Eco Lifestyle

The ocean is the origin and the engine of all life on this planet — and sadly, it is under threat!  

Pollution occurs when harmful materials enter into the ocean as chemicals, particles, industrial, agricultural and residential waste, noise, or via the spread of organisms. Most of these come from land sources and are washed or blown into the ocean. This pollution results in damage to the environment, to the health of all organisms, and to the economic structures worldwide.  We all have to act so that our oceans remain unpolluted.  

Marine pollution is a combination of chemicals and waste.  Around 80% of marine pollution is caused by land. Air pollution also contributes to the carrying of iron, carbonic acid, nitrogen, silicon, sulfur, pesticides or dust particles into the ocean. Land and air pollution are proved to be harmful to marine life and its habitats.

The most polluted ocean is the Pacific with 2 trillion plastic pieces and one third of the plastic found in this ocean circulates in the North Pacific Gyre.  So how does trash get into the ocean? It’s dumped, pumped, spilled, leaked and even washed out with our laundry. Each year, we expose the world’s waterways to an increasing variety of pollutants — plastic waste, chemical runoff, crude oil and more.

When pesticides are absorbed into the marine ecosystem, they are quickly absorbed into marine food webs. Once these pesticides get mixed with the food webs, they cause modification, as well as diseases, which are harmful to humans as well as the entire food web. Many animal feeds have a high fish meal or fish hydrolysate content. In this way, marine toxins get transferred to land animals, and appear later in meat and dairy products.

For example, pollutants in the ocean make their way back to humans. Small organisms ingest toxins and are eaten by larger predators, many of which are seafood that we eventually eat. When the toxins in contaminated animals get deposited in human tissue, it can lead to long-term health conditions, cancer and birth defects.  

Pollution does not only affect marine life and their environment, it also affects mankind. Much of this runoff flows to the sea, carrying with it agricultural fertilizers and pesticides. One of the biggest sources is called non point source pollution, which occurs as a result of runoff. Non point source pollution generally results from land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage, seepage or hydrologic modification. Non point source (NPS) pollution, unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many diffuse sources.

Global warming is causing sea levels to rise, threatening coastal population centers. Uses of pesticides and nutrients in agriculture end up in the coastal waters which results in oxygen depletion that kills marine plants and shellfish.

Human activities disturb the fish, reduce their numbers and interfere with their ecosystem. The main human threats to marine life are shark hunting, overfishing, inadequate protection, tourism, shipping, oil and gas, pollution, aquaculture and climate change.

Causes of Ocean Pollution

• Littering.
• Sewage.
• Ocean mining.
• Oil spills.
• Agricultural runoff.
• Toxic chemicals.
• Air pollutants.
• Maritime transportation

Ocean Pollution Solutions

Given the long-term, disastrous effects of ocean pollution, anything we can do to avoid contaminating our seas is a good idea. Here are some ocean pollution solutions that can make a big difference.

Reduce excess use of chemical fertilizer that eventually makes its way into the oceans. Instead choose organic fertilizers, which tend to be lower in nutrients.

Make use of reusable bottles and utensils instead of throwing away plastic bottles and utensils, including straws which are massive ocean polluters. Rather than contributing to the threat to marine life.

Organize a social distancing cleanup at the beach or a nearby park. The more trash you pick up and properly dispose of, the less waste goes into our oceans.

Properly disposing of plastics and trash reduces ocean pollution, so they don’t end up in the ocean. In outdoor spaces, such as beaches and parks, dispose of trash in a secure receptacle or take it home with you.

With a few small changes to our daily routines, we can all do our part to help reduce the amount of pollution going into our ocean.

Soy candles are made from soy wax which is a vegetable wax derived from the oil of soybeans. After the soybeans are harvested, these beans are cleaned and rolled into flakes. The oil from these flakes is extracted and hydrogenated. 

Soy wax is 100% biodegradable in comparison to paraffin.  Therefore, soy is often referred to as a superior wax in comparison to paraffin.  These are usually container candles. Soy wax can also be made into pillar candles.  These  candles dіѕtrіbutе frаgrаnсеѕ and ѕсеntѕ slightly less than paraffin candles. 

Typically soy wax has a lower melting point than traditional waxes. The low melting роіnt results in cooler, long burning, long lasting саndlеѕ in temperate areas. It also results in a larger-size liquid wax рооl. These help spread еѕѕеntіаl fragrances into the air. 

While all candles emit some black soot while burning, candles made from soy wax burns cleaner and results in less soot.  Another reason to choose soy wax when it comes to candles is the fact that soy wax is an excellent fragrance carrier that does not require chemical amplifiers.

Benefits of soy candles 

1. Soy candles are non toxins, carcinogens or pollutants. 
2. These are less likely to trigger allergies. 
3. No petro-carbon soot producing unlike what you get from petroleum-based paraffin candles. 
4. Candles are long lasting, and long burning so there is value for money
5. Soy wax burns cooler which means that you can enjoy your soy wax candle for generally 30-50% longer than a paraffin candle.

Is burning soy candles bad for your health?

Yes indeed they are.  The best candles to look out for are made using 100% GMO free (genetically modified organisms) soy wax.

Soy wax burns clean and you won’t be filling your home, or your lungs, with potentially deadly smoke, dangerous pollutants or staining your walls and ceilings with black soot.

What’s the difference between Soy wax and Paraffin  wax?

Soy wax has a stronger fragrance.

