Courtesy of Mark Kelm

Something needs to be done about the amount of trash that tragically litters the earth.

After all the snow melted and the monochrome ground was in full sight, the large amounts of trash that littered the ground were on full display. This year, there seems to be more trash on the ground than ever before. It is so disheartening.

I was leaving volunteering one day and couldn’t even take a single step without my feet coming in direct contact with trash. It genuinely made me lose hope for my generation’s future. All that was going through my brain was: do people not care, and what can we do to fix this? People throw trash out of their windows, leave it outside at a table at a park, and leave it on the ground if they miss a garbage can. Since when has humanity become so lazy? It’s ridiculous.

One thing people need to understand is that their actions are going to impact the future. If you want to have kids, you need to wake up and realize that they are going to grow up in a dirty world if something isn’t done. Lake/river/ocean water may become dangerously contaminated, streets may be so filthy you don’t want your children near them, and the air quality may seriously deteriorate (which would be dangerous, especially for those with respiratory issues). I’d hate to see how bad things could get if we don’t start making changes fast.
So, what are some things we can do in an attempt to make the world a cleaner place? If you truly want to make a difference, you need to be willing to work. Go out on trash walks. Wear gloves (so you don’t get any germs or substances on your hands), and use a trash grabber so you don’t have to touch the trash. Clean up after yourself, and don’t let your trash fly away from you outside.

If you can donate money to charities whose mission is to make the world a cleaner environment, they will be able to keep running with your economic support. Some non-governmental organizations include: World Vision, Rainforest Alliance, and Keep America Beautiful.

Since we are a Catholic school, let’s look at it from a religious viewpoint. God gave us this world as a big gift to show His goodness. He must not like the fact that we don’t show much care for it. It may seem like the process of caring about creating a clean environment may feel tedious. However, the reward of a more pristine Earth makes the labor worth it.