We would all like to live in a clean, safe and healthy environment. The problem arises when it comes to actually doing something to make it happen. Are we doing enough?

Consider that candy wrapper you tossed on the sidewalk last week because you were too lazy to walk to a nearby dustbin. I’m sure you were thinking ‘’what harm can one paper do?’’ Well, many people think that way and at the end of the day, the street looks like a dump and the dustbins are empty. See what your candy wrapper can do?

Litter can cause a whole range of problems for everyone in the community. Litter discarded in streets or parks can be carried to our oceans and bays where it can cause harm to wildlife. Removing litter from the environment costs everyone money.

Litter is a threat to public health because it attracts vermin and is a breeding ground for bacteria. Litter can be a fire hazard because carelessly discarded cigarette butts can ignite accumulated litter. Litter looks bad and it negatively affects the image of places, especially tourist locations.

Litter also sends out a message that people do not care for the environment and that it is acceptable to litter.

Litter can harm or kill wildlife because plastic litter can choke or suffocate birds and marine life, and carelessly discarded cans can trap small mammals.

Clearly litter causes a pile of trouble. So why litter?

I could go on and on telling you about the dangers of not caring for our environment, but my point is that people should be more environmentally conscious.

It’s everyone’s job to make sure we live in a clean, safe and healthy environment, so how about contributing to that idea instead of contributing to the litter flying around outside?

Luba Dube, age 15