Last month, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at disassembling the environmental strides made by the Obama Administration, specifically in regards to climate change. Among other things, this order has begun the process of abolishing the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, which was implemented to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide from power plants around the country, both new and old.
Trump not only wants to take back strides made towards climate change, but toward the protection of our national parks and monuments as well. Bear’s Ear, a sacred tribal monument in Utah is home to the artifacts and rock drawings of the ancestral Pueblo. Trump is currently working with several public lawmakers seeking to undo the federal protections of this land. If this is only the first few month of his administration, what will be the fate of our larger national parks in the years to come?
As college students, it’s easy to fall into a rut in which we feel powerless to Trump’s new authority. However, it is important to remember there are steps we can take everyday that will help make our world a better place. Even if on a small scale, all of our efforts do make a difference. With Earth day quickly approaching, keep in mind the various actions you can take around campus to fight climate change making our world a more healthy, and sustainable place to live and thrive. This month, to honor of Earth Day, try and be mindful of your actions by completing these five easy steps:
1. Limit your shower time. As a college student, it is easy to end your stressful day with a long, hot shower. However, you are using approximately 40 gallons of water in only ten minutes of the water running. By simply cutting five minutes off your average shower time, you can save up to 175 gallons of water per week.
2. Be mindful with electricity. Though we don’t think about it much, we use a tremendous amount of electricity on our campus. The lights in the hallways and the lights in the bathroom are constantly burning day and night throughout the dorms. Take action by turning off your lights when you leave your room to prevent wasting more energy. Also, consider unplugging your chargers from the socket when they are idle. Even if they aren’t charging your laptop or your phone, they are still using electricity when plugged into the wall.
3. Buy a water bottle. If you haven’t already, consider investing in a plastic or metal water bottle to carry with you to class. Not only will this reduce waste but it will save you money so you won’t keep buying disposable water bottles at the Bison. It is a win-win situation.
4. Shop at thrift stores. Next to oil, fashion is the dirtiest industry in the world. If you consider all the aspects of production – raw material, textile manufacture, clothing construction, shipping, retail, use, and disposal – there are obvious detrimental environment implications like natural resources used in extraction, the toxic dyes and chemicals used in production, and all of the pollutants being exhausted from shipping and handling. Do Earth a favor next time you need a cute outfit by shopping at a second hand store. There is a goodwill 2.5 miles outside of campus on International Drive that will help you do just that.
5. Go one day without eating meat. The meat production industry is currently the largest source of methane in our atmosphere. Producing simply one pound of beef takes about 2,500 gallons of water, and for every one hamburger made, 55 square foot of rainforest has been destroyed. That being said, you can reduce our air pollution and conserve water usage just by the choices you make in the cafeteria. Look out for the Whole Body section in Bostwick, located adjacent from the egg bar. This section offers delicious vegan and vegetarian options everyday like spinach ziti alfredo and cauliflower with coconut curry. Saving the environment has never been so easy- and delicious!