The Fact
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population is expanding at a mind-boggling rate. The world reached 1 billion people in 1800; 2 billion by 1922 (population doubled in 122 yrs); and over 6 billion by 2000 (population tripled in 78 yrs). It is estimated that the population will swell to well over 9 billion by 2050. That means that if the world's natural resources were evenly distributed, in 2050 we will only have 25% of the resources per capita that people in 1950 had.
The Reality
Unlike population, the world has a fixed amount of natural resources - some of which are already depleted. So as population growth greatly strains our finite resources, there are fewer resources available. If we intend to leave our children and grandchildren with the same standard of living we have enjoyed, we must preserve the foundation of that standard of living. We save for college educations, orthodontia, and weddings, but what about saving clean air, water, fuel sources and soil for future generations?
So now you ask... how can we start and what can one person do?
The 1st Step
Some of the greatest threats to future resources come from things we throw away everyday. Household batteries and electronics often contain dangerous chemicals that may, if sent to a local landfill, leak through the bottom barrier and pollute the groundwater. This can contaminate everything from the soil in which our food grows, to the water which will eventually come out of aquifers and into our tap water. Many of these chemicals cannot be removed from the drinking water supply, nor from the crops that are harvested from contaminated fields. The risks to human health are tremendous.
It's a vicious circle... throwing away items that could be recycled diminishes energy, water and natural resources that could be saved or created by recycling. The more we throw away, the more space we take up in landfills. When a landfill becomes a landfull, taxpayers have to build a new one. The less we throw away, the longer our landfills will last. The amount of taxpayer money we save by extending the longevity of our landfills is an important community benefit in itself.
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 Did you know...
For every ton of paper that is recycled, the following resources would be saved:
7,000 gallons of water, 380 gallons of oil, and enough electricity to power an average house for 6 months.
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t h i n k g r e e n @ a r c w o r l d 3 d . c o m
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