One day can be hot and cloudy, the next cold and sunny – these day to day changes are the weather.  One day it’s windy, the next it’s raining, the day after that it’s windy and raining then we might get some sunshine.  So, weather is always changing.  But now we regularly hear about climate change.  Climate reflects long-term weather patterns, so when we talk about climate change, we’re talking about long-term changes to the weather.  Over decades and centuries, climate changes – places become drier, wetter, hotter or colder.

Our climate is changing, both naturally and due to human exploitation. There is already undeniable evidence that animals, birds and plants are being affected by climate change and global warming in both their distribution and behavior.

Climate variability and change affects birdlife and animals in a number of ways:

Birds lay eggs earlier in the year than usual, plants bloom earlier and mammals are come out of hibernation sooner. Birds are migrating and arriving at their nesting grounds earlier, and the nesting grounds that they are moving to are not as far away as they used to be and in some countries the birds don’t even leave anymore, as the climate is suitable all year round.

Many people know that climate change is causing Arctic sea ice to melt, which in turn threatens polar bears who need the ice to hunt for their prey. They spend far more time at sea than it does on land.  Polar bears today are thinner and less healthy than those of 20 years ago.

Although it is thought that no species has yet become extinct exclusively because of climate change, many migratory and non-migratory species are expected to become extinct in the near future.

Living in a 21^st century seems to be like the best time of our lives. We got everything we need: high standarts of living, great progress in Social Welfare, Health care and technology. But….. Aren’t we forgetting something? Should we really care just about things like that? An essential problem of the 21st century is world pollution. Currently the environment is so contaminated that urgent measures should be taken. A single individual cannot be blamed for the world pollution, however every person should take care of his or her habitat. Here is a list of thing all of us can try to be a part of a better future!

1. Climate change is first and foremost an issue. You might have noticed that the weather’s been hotter than usual, or you have noticed a drought in your area or conversely, unusual storms. To prevent climate change you can start by using less electricity, driving less, switching to LED bulbs or eating less meat.
2. Another thing to mention is deforestation. Tropical rainforests, which are crucial to stabilizing the climate and to human survival, are being chopped down at breakneck pace- one and a half acres of rainforest are lost every second. Humans have already chopped down about 50% of the rainforests that once existed on the planet and at the current rate of destruction, we will completely destroy the rainforests in the next 40 years. What we could do as individuals? By using recycled paper, we can decrease the need to cut down as many trees and by buying goods made with FSC-certified wood, we can show retailers that we don’t want them to support brands that obtain lumber irresponsibly. Last but not least, why not plant a tree or even a hundred trees.

   

3. Moving on we face pollution. Pollution comes in many forms and no matter where we live we all probably have seen it more or less. It became a part of our daily routine to see such thing like smog in the streets of big cities. The first thing we can all do to reduce the amount of pollution in our streets, air and water is to make a mental change. Before buying a new product, ask yourself if you really need it or if you might be able to purchase it secondhand. It could make a big difference in the amount of trash we see in our landfills. Secondly, if you don’t already recycle, get into the habit. If everyone adopted these easy principles, the world would be in a much better place.

4. Global warming is another environmental issue which is increase in earth’s temperature due to effect of greenhouse gases called carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor and other gases. Without these gases, this planet would turn be cold for life to exist. What can be done? Reduce, reuse, recycle. By recycling half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, use Less Heat and Air Conditioning, use less hot water, encourage others to conserve!

   

5. Water scarcity is becoming more of an issue as the population increases and climate change causes more droughts. Only three percent of the world’s water is fresh water and 1.1 billion people lack access to clean, safe drinking water. How to deal with this problem? Installing an ENERGY STAR-certified washer, using low-flow faucets, plugging up leaks, irrigating the lawn in the morning or evening when the cooler air causes less evaporation, taking shorter showers and not running sink water when brushing your teeth.
   

   

It’s time for us to open our eyes and hearts and start caring more not about ourselves but also about our planet, our home.  It is high time for human beings to take the ‘right’ action towards saving the earth from major environmental issues. We and only we create a world we want to live in. And it is up to us weather we want to have a bright future or destroy everything we have. If ignored today, these ill effects are sure to curb human existence in the near future.

There are many environmental problems in the world today, such as littering, water and air pollution, deforestation, acid rain and more. Many of them are caused by people. You may think that Lithuania is a small country and there are not so many severe environmental problems. Although, the extent of Lithuania’s ecological issues is not as great as in other big countries, they are still issues that cannot be left unsolved.
One of the biggest environmental problems in Lithuania is littering. In the recent report on how European Union countries manage municipal waste Lithuania was one of the outsiders. The vast majority of municipal waste in Lithuania is still landfilled. Despite the fact that since 2004, the recycling rate has slightly increased, the overall recycling level is still shamefully low. Probably, the reason of it is the lack of information. This problem needs to be solved quickly. We have to instruct our people about recycling. The recycling process should be supervised carefully.
Another huge concern is the usage of plastic bags. These bags are very popular in our country. You can find tons of them in supermarkets or in any kind of shop. Usually they are given for free. Buyers do not even understand how many of them they actually take. As you may know, microorganisms are unable to decompose plastic trash.  It is a very massive issue that other countries started to take care off.  For example, Italy was the first country in Europe which forbade onetime plastic bags. In these days, more and more countries in the world apply major restrictions on plastic trash. Lithuania has to do the same.
It would be wrong to say that Lithuania does not do anything to fix littering problems. Every year the volunteers of Lithuania organise action called ‘Darom’. The main task of this action is to collect trash all around the country. This is a good start in solving littering issue, but it is just a little step. We should not litter in the first place!
All in all, the nature is our home. Our entire future depends on the way we protect our nature. Therefore, the protection of the natural environment against physical, chemical, biological and any other negative impact should be the main target in Lithuania.