In light of the election, it’s important to remember that 97% of scientists believe that climate change is real, even if important political figures don’t. We all contribute to the issue of global warming by the routine of our daily lives, but if we become conscious of just what effect our actions have on the planet, our collective effort can make a huge difference. Check out this list of 10 amazingly easy changes you can make in order to maintain the health of the beautiful planet we live on!
1. Avoid Speeding or Idling I know, I know, you have to make your class on time! But hear me out, collegiettes: speeding actually has the potential to reduce your car’s mileage by 33% and uses more fuel, which leads to higher carbon dioxide emission rates. If you’re stuck in stop-and-go traffic, that also emits high levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, so if you can, try to change your route or leave earlier than usual to avoid rush hour.
2. Turn Off The Lights and Unplug Electronics Before you leave home, be conscious of what rooms you’ve been in and double-check that you haven’t left any lights on by mistake. Another important part of conserving electricity is to unplug anything that isn’t in use, including your television, phone charger and coffee machine!
3. Cut Down on Napkin Use If you use napkins like they’re going out of style, you’re directly increasing their demand! As a serial napkin-hog, I’m guilty of this one myself. Be more conscious of how many napkins you use during your meals to avoid being wasteful.
4. Don’t Waste Water There are a lot of little things we do that contribute to our overuse of water. Rather than doing your laundry in small loads because you absolutely need to wear that one top today, wait until you have a full load, or ask your roommates/family members if they need any wash done too. Other changes to make include limiting the time that you’re in the shower, using the dishwasher only when it’s full and turning off the faucet while you’re brushing your teeth!
5. Stop Buying Bottled Water It might be convenient to just grab a bottle from the fridge, but it’s such a waste of plastic! I have a friend who collected water bottles in her car until they filled her back seat, which really showed her how much plastic she was really using! Invest in a refillable water bottle and you’ll not only save a lot of money in the long run, you’ll be limiting the amount of plastic you accumulate.
6. RecycleThis is a super easy one we’ve all heard a thousand times over, but if you aren’t recycling at this point, you’re contributing to huge landfills full of materials that don’t belong there! The average time for a plastic bottle to degrade is at least 450 years! Get recycling bins for your home and be conscious of recycling options on campus and around your neighborhood.
7. Start Composting Instead of throwing your apple cores or banana peels away, purchase a compost bin for your kitchen counter and toss all decomposable things inside! If you don’t have a garden at home, there are other ways compost can be useful: you can feed it to potted plants, donate it to a school or community center or even hand it over to your green-thumbed neighbors!
8. Join an Environmentalist Group Volunteer to clean up local areas, such as the beach, parks and highways. Your activism in a group amplifies your voice because your efforts are immediately visible and greatly appreciated!
9. Avoid Products with Microbeads Unfortunately, many of our favorite beauty products still contain microbeads, which wash straight to the ocean and are incredibly harmful to marine life. Here’s an extensive list of products you should avoid using to prevent any more plastic from polluting the water!
10. Switch to Paperless Billing
Organize your bills in a neat electronic file instead of hoarding piles of them in a folder under your bed! The average household that switches over to E-Billing “saves 6.6 pounds of paper, avoids producing 171 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, and saves .079 of a tree annually.” The companion to this is paying your bills electronically instead of sending a check in the mail, but our generation doesn’t seem to have a problem with that side of things. Talk to your parents and others who may still be sending payments and receiving bills in the mail about the benefits of switching over so we can join together in saving the earth!