On more than one occasion you have surely been preached at about global warming—from your teacher in grade school discussing it on Earth Day to Bernie Sanders claiming on his website that “Climate change is the single greatest threat facing our planet.” However, as an inquisitive college student, you might have asked yourself the following: what can I do to change anything? Participating in making our world a greener place is easier than you might think, especially if you’re equipped with the right information. With these tips, you can help make our campus—and in turn, the world—a more environmentally friendly place.
1. Being green can be as easy as turning off the lights when you leave the room. Switching off lights has a bigger impact on reducing carbon emissions from power stations than originally thought, so by turning off your lights you are in turn reducing carbon emissions that destroy our atmosphere.
2. Another easy way to “go green” is to put your car keys away and take out your walking shoes. Not only will it help you live a healthier lifestyle and save money on gas, but it will also help lessen carbon dioxide emissions. Petrol and diesel, which are fossil fuels, are oils that are used to fuel most vehicles. When burned, they produce carbon dioxide, which is a major climate changing gas. While cutting down on all vehicle usage can be very difficult, carpooling with friends can be a simple step in helping make the world greener.
3. Along that note, public transportation should have a bigger presence in your life. As a Pioneer, you’re given an RTD card that gives you access to public transportation via the light rail and the bus system. There is no reason why you shouldn’t take advantage of it, especially since it is completely free. Buses, which have stops close to campus, are effective ways to utilize public transportation services. By using these methods of public transportation, you can help cut down on unnecessary carbon dioxide emissions, and who can argue with free?
4. Even though the wrapper says that the bottle is made of “30 percent less plastic,” it’s still plastic. Instead of buying a package of plastic bottles that you’ll end up throwing away when you’re finished, purchase a reusable water bottle that you can use over and over again, which will eliminate waste in our environment. Cute and sustainable is the best route to take in order to be more environmentally friendly. For an array of options, you can check out Target, Walmart , and REI.
5. Take shorter showers. For one, the showers in the dorms can be a little gross, so why would you want to spend more time in there than necessary? Secondly, even if you don’t live in the dorms, it doesn’t take forty-five minutes to wash your hair. Taking shorter showers helps save more water than you might imagine. According to Living Green and Saving Energy, an average of 2.5 gallons of water per minute comes from a typical shower head. Imagine how many gallons of water you could save by just reducing your shower time by a few minutes. Test yourself and try setting a goal of five minutes the next time you shower.
6. Cutting down your shower time is not the only easy way to save water. By turning off the sink while you’re brushing your teeth and washing your face, you also save a lot of water. It’s an easy way to be more environmentally conscious, so make it a habit.
7. Reduce, reuse and recycle. I’m sure you are familiar with this mantra. However, it’s not just a catchy song from Jack Johnson. These three points can legitimately help protect the environment. I’ve already touched on “reuse” by mentioning the water bottle, and I’ve also mentioned “reducing” by mentioning the showers, but recycling can be just as easy. DU has made it simple for students to recycle all sorts of materials—from that picture you didn’t mean to print to that can of soda from the C-Store. Using the recycling bins provided by DU can be a major step in helping the environment, and it’s just as easy as throwing something into the trash. A list of what is and is not recyclable can be viewed on DU’s “Recycling @ DU” page. Familiarize yourself with what is allowed and recycling will become second nature.
There are numerous ways that a college student can be more environmentally friendly. Though being green may not always be something you consider day to day, it’s always important to keep in mind.
