All About Ecology

By Pedro Pérez, 1B

Ecology is the science that studies living beings, their ecosystems, their lives, their abundance and their
distribution. It is also the relation of living beings with their environment. When we say that we are ''ecological'' we want to say that we are respectful with the environment and with the beings that live on it, caring for their surroundings, which are also our surroundings. So, that we recycle, reuse, save, we don't waste...

We normally talk about the three Rs (3R): recycle, reuse, reduce. These are the original concepts, but we also have talk about others, such as:

• Reject, those products or materials that will become waste.
• Repair, although if the object will decompose, is better to repair it.
• Rethink, at the time of purchase, if the shopping is really necessary.
• Reform, rebuild or repair products such as clothes or shoes that can be used again.
• Reconvert to energy, waste that can not be reused can generate energy through incineration.

RECYCLING

Recycling is a physical-chemical or mechanical process that consists of submitting a substance or a
product already used to a cycle of total or partial treatment for getting a new product.

Containers:

• Yellow container: light packaging (bottles, jars, cans, etc.).
• Blue container: paper and cardboard (newspapers, boxes, cartons).
• Green container: glass containers.
• Gray container: organic waste (not recycled), especially biodegradable material.

RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION

Buy only what you really need. The opposite is wasteful. Not to waste is important in ecology because if you do not waste, you have what you really need and you waste what you really don't need. Another example of responsible consumption is the use of light, energy saving appliances, lighting, etc. Also with water, fuel or paper. In this last case we must take into account that, to make paper, we have to fell trees, which favors the drought and they need high cellulose factories that are very polluting. To avoid wasting we can do the following:

WATER: Turning off the tap when we are soaping, or brushing our teeth, and showering for only 10 minutes.
LIGHT: Turning on the least lights possible, or none if there is not needed or we can open the shutters.
ENERGY: Ventilating the house for 10 minutes, not more, or turning up the heat only when it is necessary.
PAPER: Using recycled paper and on both sides.

CONCLUSION

Not to pollute, not to throw things on the floor, etc. is another way to help the
environment. Saving the planet is in our hands, and we should all take ecology as a
behavior in our lives that is normal to be ecological and do these kind of things.
Also, it could be possible ask the mayor to do something in Madrid, where the pollution rate is very
high.