This post is part of my 5th Grade Journal series. Each week in 2016 I share a journal entry written for one of my 5th grade classes, along with any new thoughts and perspectives I may have developed since.
September 5, 1997
I would wish that people would stop poluting. Many animals have died because of polution in the ocean. It is becoming to dirty for people to swim in! Some turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, and choked, and then died. That is why I think all people should stop poluting.
Pretty straightforward. Pollution is a bad thing, and it’s not hard to see how reducing human waste can lead to a healthier world.
I’m also pretty sure the type of pollution I was referring to in fifth grade was of the individual, trash-on-the-street variety, as opposed to industrial waste caused by large-scale operations (such as the factory farming meat industry). Viewed from this lens, it’s true that reducing pollution is something we all have control over. It takes very little effort to make sure garbage is thrown away in the trash, and recycling is not much more difficult.
With a baseline level of manners and awareness, it shouldn’t be hard for everyone to do their part to contribute to a greater cause. If you recognize something wrong in the world, make small efforts to contribute to a more ideal version of the world as you see it.
It can be as simple as throwing garbage in the trash can.
