Climate change is a hot-button topic in today’s society. Politicians are using it as a club to beat each other’s agendas to the ground. Environmental activists are viewed as zealots, and climate-change deniers are not backing off an inch.
But one fact remains clear in all this chaos: the environment is changing right in front of our eyes. The icecaps are melting. Temperatures in the summer are hitting record highs. And the oceans are getting more polluted at an alarming rate.
So, what can a student in college do if the politicians can’t get anything done?
Well, it all starts with the classroom and your lifestyle in the dorm. You must have essays on climate change with which an essay writer can help. With the extra free time, you can dedicate more time to recycling and a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
This article is not another sanctimonious admonition: we are only interested in providing useful tips to help save the environment. You will also learn how to save money on essential products.
Eco friendly tips for college students
Nowadays, most universities power their campuses on sustainable energy. They either use solar power or rely on biomass. A sustainable university in the US even powers one of its campuses with the energy generated from the student gym. How ingenious is that!
As a student, you can adopt some of the following ways to go green:
Avoid printing if possible
At some point in college, you have wondered, “who will write my essay for me?” We’ve all been there. The pressures of college assignments can weigh down heavily on anyone. But you can pull through with proper assistance.
Another good side to modern colleges is that they don’t demand students to submit their work in print. This reduces the demands on the paper industry and literally saves the trees. So, resist the urge to print pages you can easily read as a PDF file on your devices.
And it is even more convenient to carry large-volume works on your phone than in your rucksack.
Start recycling
Yes, recycling should be a habit rather than a hardline rule. Think about it; you don’t buy a shirt and throw it away the next day. Even if you could, that would be a waste of money, wouldn’t it?
All green tips for students recommend recycling bottles and other non-biodegradable products. The reason is that most of these waste products end up in the oceans “around an octopus’ neck”. Alternatively, they block sewages and poison waterworks.
Convert that jar of lemonade into a vase. That candy bowl can become a receptacle for loose change or sharpies. You can also watch lifehack videos to see what you can do with unwanted containers and boxes lying around in your room.
Reuse plastic bags
Even if you don’t feel the urge to recycle, you can see the sense of reusing plastic bags.
Plastic bags have a very long half-life, which means that they take an age to degrade.
So, you can use plastic bags multiple times before throwing them away. Also, you will save yourself a few pennies or quarters on every visit to the grocery store. You can also shop at stores that offer the paper bag alternative. At least, those are biodegradable.
And most importantly, an octopus somewhere will live out a natural life, undeterred by plastic bags.
Turn off the power
Every human has a carbon footprint. This footprint is the remnant of all our actions and decisions with regards to the environment. Without going further into detail, every individual should focus on reducing their carbon footprint.
But how can you trace and reduce it?
Well, let’s leave the tracing to the experts for now. Our focus should be on activities and life decisions that impact the environment adversely. For example, turning on the power on your way out increases your carbon footprint and your power bill. So, you should always try to turn off every device when you are not using it.
You might be wondering: ‘how is turning off a light bulb going to change anything?’ The truth is that on the surface, it doesn’t seem like you are doing much. But when you multiply these minuscule results by 7.5 billion (the global population), the effects become magnified, leading to things like ozone layer depletion.
Use the commute
We all know that public transportation can be a hassle sometimes. Let’s face it: we could all do without the Monday morning fracas. But we are all collectively sacrificing our convenience for the good of the environment.
As a student, you really don’t need a car. Even if you do, you should keep it for more pressing needs or special occasions. You can also buy an electric car or one that doesn’t rely on fossil fuels.
By doing so, you will reduce the amount of carbon emission. We can also decrease consumers’ reliance on fossil fuels, which will minimize fracking and sea pollution.
Conclusion
Going green is not as tricky and leftfield as some people will have you believe. It is quite commonsensical and considerate of the rest of humanity. It will also help you save on miscellaneous expenses on disposable goods. All you need is to adjust some of your habits and make a conscious effort to reduce your carbon footprint. By working together as a global community, we can foster a sustainable environment for ourselves and future generations.
