| How to Help Stop Pollution Posted: 19 Jul 2016 05:00 PM PDT Stopping pollution is important for the survival of our planet, and even more importantly, the health and well-being of the people who depend on it. The air we breathe is laden with hazardous contaminants, and our oceans and waterways have been poisoned with chemicals. Left unabated, pollution could leave us with a planet earth sapped of its beauty, vitality, and diversity. Keep reading to learn about some practical ways that you can help stop pollution. EditMaking Sustainable Transportation Choices - Walk or ride your bike whenever possible. One of the best things you can do to help stop pollution is to stop using your car for short trips. If the weather is nice and you don't have too far to go, consider walking or riding your bike. You will help reduce air pollution and you will get some exercise and fresh air in the process.[1]
- Use public transportation. Riding the bus, train, or subway is another great way to avoid using your personal vehicle and reduce carbon emissions. If you have access to good public transportation where you live, take advantage of it. Since you won't have to worry about keeping your eyes on the road, you can take advantage of the time to read, catch up on news, or just relax.[2]
- Consolidate your trips. Making lots of little trips over the course of a few days contributes more pollution to the environment every time you hop in your car. Instead of running your errands over the course of a few days, try to consolidate them into one round trip. Consolidating your trips into one long trip will also save you money since starting your car when the engine is cold consumes 20% more fuel than driving your car.[3]
- Carpool to school or work. Long commutes to school or work are just part of life for many people. If walking and public transportation are not good options for you, consider joining a carpool to your school or place of work. By taking turns driving and riding with others, you will reduce carbon emission and you will also save on gas money each week.[4] Carpooling is also a great way to develop friendships with your coworkers and reduce the stress of your commute.[5]
- Get regular maintenance on your vehicle. In addition to finding ways to use your car less, keeping your car in good condition can also help reduce carbon emissions. As an added bonus, keeping your car in good condition will also help avoid more major problems with your vehicle. Get regular maintenance on your car to keep it running well.[6]
- Get an oil change every three months or 3,000 miles.
- Keep tires inflated according to your vehicle's recommendations.
- Get your air, oil, and fuel filters changed according to your vehicle's recommendations.
- Drive safely. Unsafe driving habits also contribute to pollution, so by becoming a safer driver you can help reduce air pollution. Safe driving habits can also save you money by reducing the amount of fuel that your car wastes. When you are behind the wheel, remember to be safe by:[7]
- Applying gentle pressure to gas and accelerating slowly
- Driving at or below the speed limit
- Keeping your speed steady (Try using cruise control, if you have it.)
- Giving yourself plenty of time to stop
- Consider purchasing a hybrid or electric car for your next vehicle. Electric cars run on electricity alone, so they are zero emission vehicles. Hybrid cars use a combination of electricity and fuel to run. While electric cars are the least polluting, both options will help stop pollution. Although they still use some gas to run, hybrid cars have much better fuel economy than regular cars and emit fewer greenhouse gases than traditional cars.[8]
- Keep in mind that the purchase price of electric and hybrid cars is higher than most conventional cars.
EditMaking Sustainable Food Choices - Choose local food whenever possible. Transporting food from across the country and around the world requires a considerable amount of fuel. This excessive fuel use contributes to air pollution. Instead of purchasing food that has traveled thousands of miles to get to your table, choose food that comes from nearby farms and that has been grown using sustainable methods. Before you buy, ask the farmer or grower about their techniques to learn about their efforts to stop pollution.[9]
- Visit a local farm stand or farmers' market to get fruits and vegetables straight from the people who grew them.
- Shop at your neighborhood food cooperative to find locally grown and produced foods.
- Check your neighborhood grocery store for locally grown produce and other local items.
- Reduce or eliminate your consumption of animal products from factory farms. Factory farms are large efficiency-focused operations that produce animal products such as meat, milk, cheese, and eggs.[10] Factory farms are huge contributors to pollution and some of them contribute as much air and water pollution as a small city.[11] To help stop pollution, stop buying and eating animal products that come from factory farms.
- If you don't think that you can completely give up animal products, try to reduce your consumption to once or twice a week.
- If you want to have an even bigger impact, consider going vegetarian or vegan.
- Choose organically grown fruits and vegetables. Organic fruits and vegetables are grown by farmers who use sustainable farming practices. For example, they avoid using chemical pesticides, which contribute to pollution of ground water. By choosing organic fruits and vegetables you will be contributing to farming practices that are better for the environment.[12]
- Look for fruits, vegetables, and other products that are labeled as "organic" or "certified organic."
