This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at New School chapter.
Earth Day was last Saturday, but have you really done anything to help out? This week educate yourself on climate change and sustainability. Changing a lifestyle is never easy to do, so to make it simpler for you, we made a list of easy changes you can make that, ultimately, will make a big impact towards reducing greenhouse gases, and making our planet greener and healthier.
On April 29, Trump’s 100th day in office, thousands of protesters lined up outside the white house to bring attention to Earth’s warming climate.
Energy and Greenhouse Gases
- Activate power management settings on your computer to reduce electricity use.
- Turn off lights, computers and other electronics when not in use.
- Use natural light when possible. (It’s healthier for your body too!)
- Unplug Electronics or use power strips- appliances that are turned off but left plugged in continue to draw power
- Use LED bulbs, which use at least 75% less energy and last 25 times as long as incandescent.
- Adjust thermostats. A few degrees can decrease the heating and cooling load of your home or dorm by 2-3%. Closing your window shades also helps to boost heating and cooling efficiency and reduce energy use.
- Wash clothes in cold or warm water. Water heating consumes about 90% of the energy it takes to operate a clothes washer. Using warm instead of hot water will cut energy use in half.
- Take the stairs instead of elevators. Not only does it save a small amount of energy, but it also burns calories!
- Walk, bike, or use mass transit. This can reduce A LOT of greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, walking is the best way to lose weight!
Food
It has been estimated that food production and consumption creates up to 29% of global carbon emissions. In addition, it is estimated that 1 in 9 people worldwide suffer from chronic undernourishment
- Choose local and seasonal produce. This keeps cash in the local economy and reduces emission made by produce that travels hundreds of miles.
- Eat less meat. Meat production is extremely resource intensive and polluting compared to growing fruits and vegetables. Cut down on the amount of meat you eat and instead try introducing soy or other vegetable proteins into your diet. If you’re not ready to commit to vegetarianism, start with Meatless Mondays.
Water
- Drink tap water. The plastic needed to meet Americans’ demand for bottled water requires more than 17 million barrels of oil a year- not including the oil for transportation. Over 70% of disposable bottles will end up in a landfill, stream or ocean. Plus, drinking tap water saves money.
- Take shorter showers. Taking a 10-minute shower instead of a 15 minute shower reduces water use by 12-35 gallons a day or 12,775 gallons a year.
- Turn off the water while brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing dishes.
Waste and Pollution
- Reduce. Consider alternatives to products with wasteful packaging before you buy them. Practice the principle of “buying what you can eat and eating what you buy.”
- Reuse
Recycle correctly. Recycling is required by law in New York City. Read the signs above bins on campus to help improve The New School’s diversion rates.
- Compost. Composting improves our waste diversion rate, reducing the amount of waste that needs to be shipped to an out-of-state landfill or incinerated. And the finished compost, or humus, is used by East Coast landscapers and farmers. Follow signs by compost bins to learn what can be composted — more than you might think!
- Print mindfully. Use less paper with double-sided printing and copying. Read what you can on a computer, tablet, or phone.
- Recycle e-waste. Tossed-out gadgets and batteries leach harmful chemicals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium into soil and water via landfills. You can recycle batteries, cell phones, and old mp3 players in the blue tubes in most buildings on campus.
- Invest in a reusable mug.16 billion paper cups are used for coffee every single year. This translates to over 6.5 million trees cut down, 4 billion gallons of water wasted, and enough energy used to power nearly 54,000 homes for a year. Most coffee bars, including The New School’s, will give you a discount for bringing your own mug.
- Be thrifty. Clothes donated to GrowNYC will either be donated or repurposed into cleaning rags. Short on cash?? Check out Beacon’s Closet, they will pay you for the clothes you donate! All of these efforts prevent clothing from ending up in landfills.
- Say no to the bag! The U.S. uses over 100 billion plastic bags per year, and less than 1 percent of them are recycled. Paper bags are equally wasteful because they require energy to manufacture, and then take up space in landfills. A reusable tote bag can last for years, is easier to carry, and makes a strong statement. Some stores even offer a discount when you bring a reusable bag.
- Go Paperless. Estimates indicate that if everyone in the United States did not take an ATM receipt, that would save a roll of paper long enough to circle the earth between 5 and 15 times! Say no to ATM receipts, sign up for online banking, and reduce junk mail.
*This list was brought to you by the Tishman Environment and Design Center at The New School.