We only have the one planet -

We only have the one planet

It's time to realise that every single one of us bears the responsibility for our environment's current situation.

Many, it seems, still do not realise that there is no alternative anthroposphere we can turn to once we have diminished this planet's resources.

 

Earth Overshoot Day

On July 21st we have used up all our planet's yearly resources

The earth only has a limited amount of resources available and the planet must continuously reproduce what we are taking from it. Unfortunately, we have ceased to understand the importance of this equilibrium.

The "Earth Overshoot Day" calculates the day on which we have used up all our planet's yearly resources.

Up until the 1990s the date was still in December. Over the last 30 years, however, the date has been increasingly pushed forward: in 1971 we consumed resources accordinlgy to how many resources are available: earth overshoot day was on December 21st. In 1995 ist as already in November, 2010 on Augsut 21st and in 2019 we have reached the day when we have consumed all our resources for this year on July 29th.

Pollution

EnD OF JULY
WE HAVE USED UP
ALL OUR PLANET'S
YEARLY RESOURCES!

At the rate we are going we would need our planet to produce another 70% of its annual resources in order to break even. Or in other words: if we want our planet to continue to survive, we would currently have to cut our resource consumption by 40%.

This year's Earth Day in April was already entirely dedicated to the issue of plastic waste and the EU is going to take this issue serious.

Plastic waste: A danger to humans and animals

Nature requires quite some time until it can balance out our environmental pollution. Plastic, for example, is particularly detrimental to our environment. The very practical invention, that has continued to take over the world since the 1930s, is now becoming our downfall.

380 million tons of plastic were produced in 2015 alone. Many of these types of plastic are artificially produced from chemical compounds that are not found in nature and which are hardly degradable.

 

Berg Plastikflaschen
weggeworfene Plastikflasche

Sooner or later, the majority of man-made plastic waste ends up in our water and environment. Meanwhile more than 12 million tons of plastic are drifting at sea (as of 2010), which makes up three quarters of the entire waste in the ocean. If we continue down this road, by 2050 there will be more plastic parts in the ocean than fish.

A sea of plastic

The ocean current forces the waste into huge piles that float on top of the sea. Waste on top or close to the ocean surface poses a great risk for marine life as they can get caught or even suffocate. Many believe the waste is food and eat the plastic which in turn leads to congestion and a painful death.

Plastikmüll im Meer
Seehund im Plastik
Plastikmüll am Strand
Turtle in waste

The situation becomes critical when the waste is dissolved into tiny particles on account of the undulation and UV light. The tiny particles are then absorbed as food by plankton and other marine life and thus reach all stages of the food chain. A third of all fish caught in Great Britain were shown to contain microplastic in their bodies. The plastic particles then enter our organisms as soon as we have consumed the fish.

Where do the plastic parts come from? From our daily use: tyre abrasion, cosmetics, cleaning agents, plastic products, synthetic clothing, wastewater from washing machines, etc. - the list goes on!

 

Greenfinity Days

It's time to act and for everyone to take on the responsibility for our action's consequences on the environment. Let us set an example together!

As the Greenfinity Foundation we not only want to create awareness but to also become active. Together with committed partners we implement Greenfinity Days all across the globe.

Philippinen Müllsammlen
Aufforsten Mexiko

Since 2011 more than 50 Greenfinity Days have been taking place all around the world. In 2017, 280 volunteers have collected an amazing amount of waste. They also planted trees to restore natural resources.  

Now it's up to us to search for alternatives

Perhaps we can take things further and think about the product lifecycle when shopping. How long will we be using the product? What happens to the product and its packaging after use? Are there any sustainable, environmentally-friendly alternatives? Many manufacturers already offer products from recycled material and there are also many other alternatives to plastic that can be found in other lines of product.

And if plastic cannot be avoided please remember: Proper disposal is key!

 

Support our projects!