- Grow your own fruits and vegetables. Starting a garden in your own backyard is another great way to help stop pollution. Plants and trees convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and act as a carbon sink, which means less pollution. In addition, the fruits and vegetables that you grow in your backyard will take the place of store bought items that may have had to travel many miles to end up on your plate.[13]
- If you are new to gardening, start small. Plant a small container garden on your patio or plant a few tomato, lettuce, and cucumber plants in your backyard. You can increase the size of your garden over the years as you become more comfortable with gardening.
EditMaking Sustainable Energy Choices - Turn off lights and electronics when you are not in the room. You can also unplug them for even more energy savings. Plugging electronics into a power strip is also a good strategy because you can easily turn off the power strip and turn off all of the electronics at the same time.
- Look for small changes that can lead to big energy savings. There are lots of little things that you can do to make sure that you are conserving as much energy as possible. Keep these strategies in mind to start saving energy.
- Keep the temperature on your water heater set to 120℉ (49C). Heating water accounts for between 14-25% of your home's energy. Keeping the water heater set at 120℉ (49C) will help save some of that energy.[14]
- Air dry clothes. You can reduce your carbon footprint by 2,400 pounds a year by hanging your clothes out to dry instead of using a dryer.[15]
- Air or hand dry dishes. Make a dent in the 2.5% of your household energy that is expended by using a dishwasher. Open the dishwasher door instead of running the dry cycle on your dishwasher.[16]
- Choose energy efficient light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) can save up to 75% of the energy that goes toward lighting your home. These bulbs also produce less heat than normal light bulbs.[17]
- Keep your thermostat set to 78℉ (25C) in warmer months and 68 (20C) in the colder months. By reducing the amount of work that your heating and air condition systems have to do year round, you can make a big difference in your energy use.
- Consider turning your heater down to 55℉ (13C) at night during colder months and pile on the blankets to stay warm.[18]
- Consider using fans instead of an air conditioner to help control the temperature in your home. Fans use much less energy than air conditioners.[19]
- Make sure your windows and air ducts are well-sealed. Simple solutions like caulking around the frames of your windows and reglazing the panes, or you may need to have them replaced. You can also use window treatments and coverings in the winter to reduce the amount of heat that escapes your home.[20]
- If you decide to purchase new windows for your home, look for windows that have been designated as ENERGY STAR® windows. These windows have to meet certain requirements for energy savings.[21]
EditRecycling, Reusing, and Reducing - Buy used items whenever possible. By buying used products, you will help reduce the demand for new materials to be created. You will also save money. Check local thrift shops, used furniture and appliance stores, and local ads to find used items.[22]
- Buy reusable items. Lots of waste is generated by disposable cups, plates, utensils and storage containers for food. Instead of contributing to the waste in landfills by using disposable dinnerware, primarily use reusable items.[23]
- Choose items with minimal packaging. The packaging used to protect food requires new raw materials and energy to create. Buy foods that use minimal packaging, such as bulk items or unpackaged produce. If you must buy something that is packaged, try to choose items with the least amount of packaging possible.[24]
- Avoid buying products packaged with styrofoam. Styrofoam is a common packaging material, but it contributes to much of the waste in landfills because it is difficult to recycle. Styrofoam production also contributes to pollution through the release of hydrocarbons.[25]
- Recycle everything that you can. Almost everything that you buy can be recycled. Try to avoid products that do not have a recycle symbol on the package or that are made of mixed materials that may not be easy to recycle.[26]
- Check to see if your waste management company offers recycling pick up services. If not, you can always take your sorted recyclables to a nearby recycling center.
- Purchase items made from recycled materials. By purchasing items that have been made from recycled materials, you will be helping to reduce the amount of new materials that need to be produced.[27]
- Look for items that include the terms "recycled content-product" or "post consumer content."
- Items made from recycled materials will also often provide a percentage to indicate how much of the product's material came from recycled content. Look for items that have higher percentages than others.
EditKeeping Chemicals Out of the Water Supply - Use fewer and environmentally friendly chemicals. Chemicals we use to wash our homes, cars and even our bodies get washed down the drain and into the sewer system, but they often end up in the groundwater. These chemicals aren't good for the plants and animals that make up our ecosystems, and they aren't healthy for human consumption, either. Whenever possible, use natural, healthy alternatives to chemicals.[28]
- For example, instead of using a heavy-duty cleaner to scrub your bathroom or kitchen, use a mixture of vinegar and water or a baking soda and salt paste. These natural household supplies get the job done just as well, and they won't pollute the water when you wash them down the drain.
