Pollution and Waste- Big Questions

            My opinion editorial claim, which states that as members of society we all need to take responsibility for our consumption and learn how to properly dispose of our waste, answers the questions of “what exists”, “what is good”, and “what should we do”. 

            My claim answers the question of “what exists” when addressing the problem presented. What exists is that Americans are wasting more than they should, and this is causing major problems. Many Americans waste out of habit, and recycling does not even cross their mind. Because of this, more landfills need to be created, which leads to more waste, as well as harmful emissions. When creating landfills, there is always a risk that toxic liquids will seep through the liners, and cause groundwater to be polluted. This is a risk that we should not take lightly, seeing as only 2.5 percent of the world’s water is fresh, and only 1 percent of that freshwater is easily accessible. With this knowledge, Americans should be extra conscious about what they choose to throw away.

            From the answer of “what exists”, it is clear to see that “what is good” would be to reduce the waste we put out. To do this, the question of “what should we do” is also answered.

There are several ways to answer, “what should we do”, and it is especially easy to refer to the three R’s- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The most effective way to cut back on waste would be to follow the three R’s in order. It is most helpful to reduce the number of things we buy, because then there are no worries about the waste that products create. When we reuse an item, there is no energy being taken up to either put it in a landfill or create something new with it. It also allows a consumer to save money on buying a new item, as well as saving the materials that would be needed to create another item. While recycling is the last preferred option of what we should do to cut back on waste, it is still a very important one. For example, it could be hard to think of a way to reuse paper once it has already been written upon, so in this instance, recycling is the best option. Through recycling, new items can be made from the old, rather than just having those items end up in a landfill. Although recycling does use energy, it is far better than using that same energy to put items into a landfill that can never be used again.