Letter to the Editor

Our actions affect everything

Sunday, June 2, 2013

To the Editor:

Humans do affect all creatures on the earth.

When we destroy wild land to build homes, factories, shopping malls, garbage dumps, amusement parks, the land is changed.

The animals that once lived there, from the bugs that lived in the ground to the birds that ate them, all may disappear.

Some can move to new home areas, but there are already other animals living there. There is not enough food, water or shelter for all of them. Many of the animals will die.

When farmers spray chemicals on their crops to save them from pests, the chemicals get into the water and soil. Bugs that do not hurt the crops die. Insects that pollinate die. Birds and mammals who eat these poisoned bugs may also die, or they cannot reproduce, or their offspring die young.

I found a young bird near farmland that was blind from birth. I tried to help the bird, but he died.

Factories, autos, trucks and planes put chemicals into the air. Exhaust from their engines contain tiny specks of toxic chemicals that fall on plants and into the water.

There, they get into the animals when the animals eat the plants, drink the water or nest in the ground. These animals, too, can die or not reproduce.

People buy and catch animals to keep as pets. Many of the people who have animals as pets do not know how to care for them. Particularly ones like reptiles, amphibians and fish, need special equipment, heat, light and food in order for them to be healthy and live.

Between 50-90 percent of these types of animals sold each year die because they were not cared for properly.

It is best to leave reptiles and amphibians in the wild where they can live a natural life.

What can you do? Don't dump. Do not pour paint or chemicals into the ground or the gutter. If you do, it will get into the water we drink, and the lakes and oceans where it may harm the animals that live in the water and on shore.

Let worms eat your garbage. Americans throw out lots of food scraps and leftovers. If you can't eat it, let the worms finish it for you by making a compost heap. Use the compost to feed your plants instead of chemical fertilizers.

To reduce the amount of garbage you throw away, recycle paper, lots of cardboard and plastic. Buy larger quantities. It's cheaper and there is less packaging. Buy products that come in containers and packages made of recycled materials.

And remember: All these things affect us humans, too.

Lenora Bowlby,

Greencastle