Going Green: The Little Things

Here’s a shot in the dark at what your To Do list looks like:

            10-page paper
            Read five chapters for sociology
            Apply for internship
            Find a date for formals

That was pretty close, wasn’t it? If so, the next assumption is that nowhere on that list is “save the environment.” Becoming eco-friendly doesn’t seem so important when you are up to your neck in schoolwork and collegiate life in general.

It seems that young people aren’t scrambling to find ways to become more environmentally conscious because of the lack of immediacy. More than likely the first thought in your mind when you wake up is closer to “I missed the bus,“ than “Did I recycle that can?”  Although plenty of people always list making the earth more sustainable among issues they care about, they may have trouble getting started because they think that living more eco-friendly means living more inconveniently.

It doesn’t have to. There are so many things that young people specifically can do that will make the biggest difference in terms of sustainability in the future. As little time consuming, cheap, and easy they are to practice, they still take thought, and a tiny effort on your part to become more eco-friendly.

“With growing awareness, and growing concern,” said Holly Carson, education coordinator for Keep Norfolk Beautiful in the Ernie Morgan Environmental Action Center in Norfolk, Va., “and people generally looking for easy, simple things that make a big impact, I think we can take a really great stride toward sustainability.”

If young people are looking for things to do in helping the environment, then why aren’t they engaging in eco-friendly lifestyles when they are pointed in the right direction?

Robert Jacks is a junior management major and president of the student chapter of SEEDS here at Virginia Tech, whose mission is to teach kids civic responsibility and accountability in a sustainable society. Jacks likes to give a quote by Edward Abbey, an American author and advocator for environmental issues: Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.

“And that’s really what people have to think about,” said Jacks, “That is the ruin of the soul if you are going to have this sentiment and not do anything about it.”

So what are these small and extremely effective things that broke motivated young people can contribute? Here is a list of the top five actions you can take towards becoming more environmentally conscious with little to no change in your daily schedule.

1. Recycle. Believe it or not, those blue bins you are issued in the dorms are used for something else besides sledding. Choose to reach a little farther to throw your bottle, can, glass, cardboard, newspaper, and other paper products into the recycling bin. They aren’t hard to find on campus, or near your home. For paying nothing you save from 30 to 70 percent on energy costs for reusing these products.

2.  Replace your current light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs (the kind that are in the shape of a spiral). According to the U.S. Department of Energy, these bulbs use 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer saving you around $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulbs lifetime. $30! That’s four late-night trips to McDonalds!

3. Ride the bus, car pool, ride a bike, or walk. Blacksburg offers an excellent public transportation system that takes you pretty much anywhere you need to go, and just because it doesn’t drop you off right in front of your destination doesn’t mean that you can’t walk a few extra feet. Take the bus to class or to the store. If you must drive your car, take your friends and neighbors. Want to save even more energy? Ride a bike or walk. Not only does it produce absolutely no emissions or waste gas, but also it is free exercise!

4. Buy one reusable plastic water bottle. Buying packs of individual bottled water at the store wastes water, plastic, and your money. Having one reusable water bottle saves money, plastic waste, and saves our water resources. If you are concerned about the cleanliness of the water, buy a filter for your tap.

5. Consume less. Turn off your appliances and lights when you go to bed. Are you really going to respond to that Instant Message, or need to be able to see your clothes in your closet when you are asleep for six to eight hours? Also, turn your heat down or air up when you go to bed. If you think you are going to get cold, get an extra blanket. Similarly, if you think you are going to get hot, go to bed in shorts and a t-shirt. Not only does cutting down energy consumption help the environment, but also it will bulk up your wallet.

“If you’re not going to make these changes for the sake of the environment getting better, save yourself some money,” said Jacks.

And of course people who do have money and power to make greater changes for the environment should do more. That is why Virginia Tech has established an Energy and Sustainability Committee, for which Denny Cochrane has been appointed coordinator.

Tech has “initiated numerous programs and projects to enhance our sustainability posture,” Cochrane said. These include installing energy efficient light fixtures and occupancy sensors in certain buildings that are estimated to save over $130,000 in energy costs. Tech has also endorsed the reinstatement of the Paper Recycling Program.

With Tech’s increasing drive in the move toward becoming more environmentally conscious, and your decision to implement these five practices, the community and its members can become more and more eco-friendly.

“Sustainability is an issue that touches the entire world population and all nations,” said Cochrane. “At the local, state, and national levels, the sustainability bandwagon is moving forward.”

So go on and practice some if not all of these things to live more eco-friendly.  You will be pleasantly surprised at how routine it will become, and knowing you are making a difference, even if it’s slight, will leave you glowing green.