As you guys may or may not know, the Earth is currently dying. Our behavior is slowly killing this planet. As I saw in a video from Kurzgesagt at YouTube about the Fermi Paradox: “It is the nature of every intelligent civilization to destroy itself.”
One way to save, or at least postpone, the destruction of our planet is to make some changes to save nature. One of them is to make biopores.
The term biopore refers to holes or small tunnels that are formed underground and resulted from the activities of organisms such as worms, termites, plant roots, etc. The biopore infiltration hole is a cylindrical hole (usually coated with plastic pipe) that is planted in the ground vertically. Biopore infiltration holes usually have a diameter of 10 cm and are generally planted with a depth of 1 meter.
Biopore infiltration holes possess multiple benefits such as:
Help in reducing organic waste. Household waste such as fruit and vegetable scraps can be put inside the biopore infiltration holes, which later on will be converted into compost. This activity can help in reducing the amount of waste that would end up in the soon-to-be-overload landfills. Moreover, the process of filling the biopore holes with organic waste will indirectly train people to sort their waste into at least two categories: organic and inorganic.
Fertilize the soil. Biopore holes will make the soil friable because it comprises of both air and water. In addition, organic waste that is put inside the biopore holes will stimulate microorganisms activities that will decompose the waste into compost. The compost will then increase the fertility of the soil and can also be used to fertilize plants.
Prevents flooding and increases groundwater reserves. With the existence of biopore holes, it will be easier for rainwater to be absorbed into the soil. Consequently, groundwater reserves will increase, which also helps to reduce the risks for both flooding and drought.
Reduce the forming of puddles during the rain. This is important because puddles are an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, which carry many diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
The first thing that needs to be done before making biopore infiltration holes is to decide the right spot for the biopore holes. Biopore infiltration holes should be made in areas where water will naturally gather. That being said, biopore infiltration holes can be made at the bottom of a gutter, near trees, in lower grounds of house yards, or in park boundaries. Also, biopore holes should be made in areas where only a few people would pass to prevent them from being mired into the holes, and consequently, to prevent the biopore covers from being damaged.
The tools that need to be prepared in order to make biopore holes are as follow:
Ground drill or crowbar
Plastic pipe with a diameter of 10 cm along with the pipe cover
Organic waste
Water
And here are the steps:
Wet the soil using water, but not too much. This will help to soften the ground and make it easier to be dug into.
Start digging the hole using a ground drill or crowbar. After the drill has been completely planted underground, pull the drill while rotating it. After that, lift the drill and clean it from the remaining soil. Repeat the process. Make sure that the hole is perpendicular. If the digging becomes difficult due to the ground being hard, wet it further with water.
Also, if along the process you stumble upon gravel and rocks, make sure to take them all out so that it will not hinder the biopore holes.
Put the plastic pipe into the hole that has been dug. To make it firmer, you can reinforce the pipe by cementing its surroundings.
Fill the plastic pipe that is already planted underground with organic waste such as dry leaves or fruit and vegetable scraps. The organic waste will help to stimulate the activities of organisms such as earthworms since it will become their food source.
Another way to save the planet is by using solar panels. Solar panels absorb sunlight as a source of energy to generate electricity.
There are two types of solar panels: Polycrystalline and Monocrystalline solar panels.
Monocrystalline panels are relatively darker colored (and more expensive) compared to polycrystalline panels. Monocrystalline panels are more efficient in absorbing and distributing the sunlight into electricity - but once it gets cloudy, its efficiency will drop massively.
Polycrystalline panels, on the other hand, are less efficient in distributing the sunlight into electricity; but its energy is constant. Whether it’s sunny or cloudy, polycrystalline panels always give the same amount of electricity.
Solar panels are very useful for saving the environment (and money). They may cost a lot at first, but in the long run, they will come in very handy; they will probably save you a lot of expenses.
But.
A downside of having lots of solar panels is that they require a lot of cables; therefore increasing the risk of short circuits. It’s also dangerous if there are animals or little children around or inside the house. Just like humans, everything has its advantages and flaws.
The Earth is dying. And it’s dying quickly. This planet is currently the only planet that we know of that is capable of sustaining life. Without this planet, no lifeforms that we currently know of will exist. Humans have been destroying nature for years now - and once we realized that we have been harming the planet, it’s been too late. The only thing we can do now is to postpone the destruction of this planet and rehabilitating it by reducing the pollution we have been causing for so many years.
Stop using plastic. Start separating organic and inorganic trash from each other and make biopores - for organic trash can cause the trash bags to explode, because of the gasses they emit.
Plastic bags do not get decayed; they just get ripped apart, getting smaller and smaller until they get so small that they become what is known as microplastics. Microplastics are very dangerous, for they are so small that they are almost invisible; mixing up with the air, ground, and water - therefore causing them to pollute the planet and its inhabitants even more.
Everything we have taken from the Earth must come back to the Earth. From ashes to ashes.
Go green, friends.