As I mentioned before, when studying environmental politics in college, I hated how I would learn the dreadful and grim state of the environment without learning how I could make changes in my own life. While I understand that environmental politics is inherently about the system and not so much about turning your lights off, I do feel that any environmental class should cover how citizens themselves can make change. Otherwise, it remains something celebrities may have the luxury of doing but largely inaccessible to most of its citizens.
To combat this, I will list a few simple things anyone can do to start being green (in addition to saving on your utilities bills). Some of these I borrowed from the book Green Chic by Christie Matheson, others are just common sense.
1. Turn off all your lights and electronics when you are not using them. It actually saves pounds of carbon dioxide from entering our atmosphere and tons of energy throughout the year.
2. Unplug your chargers when you're not using them, in addition to all small appliances. They still eat up energy even when the appliance is off or unattached.
3. Cut your showers to ten minutes or shorter. Also, let your hair air dry about 15-20 minutes before blow-drying.
4. Volunteer with an environmental organization in your community for a weekend, whether it's picking up trash, working in a community garden, etc. You'll do something positive and learn about the environmental issues that affect your community (so it's not just a faraway issue).
These are some tips to follow. Feel free to add more!
To combat this, I will list a few simple things anyone can do to start being green (in addition to saving on your utilities bills). Some of these I borrowed from the book Green Chic by Christie Matheson, others are just common sense.
1. Turn off all your lights and electronics when you are not using them. It actually saves pounds of carbon dioxide from entering our atmosphere and tons of energy throughout the year.
2. Unplug your chargers when you're not using them, in addition to all small appliances. They still eat up energy even when the appliance is off or unattached.
3. Cut your showers to ten minutes or shorter. Also, let your hair air dry about 15-20 minutes before blow-drying.
4. Volunteer with an environmental organization in your community for a weekend, whether it's picking up trash, working in a community garden, etc. You'll do something positive and learn about the environmental issues that affect your community (so it's not just a faraway issue).
These are some tips to follow. Feel free to add more!
No comments:
Post a Comment