SCIENTISTS DETECTED PLASTIC AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MARIAN DEPRESSION. Rescuers caught a dolphin, which vomited with plastic bags before death . In the sea, real garbage islands were found with an area larger than the state of Texas. Ecological problems cease to be the horror stories of scientists and become a reality. We have compiled a list of nine points that help prevent environmental pollution, and at the same time can benefit ourselves.
Plogging
Ploging first appeared in Scandinavian countries, which have already given the world such things with strange names like hyugge and lag . Having discovered the secret of creating comfort from candles and blankets, the Scandinavians got to the environment and invented a type of eco-fitness, which combines running and garbage collection (“plocka” in Swedish means “to collect”, and “jogga” – “to run”). The idea is simple and ingenious: you run and at the same time bag cans, bottles, wrappers, cups and everything else that can be picked up and sent to the trash can. The hashtag #plogging already has over 11 thousand posts, and plogging communities have emerged in Europe, the US, Asia and Latin America and got to Russia .
According to the Swedish fitness app Lifesum, plogging due to additional bends and squats allows you to burn more energy than regular running: in half an hour you can spend 288 kilocalories, while during a regular run – 235. Active walking with the same anti-waste goal will help you spend about 120 kilocalories in thirty minutes.
It is possible to realize love for sports and nature not only on land: such phenomena as eco-kayaking and eco-diving are gaining popularity in the world , working according to the same scheme as plogging, only in water. Eyewitnesses report that for a forty-five-minute boat trip, you can collect several kilograms of plastic bottles, bags, fishing nets and other garbage, while spending 250-300 kcal per hour. In Russia, such types of activity are not yet very developed, which means that you can become the first: for example, we have not yet found the hashtags “ecorafting” or “eco-kayaker” on Instagram.
Avoiding disposable bottles
Taking care of your health is not only regular physical activity and a balanced diet, but also adherence to the drinking regime . As a reminder, limiting yourself to drinking while exercising is a harmful myth. Without sufficient hydration, protein ceases to be synthesized normally and the conduction of electrical impulses is disrupted (which leads to a decrease in strength, the appearance of muscle spasms and a deterioration in the work of the heart). The implementation of these recommendations can also be made environmentally friendly by making it a rule to take your own water bottle with you to training.
Gyms have made their (and quite tangible) contribution to environmental pollution. For example, the London-based company Rebel 1 has calculated that in a year, customers of its two fitness centers discard more than 37,000 disposable bottles (excluding plastic water cups and protein shakes). Realizing that one such bottle would take about 450 years to decompose , the company banned disposable tableware and installed drinking fountains for its customers. The owners of domestic gyms are not so principled yet , which does not prevent them from taking matters into their own hands and finally buying their own capacity; options are now available for every taste and wallet.
Conscious running
Taking part in a race in support of the environment is a great opportunity to combine sports and environmental action. One of the most famous events of this kind in Russia is the International Baikal Ice Marathon , whose participants cover a distance of 42 kilometers on the ice of the deepest lake on the planet. The purpose of the race is to draw attention to the state of the Baikal water, which causes concern among specialists.
Another interesting idea at the intersection of sports and ecology belongs to WWF: the organization proposed to compete in running with the Amur tigers. The essence of the project is as follows: through the application on the phone, a person makes a bet that in a week he will run more than a tiger (and these animals run about 9.6 kilometers a day). If the results turn out to be more modest than those of striped predators , you will have to transfer them a few dollars. Thus, WWF is trying to support the dying population of Amur tigers, of which there are no more than 450 left . In general, the topic of eco-races is quite extensive: a zombie race dedicated to the problems of nuclear energy, races in favor of bison , a clean ocean and much more. And if the choice does not suit you, you can think about organizing your own marathon.
Own garden and walks in the woods
The beds are a place where self- love and care for nature effectively coexist . Growing your own greens, fruits, berries and vegetables allows you to reduce the number of purchases in supermarkets, where almost every cucumber, orange and bunch of parsley is packed in a separate plastic container. It is also a great way to take care of the health of loved ones: only you decide how to water and process zucchini and cabbage. You may not be improving the environment globally by gardening – but at least save a small piece of land that is not filled with cement.
In addition, working in the garden is a good way to keep yourself in good shape. It equates to moderate-intensity cardio loads and allows you to spend 150-300 kilocalories in 30-45 minutes (and according to other estimates , much more). Winter is not a reason to abandon the cottage. It is worth coming there to remember, for example, about the birds that can be fed by leaving seeds for them. Another way to combine the pleasant with the useful – to go to the forest for mushrooms and berries. The taste of “wild” raspberries will certainly surprise you in comparison with the taste of berries from the supermarket, and the main advantage of forest fruits is, again, in less plastic consumption with greater physical activity.
To give up smoking
Smoking is harmful to health, hits the wallet and remains an antisocial habit – but if all these arguments do not work, then you can pay attention to another aspect. Cigarettes cause significant harm to nature. Cigarette filters are made from cellulose acetate , a material that does not degrade in the environment. At the same time , about 4.3 trillion cigarette butts are thrown out in the world annually – this is about a quarter of all garbage thrown away. On filters and cigarettes also accounts for about a quarter of all waste collected on the coasts.
That’s not all: the chemicals trapped in the filters are toxic to living things. During the experiment, it was found that one cigarette butt needs only four days to pollute a liter of water and kill all the fish in it. Filters that are thrown outside often end up in wastewater and can end up in lakes and rivers, where the inhabitants mistake them for food.
Car abandonment
A scooter, bicycle, roller skates, longboards, jumpers – this is not a complete list of alternatives to the car. All these modes of movement create an aerobic load, that is, they are good for the heart, lungs and blood vessels. Regular cycling, for example, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 45%, malignant tumors by 40%, prevents the development of mental disorders and depression , and also affects the activity of the thymus , an important organ of the immune system where T cells mature.
In addition, cycling can actually reduce air pollution. It has been estimated that if 10% of all trips outside London were by bicycle, it would save 100 lives a year from dying from diseases caused by dirty air. In addition, bicycles reduce noise levels, which negatively affect the health of people and animals .