Greening the Semester

Written by Jakob Barry

Hey parents, are your kids away at school? If they are, give them this message: The earth needs their help.

It doesn’t mean they have to go sailing on a boat raking the ocean for plastic debris or stage sit-ins at coal powered electric plants until companies agree to convert to cleaner energy.

What today’s generation of students needs to focus on during their college experience are practical steps aimed at greening the semester, which in turn will hopefully translate into a more eco-friendly lifestyle altogether. 

A few ideas to pass along that can make this a reality include the following:

• Carry a water bottle: Wherever you go carry a reusable water bottle. It will cut down on the amount of plastic being used to package water, prevent the use of disposable cups where no other options exist, and save you cash by not having to buy drinks on or off campus.
• Recycle: Students can go through a lot of glass, plastic, paper, and aluminum so if it can be recycled don’t hesitate. Alternatively, try not to use products that include non-recyclable waste.
• Dump disposables and reuse reusables: Many types of disposables cannot be recycled and simply sit in landfills for years and years. Whether its clothing, furniture, sporting equipment, art supplies, text books or decorations for the holidays or parties reusing is one of the easiest green actions a person can take upon themselves every day.
• Air drying: Dryers are not eco-friendly and leave a rather heavy carbon footprint so after doing laundry hanging it up is the best possible thing. In the cooler weather you’ll probably want to put it on a rack inside but if there’s wind and no moisture outdoors it will dry nicely there too.
• Transportation: Every day new emissions from gas powered vehicles contribute to the already polluted atmosphere. When heading to class ride a bike, walk, carpool, or use public transportation.
  
• Repair: True, many manufacturers don’t make products like they used to but if it’s broken and there’s a chance it can be restored without too much financial burden try and get it fixed.
• House efficiency: Whether living in dorms or off campus housing efficiency can always be improved. Some tips include sealing cracks around windows and doors, testing the water meter for leaks, adding insulation to keep hot and cold temperatures under control, cleaning the heating and air conditioning vents so air flows smoothly and doesn’t overwork HVAC systems, unclogging gutters to prevent water from collecting and damaging roofs, using compact florescent lighting (CFLs) and last but not least, wearing more layers instead of pushing up the heat in the winter.
• Travel light: When going away to school take essentials only, as the more you pile into the car the more gas is used. Also, the more stuff you have the greater chances your personal space will turn into a clutter-fest and the harder it will be to move around when you just want to get on the road. 
• Cleaners: Have nasty grease, food, or other kinds of stains to remove? Was it a crazy weekend at the fraternity or sorority? Try non-toxic cleaners as there’s no reason to use chemicals unless it’s absolutely essential. Hazardous substances produce harmful fumes and often leach into aquifers affecting our water supply.
• Plants, gardens & local farms: Plants are believed to help cleanse indoor air so placing a bunch around the college housing will help everyone breathe better. Also, a great idea is to set up a garden and live off the land or at the very least support local farms because very little resources are used when delivering their produce to neighborhood  markets compared with fruits and vegetables arriving from across the country.

Jakob Barry is a Hometalk writer.  Read more articles like this one or get help with your home projects on Hometalk.com.

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