June 8 is World Ocean Day. About 80 percent of life on Earth depends on the ocean and coasts, and more than a third of humans live in coastal areas or on small islands. The ocean provides mankind(人类) with more than $21 trillion(万亿) every year in food, energy and transportation.

But the ocean is increasingly in danger. There is pollution, overfishing(过度捕捞) , destruction(破坏) of habitats(栖息地) and the effect of increasing CO² . Here are some tips to preserve the ocean.

Plastic waste forms large floating(浮动的) islands in the middle of the ocean. It is bad for seawater and can kill sea life. Use reusable shopping bags instead of using plastic ones.

They are safer for the environment and better for your own health.

Before you stay in a hotel on the coast, ask the manager what happens to their waste water and swimming pool water.

When you visit the beach, take your beach bags with you and leave plants, birds and wildlife alone so everyone can enjoy them.

Take part in the activities. Support the organizations of protecting the ocean. Also you can ask people around you to join you in protecting the ocean.

It might be strange to wear clothes made out of plastic bottles. But in fact, some clothing companies (服装公司) have already made clothes like these.

The clothing company of Alia Juma’s showed its newest collection at a workshop in Shanghai. 18 kinds of clothes were made from recycled plastic bottles. “We realized that billions of water bottles are thrown into the ocean every year and they would take hundreds of years to break down. We should use them to do something meaningful to help the environment,” said Alia Juma, the company’s designer. “5 bottles can make a shirt, 10 a dress, and 20 a short coat.”

Many other clothing companies are finding similar ways to save our planet these days. The process is rather simple. First, the plastic bottles are washed and cut into small pieces. And then they are melted (熔化) and shaped into small balls. Next, the balls are melted again to form threads (线). People can then use the threads to make different kinds of clothes.

According to Juma, it takes 67, 000 bottles to create a ton of threads. This cuts down carbon emissions (碳排放) by 4. 2 tons and water use by 6. 2 tons compared with the normal way of making threads.

Some people may doubt wearing clothes made out of plastic bottles. But in fact, clothes made from plastic can be even better than those made from common materials. Plastic threads can be made into cotton, silk, or even wool. It seems that this creative way may lead to a greener future for fashion.

What does it mean to be green? Green is more than just a color. It also means taking special steps to protect the environment. Buying a green product is a small step everyone can take. Deciding whether a product is green, however, isn’t always easy. We need to consider the whole life cycle of the product even after it’s of no use. Here is what we may keep in mind.

The materials of a product are usually our first focus (关注). What is it made of? Are there any harmful chemicals in it? Green products are made of more natural materials which are free from harmful chemicals, so they can be good for our physical health.

Packaging is important. How is a product packaged? Is it over packaged? We’d better choose glass, metal and paper packaging, as these can be reused or more easily recycled. We can also look for less packaging or even choose unbagged products whenever possible.

Location (地点) matters. Where was a product produced? Where are we buying it? Think about how much energy was used to get it to us. Try to choose local products. When it comes to food, it is a good idea to order directly from local farmer, shop at markets and buy fruits in season. Buying from stores near our houses is also a good choice, because we can go there without driving a car.

Look into what the company tells us about their products. It’s easy to say that a product is “green” or “all natural” but the words may be too good to be true. So much of the information about a product should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, companies try to make us believe that their products are environmentally responsible.

The greenest thing is certainly the one we don’t buy. Things like food and clothing are necessary for life. But many others are not. Better than buying is choosing to leave an unnecessary product in the store and doing without. It sends a message to the producer, keeps money in our pockets, reduces (减少) waste and keeps the planet healthy.