CALLS to save the environment have been going on for as long as we can remember. Campaigns, seminars, and numerous advocacies about going green or saving the planet is common everywhere. In schools, malls or parks, you can see color-coded trash bins for different types of trash. “Clean as you go” signs are usually posted in the canteen or eating areas. Sadly, these “Save the Earth” signs can lose its novelty over time, leaving them unnoticed by the youth and adults alike. Or sometimes, we think that we cannot do much saving since we are still students. That is one way of thinking that we should do away with. There are many ways the students can help take care of the environment, especially little ways we can do every day. Here are some ways we can help realize the desired social change as students.
1.) Print less.
Non-government organization Small Footprint Family says that production of paper accounts for 40 percent of the world’s industrial logging. Aside from that, it is reported that paper production utilizes more than 12 percent of the total energy in the industrial sector and is the “third most energy-intensive of all manufacturing industries.” Make your fonts smaller so that you can fit more words in a single paper. Cutting down on the use of paper not only means cutting down fewer trees, but also reducing the amount of organic waste.
2.) Bring a reusable water bottle.
In a website dedicated to the advocacy of banning plastic bottled water, it is said that reusable water bottles are less hazardous to the environment because it reduces the volume of fossil fuels and toxins that is let out in the air during production. You can read more pros of having a reusable water bottle in their website: www.banthebottle.net.
3.) Buy refills.
According to authors William L. Rathje and Cullen Murphy in their book “Rubbish! The Archeology of Garbage,” it takes approximately 1,000 years for plastic items to decompose in a landfill! So why buy new ballpens when you can just buy ink refills? Not only will it use less plastic material, you can actually save money since it can be purchased for a cheaper price as compared to buying a brand new ball pen.
4.) Clo-dor! (Close the door.)
Never mind what Hodor said, always remember to close the door of an air-conditioned room. According to the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, majority of the electricity that makes air conditioners run comes from burning fossil fuels. Not only that, a huge amount of energy loss is also involved in the electric power’s generation and transmission, which causes more greenhouse emissions. So, make sure to keep the doors shut in an air-conditioned room so that no air leaves the room, which in turn reduces energy loss.
5.) Finish your meal.
As reported by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) in 2010, organic wastes (leftover food, rotten fruits and vegetables) comprise most of the trash of Cebu City, contributing 67 percent to the total waste production in the city. Discipline yourself and be sure to always finish your meal or to buy only what you can eat. And if you really cannot finish your meal, you can always give it to your friends or feed it to a friendly street dog. (Joelle Pilande / USC Intern)