- Try making your own laundry detergent and dish soap. If you don't have the time, buy detergent made with all-natural ingredients.
- When you can't find a good alternative to a toxic item, use the least amount you can get away with and still get the job done.
- Don't use pesticides and herbicides. These powerful chemicals are sprayed directly over the ground, and when it rains they seep deeper and get into the groundwater. You probably just want aphids to stop eating your tomatoes, but spraying the garden with pesticide will do a lot more than that when it gets into the groundwater that humans and other organisms need to survive.
- Don't flush medication. Large doses of medication are difficult for water sanitation systems to remove from the water supply, and they end up impacting everyone who drinks the water. Each medication on the market has specific instructions for how it should be disposed. If you need to throw medication away, find out the proper way to do it instead of resorting to flushing.
- There are a few highly controlled medications that authorities recommend flushing in order to keep them out of the wrong hands. These are exceptions to the general rule that medications should not be flushed.
- Dispose of toxic waste properly. Some substances should not be thrown out with the trash, because they'll seep into the ground and poison the groundwater. If you have a toxic chemical and you're not sure how to throw it away, contact your local sanitation department to find out where there's toxic waste disposal site. Take it there to make sure it gets handled properly.
- The US Environmental Protection Agency has a list of different types of toxic waste here.
- Keep in mind that items like CFLs, batteries, and other special products require special recycling. Some states even require these items to be recycled in order to prevent mercury from ending up in water and soil. Check with your waste management company to find out what options they offer for recycling these items.[29]
- Conserve water. It's important to take good care of the water we do have and conserve it as much as possible. Wasting water uses up a valuable resource and has a big effect on the environment. It's easy to take measures in your daily life that help you use less water and preserve the health of your region's ecosystems. Here are a few ways to save water:
- Fix water leaks promptly.
- Use water-saving devices on your faucets and toilets, like a low-flow showerhead.
- Don't wash dishes with the water constantly running.
- Replace old toilets and appliances with newer models that use less water.
- Don't water your lawn excessively, especially if you live in a dry area.
EditGetting Involved and Educating Others - Learn about the major polluters in your area. Go to your library, do internet research, and talk to people who can tell you about the major sources of pollution where you live. Learning as much as you can will help you have a better understanding about pollution.
- While individuals can do their part to keep the air and water clean, corporations with environmentally damaging industrial practices are the main culprits. In order to protect the water and air where you live, it's important to find out what's putting them in danger.
- Tell people about what you know. Even though a lot of people are concerned about stopping air pollution, many don't understand the severity of the problem or aren't sure what to do about it. Since you've done some research on pollution, use your knowledge to make a difference by talking about it with other people. The more people know about pollution, the more likely we will collectively find a way to stop it.
- Just talking about pollution with other people can lead to interesting discussions. Be prepared with answers for people who don't think there's anything they can do to help stop it.
- Pollution and the damage it causes is a very serious topic that some people may be averse to discussing. As someone who cares about this issue, be sensitive to others' perspectives and find ways to help them gain a deeper understanding of what's happening to the earth.
- Write an article for your school or local newspaper. Spreading the word by publishing information about how to stop pollution is a great way to help others become more aware of the problem. Pen an editorial that discusses both the problem and solutions that people can begin to implement in their daily lives starting right away.
- Protest local polluters. Is there a certain factory or industry in your area that's contributing to the pollution of your local environment? You can make a difference by being vocal about what's going on and joining up with others who want to keep your environment clean and safe. Do online research and find out more about the state of things in your particular region. Change starts at home, and becoming a local activist is the best way to make a difference.
- Join an environmental group. There might be an existing group working on stopping pollution in your area. If you can't find one, you and your friends might start a group that meets once a week or more often to discuss issues and brainstorm ideas for what you can do to help.[30] Get others to join by spreading the word on Facebook, Twitter and by posting signs around your neighborhood. Host events that will help spread the word about pollution and give people the opportunity to do something about it. Here are a few ideas for events:
- Hold a river or creek cleanup.
- Host a screening of a documentary about pollution.
- Visit schools to talk to kids about how they can help stop pollution.
- Contact your local representative to speak up about your views on keeping water chemical-free.
- Join a group that plants trees to help clean the air.
- Become a bike activist. Work to have safe paths built in your city.
- Roll up your sleeves once in a while and do something to help reduce pollution. If you see litter, pick it up!
