I’m dreaming of a GREEN Christmas

Hi everybody!

This will probably be my last post for a while.  If you’re a college student, you’ve probably finished the semester, but if you’re an Ithaca student like me, odds are you have a lot of finals left to go.  I know a lot of people that keep all their files electronically, which is great.  However, this leaves a lot of students to simply throw out all their work/notes for classes.  Please, please, PLEASE do your best to recycle your papers!  If you’re not planning on using your work, simply sort it into the recycle instead of dumping it in the trash.

On another note, try to reduce the amount of wrapping paper you use on presents.  Or, try recyclable wrapping paper.

Happy holidays! Hope your Christmas is white and spent with loved ones, and for those who don’t celebrate-enjoy your Chinese food!

Personal story-How I stopped eating red meat.

I haven’t written any actual personal blogs on the topic of sustainability…but I thought my own experience on the matter might actually be a good addition to my blog.  (This one might be a long one.)

Last year, I took an environmental science class in high school.  I was assigned to participate in “Green Week,” by setting goals for myself to make environmentally-beneficial changes to the lifestyle of my family.  Along with making other changes to our routines, my dad and I became vegetarians for that week, while my brother and mom decided to avoid all red meat.  I was absolutely dreading this week.  I feared that as a meat lover I was setting myself up for failure.

As the week went on, I realized that avoiding meat was NOT the hardest thing I’d ever accomplished. It made it clear to me that if I wanted to, I could limit my meat intake.  I then decided that I would make an effort to stop eating red meat and pork, primarily due to unsustainable and inhumane production methods, as well as to improve my own health.

It’s easy to find alternatives to red meat-if you’re a hamburger lover, order a veggie burger.  If you adore pork, try turkey bacon.  The taste isn’t all that different and you’ll feel a lot healthier and eco-friendly.

Have you made any environmentally related changes to your diet lately? Comment here!

Take Back the Tap

At colleges across North America, a movement is rising to ban the sale of bottled water on campus.  According to USA Today, as of September 2011, 14 colleges banned the sale throughout all of campus, while another dozen have banned it on certain parts of campus.

Many of these movements were student organized, and advocated for more widely accessible drinking fountains.  At Ithaca, Take Back the Tap is a student organization, striving to do just that. This will save money for students and unnecessary plastic waste.

A real example of how students are making a difference!

 

College Life-Live in a Sustainable Dorm

I know from experience that it can be hard to live life as a normal college student while considering the environmental impact of all your actions.  At many colleges, sustainably conscious dorms have been offered as an effective compromise.

At Ithaca College, members of this dormitory do environmentally-related community service, educate themselves about sustainability issues, and do their best to live green.

Sound interesting? Check out your school’s website to see if there’s a green dorm on campus!

Quick Tip-Hand towels

A typical college student uses a paper towels in a bathroom several times a day to dry their hands.

Why should we change that?

• Paper towels are unsustainable…we’re cutting down an unnecessary amount of trees to produce them.
• We create HUGE amounts of waste with paper towels alone.

• For colleges, paper towels cost much more money than we realize.  This money could go to other important causes: sports teams, clubs, academic departments, you name it.

It may be very inconvenient to completely cut off your paper towel usage.  It’s not very inconvenient to reduce it by bring your own hand towel to the bathroom.  Remember, every bit counts!

Any questions or opinions? Leave a note for me in the comments section!

Reusable water bottles

Admit it–

How often do you carry around plastic, disposable water bottles around with you?  We’ve all gotten used to the idea that they’re light and convenient to use.

Think about it-is it that really to inconvenient to carry around a reusable, BPA free water bottle?  By using one of these, you’re saving money and exposing yourself to fewer harmful chemicals that could harm you in the long run.  You’re also helping the environment but reducing your waste production.

Sure, those water bottles may be recyclable, but people end up throwing them out more than they realize.  And even if they are recycled, you’re still using up more energy to produce new plastic.

So, do yourself a favor and buy a reusable water bottle.  You won’t regret it.