Due to the lack of soot and toxins released into the air, soy wax candles have a stronger scent profile than paraffin wax candles. The chemicals released by paraffin wax can mix with the scent during burning, which kind of defeats the point of lighting a candle

Soy wax contains nothing artificial, which makes it a better alternative whereas old-fashioned paraffin wax is made from petroleum oil and produces harmful by-products when burned or melted.  

Soy wax is non-toxic making it better both for the environment and your health!

This is why, we at Go Eco Love sell soy based candles in different scents.  Our scents range from vanilla, rose, pine and citrus making your homes and senses enriched and relaxed.  Our candles burn for more than 20 hours clearly showing their long burning times.  Do visit our shop at goecolove.com/shop where you can see the different candles we have for you.  Create an atmosphere of smoothing in the comforts of your homes.

Hi I am 8 years old and I study Year 3 at a primary school in UK.  I walk to school daily and here I would like to talk about why walking is good.

We all have walked at least once in our life and walking is amazing! When we walk we get a lot of oxygen that helps us breath because of the trees.  The pollution suffocates us. It is ok to not always walk but we should walk at least once a week. I always walk 5 days a week especially because of schooling!

Walking will make you very healthy and will help keep us fit. When I walk to school I pick up pine cones and look at the trees. To help you walk more you can use the Travel Tracker. Something you could do is drive halfway and then walk. The outdoors is very nice especially in the Summer. There are all sorts of weathers but just remember to bring an umbrella when it’s raining! I sometimes go to the playground with my friends and we walk there. Walking is a lot of fun and it helps stop pollution because you are not using cars. You will help the world by walking!

A few activities are picking up some twigs or pine cones, singing a song and you can take scooters and bikes.  You can play music while walking. There is  beauty in nature to see and hear on a walk for example birds singing, sing lovely songs, see lovely flowers growing everywhere and feel the fresh breeze blowing in your hair.

Recently, me and my friends have been going on hikes. If you go on a hike it doesn’t have to be long because every step counts! You can take walks to the park, to your friends and to school. If you go on a walk that is very long you can always bring some snacks and water bottles.  Remember to use a re-usable water bottle so that you are looking after the earth.

There is an app called Strava which has really encouraged me to walk more and not just walk, but cycle, scooter, rides and more. Strava  puts on lots of challenges and groups.  For example, I did a 100 km in 30 days walking challenge with the Hartleyites Sports Club to raise some money for a good cause.  You don’t have to always finish in 30 days, you can even take 2 years if you have to.  It is just to encourage you.  So don’t feel the pressure. 

Strava has made me really fit and everyone in my house has been losing weight too. My dad lost so much weight that his shorts are now too big for him.  I am so happy to Go Eco Love for letting me write for them.

Go Eco Love helps everyone to be more nature friendly.  If you want to find more about nature, have a look at the rest of Go Eco Love’s website, have fun!

Good Things In Our World are Getting Better and Better! Let’s keep on working hard to keep it that way!

Have you wondered what is all the hype about Earth Day? Earth Day is an annual event in support of environmental protection.  It is actually recognised as the largest civic event in the world and is celebrated on April 22 every year. The day aims to:

1. raise awareness about climate change and global warming and environmental challenges 
2. inspires people to act towards the protection of the environment
3. focuses on the need for conservation

In spring 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson in the US created Earth Day as a way to force this issue onto the national agenda. Twenty million Americans then demonstrated in different U.S. cities, and it worked!  Now this event is celebrated around the world.   People take time to be grateful for  humankind’s connection to the Earth and celebrate Earth Day.  For example, planting saplings not only cools things down (these help to  decrease a city’s temperature by up to 10 degrees) but it also cleans the air and gives off more oxygen, along with numerous other benefits.

Celebrating Earth Day serves as a conscious reminder of how fragile our planet is and how important it is to protect it. We celebrate Earth Day to continue promoting environmental awareness and it reminds us that we can protect the earth in our everyday lives as well.

Here are 10 small ways to volunteer and make a difference this Earth Day:

1. Clean up a local beach.
2. Plant a garden at your home or school. 
3. Sign an environmental action petition. 
4. Start a conversation & help to restore bird habitats.
5. Try to buy a reusable water bottle and use reusable carrier bags.
6. Plant a tree.
7. Buy organic foods and products. 
8. Replace plastic products with glass.
9. Compost/ degrade the waste
10. Eliminate the use of household cleaners with toxic ingredients.

Just like how we started off in this blog, good Things In Our World Are Getting Better and Better! Let’s keep on working hard to keep it that way!

On the positive side:

• Access to Water: Between 1980 and today, global access to safe water sources has increased from 58% to 91%.
• Agricultural Output: Annual cereal yield has nearly tripled since 1960 so innovative ways have to be found so that we are over burdening the lands.
• Electricity Usages and access has increased so we need to work on not overusing them.
• Recycling Efforts have increased
• Protected Nature Reserves have increased
• Scientific Research has increased
• Immunization From Diseases has increased
• Global Literacy has increased
• Female Education has increased

A lot of ground has been covered but a lot more work needs to be undertaken.  Let’s join hands together and move forward positively but with determination to make a difference. 

Earth Day Inspiration: 

• “The Earth is what we all have in common.” 
• “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
• “Time spent among trees is never time wasted.” 

Something that we believe in Go Eco Love is that Earth Day is every day.  Let’s look after the beautiful earth we live in.