- Take your own travel mug when you get coffee at a coffee shop.
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations __
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
|
| How to Say Cat in Russian Posted: 19 Jul 2016 09:00 AM PDT Russian does not contain a proper word for gender-neutral English word 'cat'; one can only say 'she-cat' or 'he-cat' for adult cats. However there is a gender-neutral word for kittens. All of these different words for 'cat' may confuse you. If you want to say the word 'cat' properly in Russian, see Step 1 to learn how. - If you are talking about a single she-cat, say 'koshka' (кошка).You pronounce the 'k' as in 'kind', 'o' as in 'boy', 'sh' as in 'shun', and 'ka' as in 'card'.
- If you are talking about a single he-cat, say 'kot'. It is the same as English 'cat' but with 'o' instead of 'a'. This 'o' sounds like the o in 'boy'.
- If you would like to call the cat using diminutive form (like Jake for Jakeson or Liz/Lisa/Beth for Elizabeth), you can use 'koshechka' (кошечка) for female and 'kotik' (котик) for male.
- For 'koshechka', you pronounce it like 'k' as in 'kind', 'o' as in 'boy', 'sh' as in 'shun', 'ech' as in 'witch', and 'ka' and 'card'.
- For 'kotik', you pronounce the 'k' as in 'kind', 'o' as in 'boy', 't' as in 'team', and 'ik' as in 'seek'.
- If you are talking about more than one cat, you must use the plural form of the word. She-cats would become 'koshki' (кошки) ; he-cats - 'koty' (коты); diminutive form of these would be respectively 'koshechki' (кошечки) and 'kotiki' (котики).
- For 'koshki', you pronounce it like 'ko' as in 'core', 'sh' as in 'shun', and 'ki' as in 'ski'.
- For 'koty', you pronounce the 'ko' as in 'car', and 'ty' as 'timber'. For 'koshechki', you pronounce the 'ko' as in 'cold', 'she' as in 'Shetland', 'ch' as in 'change', and 'ki' as in 'ski'. For 'kotiki', you pronounce the 'ko' as in 'cold', 'ti' as in 'city', and 'ki' as in 'ski'.
- If you are talking about a kitten or kittens, use 'kotyonok' (котёнок) to say kitten and 'kotyata' (котята) to say kittens. These words are already diminutive and don't have non-diminutive form.
- To pronounce 'kotyonok', say the 'ko' as in 'car', 'ty' as in 'tea' (try to say the 't' softly), 'o' as in 'old', 'no' as in 'gnarly', and 'k' as in 'kind'.
- For 'kotyata', pronounce the 'ko' as in 'car', 'ty' as in 'tea' (once again try to say the 't' softly), 'a' as in 'Allah', and 'ta' as in 'Tarzan'.
EditRelated wikiHows |
| How to Dedicate a Book Posted: 19 Jul 2016 01:00 AM PDT Book dedications were begun as a way to give thanks to a patron, often in exchange for money to finance the book.[1] Today, they are a way to express gratitude for inspiration and are often a very personal process. Some people, especially those close to you, might want to claim the honor of the book dedication, but keep in mind that it's your decision alone. EditChoosing the Focus of Your Dedication - Brainstorm names of potential people. Make a list of people who you might dedicate a book to. These might include your spouse or partner, children, parents or friend. Who is most important to your project and your inspiration as a writer?
- You might have a person in mind who is the very reason that you've written this book. Your book might be about that person or written in their memory. This person might be a natural choice for the dedication.
- Consider if you actually know the person to whom you're dedicating the book. You can also brainstorm names of people that you don't know personally but whom you admire.
- Make a list of people who are not appropriate for this dedication. The book's subject matter, for example, might mean that a certain person is not an appropriate choice. For example, if you have a book with troubling or adult subject matter, you may not want to dedicate the book to a child.
- Make a list of the book's themes. If you don't have a specific person in mind to dedicate your book to, think about dedicating it to someone who tirelessly supports the themes in your book. This might help you figure out who might be the best person for your dedication.
- Brainstorm reasons why you want to dedicate the book to someone. You might dedicate a book to someone because they inspired you or because they encouraged you to become a writer. Think about how certain people contributed to your overall writing career. Think too about how they may have contributed to this particular project.[2]
- Fulfill a promise or request. You may have promised a spouse or friend that you'd dedicate your first book to them. You may want to fulfill this promise by dedicating your book to them. Similarly, someone may have asked that you dedicate the book to them.[3]
- Don't feel too obligated to dedicate your book to someone who asked for the dedication. It is a deeply personal process to write a dedication, and if it doesn't feel right to choose that person, you can choose someone else. Be prepared, however, to explain to that person your reasons why they were not chosen.
