Immediate action
The slower you are to react to the warnings, the less chances you have of success. That is why it is important to start dealing with the problem right away.
Moving or changing jobs
You must firmly decide for yourself what is more important: the life and health of you and your loved ones, or your current place of residence and employment. This can be a difficult and risky decision but if you don’t make it now, you will be dealing with far more serious consequences in the near future, including the possibility of early death. Are you ready to pay with the health of your loved ones for the sake of maintaining the status quo? Is that increase in salary really worth your health and the costs of treatment in the future? In the event of a critical state of ecological hygiene, it makes sense to move to another neighborhood, city, county, state, or even another country – it certainly won’t make things worse than they already are.
Life changes are not a bad thing
When you change your place of residence, you might find yourself in a more pleasant and safer environment. You might have more time for loved ones and less stress when you change jobs. Perhaps leaving the filthy metropolis will actually bring more career opportunities. Perhaps your new community will help you solve your personal problems. It’s also possible that the move will not affect your work at all, since the modern world allows many among us to work remotely. In the end, the radical change in your life might actually bring you closer to the happiness you seek. And think of the dividends that a revived body and brain will pay off in the long run.
If you can’t leave: vote with your lungs
Sometimes it really is impossible to move or switch jobs, so the only thing you can do is act strategically. Be sure to vote in local and general elections. Look for candidates who, along with an adequate social and economic program, not only talk about the environmental issue but have successfully implemented environmental protection measures in the past. If the chosen candidate does not meet expectations in terms of real progress, look for the possibility of their early termination. Only through such political action can the environmental problem be solved. In your particular location, you can certainly achieve significant improvements in just a few years – it really is in your power. To speed up this process on a larger scale, even those who already live in a relatively clean environment should consider voting for environmentally-driven candidates.
If you can’t leave: get people’s attention
Elections are rare, and politicians tend to move very slowly on the issue of the ecology. Therefore, in parallel with using whatever political power you have, one should be vocal and raise awareness about the ecological situation in your local environment. This doesn’t mean running naked down Main Street, burning cars, or attacking officials. It’s enough to talk about the problem on social networks, raise the issue at mass events, organize pickets, ask for help from local and international celebrities, and bombard the relevant authorities and institutions with inquiries and complaints. The more activity there is, the sooner you will begin to live in decent ecological conditions.
Make your contribution to the environmental effort
Coming to an environmental picket in a pickup spewing exhaust fumes is not the best idea. Your city might become cleaner and more pleasant to live in if instead of counting on politicians to make the first step, the people themselves take care of it. In the era of environmentally friendly modes of transport, this is an easily achieved task. In addition, traveling short distances on foot or by bicycle will also boost your physical shape and health. Sometimes it is worth taking public transport – bus, metro, or tram – as it can be faster and more convenient. Sorting your trash and not throwing batteries, fluorescent lamps and other chemically hazardous waste into the general container is also worth the effort. You can try to make do with paper or reusable shopping bags. There are many different ways to avoid being a rude and reckless guest on our planet.