Problem: Article: One of the most fundamental tools you have to fight the loss of global biodiversity is your wallet. Make an effort to buy only products and services that were made with an eye for the environmental health of the planet. Avoid buying from companies with practices that threaten global biodiversity. Remember, companies will sell what people want to buy, so tell companies that you want products that do not harm biodiversity. Research environmentally friendly brands before you make major purchases. For starters, this Fortune report lists a good selection of responsible companies. " There's no way around it: Since early in our history, humans have always created a lot of garbage. Today, however, the massive amounts of waste being produced on a global scale pose a major threat to biodiversity. By following the "Three Rs," you can minimize the impact of your waste. The "Three Rs" are:   Reduce: Decrease your consumption. Don't buy products you don't need. When you do buy things, try to make choices that generate a minimal amount of garbage. For instance, buy things with limited packaging (or none at all) rather than things that come in many boxes or containers. The less garbage you generate, the less you'll contribute to the loss of biodiversity when natural habitats are used for landfills.  Reuse: Decrease the amount of goods you throw away by using  things more than once. One easy example is bringing a backpack or a reusable bag to the grocery store so that you don't use new bags. See our Home Organization articles for more great ideas. Again, less garbage means less loss of biodiversity from expanding landfills.  Recycle: When you do have to throw something away, recycle it so it can be converted to something useful again rather than being added to a landfill. Click here for a good guide to recycling in the U.S. There are numerous other ways to encourage global biodiversity. Best of all, many of these are things you can do in and around the home! For instance, reducing your reliance on commercial crops decreases natural habitat destruction when cleared for farming. See below for a few easy suggestions.   Start a family or community garden. Less demand for large-scale agriculture means less habitat loss and fewer native species displaced. Use composting at home. The compost can be added to the family garden or the community garden to boost your harvest. This further reduces your reliance on commercial agriculture. Even better, this is a great way to recycle organic waste and kitchen scraps! We've all heard it hundreds of times: Burning fossil fuels is bad for the environment. While human carbon emissions have been linked to global climate change beyond a shadow of a doubt, many don't know that they also have a direct impact on the planet's biodiversity. Climate change leads to habitat loss and more stressful environmental conditions that put at-risk species on the brink of extinction. Thus, slowing climate change by reducing emissions is one effective way to preserve biodiversity. Usually, this can be done by reducing the energy we use. For instance, you might try:  Purchasing a zero- or reduced-emissions car for your next vehicle purchase. Carpooling during your daily commute to save money and reduce the fuel you consume. Walking or riding your bike instead of driving. Using energy-efficient electronics to reduce carbon emissions. In the U.S., electronics that are made to use a minimal amount of electricity are given an "ENERGY STAR" label by the EPA. Look for this label.  Investing in efficient insulation and heating for your house to reduce energy usage.  Considering alternative home energy sources like solar panels, which were once too expensive for many people but are getting cheaper each year.
Summary: Be an informed consumer. Follow the "Three Rs. Practice eco-friendly food strategies at home. Reduce your carbon emissions.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Reading is one of the most important keys for language development. Reading out loud teaches children what words are supposed to sound like: it teaches them to connect sounds with letters. The more words a baby hears, for example, the broader their vocabulary at age 3. Yes, you can simply talk to your infant to boost how many words they hear, but reading gives you words so that you don't have to think of things to say, and it teaches the baby new words. When you read to your child one-on-one, it adds to their perception of reading as a positive, nurturing activity. Not only that, it has been proven that reading out loud helps children cope with trauma. Reading out loud helps children return to reading later in life, both because it reminds them of happy times with parents and because it helped them through a hard time. Difficulty reading leads to failure in school, which of course leads to problems later in life. Exposing children to reading even before they can read exposes them to words and experiences they would have never received in daily life, which lays the foundation for them to be familiar with concepts they will later learn in school. Failure in school leads to social problems like delinquency, teen pregnancy, and substance abuse. Reading out loud familiarizes children with experiences they would not otherwise be exposed to, giving them knowledge before they ever enter school. It also teaches them to have a bigger vocabulary, which can help them get further in life. For example, teachers tend to pay attention to kids who have better reading comprehension than the rest of class, and often provide them with access to books at higher levels of reading, giving a child more knowledge than other students. Reading to a child provides you with an opportunity for a child to look up to you because when you are excited about reading, a child will be too. You set the example for your child to become a reader, and when they engage with reading over time, they turn to you for help. Reading out loud provides children with a world they can imagine, even when the book already contains pictures. Books give children ideas, characters, and settings outside of their experience, which they often will explore when playing “pretend.”
Summary:
Decide to help children develop language skills. Try to create a positive view of books and reading. Attempt to build a foundation for success in school. Try to give a child social context and knowledge. Be a role model. Try to encourage a child's imagination.