- Choose something that's not a person. There is no rule that says you need to choose a person for your dedication. You might choose a pet, for example, or even an object that particularly inspired you as you worked on the book.
- For example, Robin Hobb, in her book "Ship of Magic," dedicated the book like this: "To caffeine and sugar, my companions through many a long night of writing."[4]
EditWording your Dedication - Start off the dedication simply. Many dedications use the words "To," "For," or "In Loving Memory of."[5] Some of the most heartfelt dedications are the simplest ones, using only a few words.
- F. Scott Fitzgerald dedicated several of his books like this: "Once Again to Zelda."[6]
- King C. Gillette dedicated his book, The People's Corporation, like this: "For mankind."[7]
- Reflect your personality in your dedication. If you are a very formal person, a light-hearted and humorous dedication might seem out of character. Similarly, if you are casual, your dedication might not be overly formal. Think about how to reflect your personality and character in your dedication.[8]
- In the dedication to his book Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman takes a humorous approach by dedicating the book to an unnamed "you": "You know how it is. You pick up a book, flip to the dedication, and find that, once again, the author has dedicated a book to someone else and not to you.
Not this time.
Because we haven't yet met/have only a glancing acquaintance/are just crazy about each other/haven't seen each other in much too long/are in some way related/will never meet, but will, I trust, despite that, always think fondly of each other!
This one's for you.
With you know what, and you probably know why." - Reflect your relationship with the person you're dedicating the book to. You might write a very personal dedication, or you might even use an inside joke.[9]
- Carl Sagan dedicated his book Cosmos to his wife: "In the vastness of space and immensity of time, it is my joy to spend a planet and an epoch with Annie."
- Tad Williams dedicated his Otherland book series to his father in a funny and endearing way: "This Book is dedicated to my father Joseph Hill Evans with love. Actually Dad doesn't read fiction, so if someone doesn't tell him about this, he'll never know."[10]
- Reinforce your book's central message or theme. Some books have a very clear theme and it is a natural fit to use the dedication as a place to thank someone for their contribution to that theme.
- For example, Vaughn Davis Bornet dedicated his book, Welfare in America, to someone who worked to improve people's welfare: "He devoted his life to the administration of government and voluntary agencies formed to help the starving and homeless."[11]
- For a children's book about a rat, Beatrix Potter wrote a dedication to her pet rat: "In remembrance of 'SAMMY,' the intelligent pink-eyed representative of a persecuted (but irrepressible) race. An affectionate little friend, and most accomplished thief!"[12]
- The dedication to the first Lemony Snicket book was simply: "To Beatrice-- darling, dearest, dead." The dedication for each subsequent book continued the joke about Beatrice's deceased-ness. This dedication helps set the tone (darkly humorous and ironic) for the whole book.[13]
- Use a quotation or poem. There might be a quotation or short poem that you love, or that you think is particularly inspiring. You can dedicate your book to someone and use the quote or poem to say what you want to say. Or, you might just use the quote or poem and skip the person's name altogether.
- Quotations can come from someone well-known, or it could be a quote from someone you know.
- Browse dedications from your favorite authors. Search online for book dedications and see how others have honored people in their lives with a sincere or humorous dedication.
EditFinalizing Your Dedication - Double-check spelling and grammar. Have a few other people read your dedication. Make sure your meaning is clear and that things are spelled correctly. Have your editor read through it.
- Finalize your formatting. Most dedications are centered on the page. Some, however, might work better to be aligned to the left.
- For some types of dedications, you might preserve the original formatting. For example, if you are including a poem as your dedication, you should use the original formatting of the poem, rather than making up your own.
- Tell the person you're dedicating your book to. Let this person know that your book will be dedicated to them. You don't necessarily need to give them a chance to decline the dedication. But giving them a heads-up might be a courteous thing to do. Fans might respond to the dedication – hopefully in a positive way – and it would be helpful if the person knows about the dedication.
- The dedication is different from a book's acknowledgements. Acknowledgements can be more explanatory about people involved in writing process: for example, archivists if it's a historical book, helpful editors, writing groups, and so on.
- You don't need to write a dedication at all. There is no rule that says your book needs a dedication. People usually do include them, but they're not necessary.
EditSources and Citations
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
|
No comments:
Post a Comment