A Contributed Post: Five Ways to Become a Green Student

Most of us try to adopt a greener approach to life, but when you’re a student with a hectic schedule and a busy social life it’s easy to let the green part of you fall by the wayside. However, with the recent elections casting fear into the hearts of climate leaders it’s more important than ever that we show our support for climate change. It doesn’t take too much effort to be eco-friendly, so here’s five easy ways to become a green student.

Quit Buying Bottles

Ok, so I’m not saying you can’t have any bottled drinks, I know its thirsty work studying for that online MSW program.  However, all those plastic bottles you throw away have got to go somewhere, right?  It’s a dismal fact that every single piece of plastic that has ever been made still exists today.  It’s estimated that two million tons of U.S landfills are made up of discarded water bottles alone!  If that fact shocks you into action then here are two things you could do: recycle your bottles (plus paper and cans) or buy a BPA-free refillable bottle and show the earth some love.

Switch Off the Taps

Following on from the water theme, let’s think about how much water we actually use in a day.  It’s estimated that an average shower head uses 2.5 gallons per minute.  So if you were to reduce your shower length by four minutes per day you would be saving 3,650 gallons per year.  And it’s not just when you’re showering, consider how many times you leave the tap running whilst you’re brushing your teeth or having a shave – that’s a lot of water that could be saved just by simply turning the tap off until it’s needed.

Eat Less Meat

You probably wouldn’t think that eating meat is harming the climate, but the figures tell a different story. It’s estimated that 2,500 gallons of water (there’s a running theme here) is needed to produce just one pound of beef and that the livestock industry is actually responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all of the vehicles on the planet. So that’s something to consider when you’re craving a big juicy burger after a long day studying for your online MSW. Why not get some fries and a vegetarian bean burger instead, just as tasty and with none of the guilt.

Flip the Switch

Let’s be honest here, living with the lights on in every room is a little bit lazy. We’ve all done it at some point but we could save so much energy by simply switching them off when we’re not in the room. It’s not like it’s a massive effort to flip a switch now is it? The same goes for electrical appliances and devices like your television and laptop. If it’s not in use then turn it off completely.

Use Those Legs More

Vehicles are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions so consider walking or cycling to college.  Ok, so this tip probably involves the most effort, but think of the rewards – your general health and fitness will no doubt improve and all that money you spend on gas can be spent on something fun instead.

So all-in-all it’s really not that difficult to be a green student. By implementing small changes into your daily life you’ll be an eco warrior in no time!