If you've never taken an environmental biology class in college I'll give you a quick summary, humans don't treat the earth very well and we need to do something about it - quick. Every day that you come to this class you are constantly reminded of the ways humans are harming the environment and you probably know just how long you have until every nonrenewable resource is gone.
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The United States in currently in the lead for the country with the largest ecological footprint per capita which means that individually, American citizens leave the earth a whole lot more of a mess than any other country in the world. If all 7.1 billion of us decided to live like Americans, we'd need 4x the earth's resources to support the needs. Holy cow that's a lot!
It is becoming increasingly apparent that the citizens of this world need to make a change in order to leave a better world from which we came into. The only problem is, many of us feel that as just 1 person we couldn't possibly make that large of a change. Well to put in perspective , there are 20.5 million college students in the United States so I'm sure if we all just made a few small changes, it will equal a large change in the long run.
If you are having some trouble finding how to help, here are some easy ways to save the environment as a college student:
1. Learn how to recycle!
Recycle, recycle, RECYCLE! First step in saving the environment is learning how to preserve the items that we can reuse. You'd be surprised at the amount of things that can actually be recycled, visit the Waste Management website for a list of items.
2. Look for recycled products when you buy paper item.
Two words. Greenroom Notebooks. As if it wasn't already cool that 60-70% of the product is recycled, they also look good.
3. Turn the sink off when you are brushing your teeth, scrubbing the dishes etc.
Its crazy to think how much water is wasted keeping the sink running during these situations. Turn off the sink while you aren't using it because it'll be great for the environment as well as for your monthly water bill.
4. Take 5-7 minute showers.
If you already do this, great. But if you don't, learn to to get rid of the long shower habit because it wastes tons of water without you even realizing it.
5. Take the bus to college.
Lucky for us, the common trend with saving the environment also saves money in our bank accounts. If your school has a bus system, TAKE IT. Just because the bus might be slow, or your parents give you gas money, you can save the environment by riding a bus thats going to run whether or not you decide to take it. Plus you already pay for it in your tuition so you might as well put it to good use!
6. Get yourself a cup that you can reuse when you buy a drink or a coffee.
You'd be surprised at how many places let you bring a reusable cup to put your drink in. From Starbucks to gas stations, you can do your part by making small changes in your every day life.
