://neonone.com/resources/blog/environmental-donations/
User, G. (2019, February 23). Protect the environment/right of nature. Earth Law Center.
