Steps to a Greener Campus

During my two years in college, I’ve met a lot of students who are interested in environmentalism but don’t know where to go next. They own their reusable water bottles, use products made out of recycled materials, and are familiar with the perks of riding a bike versus driving a car. They know the gist behind climate change and sustainability, but don’t really know how to apply them to their own lives. That’s where I come in. With a minor in environmental studies and involvement in most environmental groups on campus, I like to think I’m pretty knowledgeable about what to do in college to live a more sustainable lifestyle. So, here are some tips for living a greener lifestyle on campus. There are two major rules that are at the core of everything else: • Use as little as possible. No brainer, right? I literally cannot emphasize enough how crucial this is to living an environmentally-friendly lifestyle. This goes on the same level as “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” as far as sustainability mottos go. To understand its importance, think about the things you buy and use, and consider where they come from. Chances are each aspect of the product is made in a different part of the world and shipped to a central location to be assembled (Check out the link to Sourcemap at the end of the article). It costs a huge amount of resources to ship these products around the planet, with further resources used to ship and distribute them in the United States. That doesn’t even cover the environmental impact of throwing them out when you’re done with the product (plastic usually takes hundreds to thousands of years to biodegrade). Marian Brown, the Director of Ithaca College’s Sustainability Leadership Program, broke down how to put this practice in effect. “Being less consumptive requires being very mindful of choices,” she said. “This can be a choice between actually having something yourself, or buying something to share between others, or if you have to have something, thinking about buying or acquiring it used, if possible. But it requires making hard decisions about ‘need’ vs. ‘want.’ Do you really need something, or do you just want something that you see others have?” • You are part of a community. Everything, and everyone, is interconnected. We tend to take our effects on others and the world for granted. Brown says, “If we could really think mindfully about our relationship to others, how we are part of a community, and what that means, some of those other choices become much more self-evident as to which is the more sustainable option.” Don’t waste resources or pollute the ecosystem, because other people need to use those resources as well. Tell your friends when you’re going to the store – they may need to buy something too and you can combine trips. Brown pointed out, “So many of the unsustainable choices we make now are rooted in the ‘me/I/my’ individualistic mindset.” Breaking out of this mindset will lead us to understanding our effect on the environment and is integral to leading a more sustainable lifestyle. Here are some other tips: • Public transportation and ridesharing are your friends. It can be a pain. However, when you catch yourself feeling lazy, force yourself to consider the full effects of your actions: by not driving, you are emitting less carbon dioxide in the air and saving gas money. You can do this by taking a bus, carpooling with a friend, or even skateboarding down the street. It may not seem like much, but every little bit counts! • Don’t be nocturnal. Yeah, we’re in college. But when you can, try to sleep at night and get up in the morning. You’ll save electricity from lighting and you’ll probably be happier from getting more Vitamin D from the sunlight anyway. If you have to stay up, consider going to a public place on campus that is likely to have the lights on anyway. Brown said, “If you have to work after hours, can you go where there are others doing the same, so you don't require the use of separate lighting systems? Using the library is a case in point.” There are often some buildings on campus that are more energy efficient than others. Studying in those areas would have a bigger impact than everyone using separate energy studying in separate rooms. • Vote with your money. How can you get companies to care about the environment? o First, buy products that are made more sustainably (things made out of recycled paper, for example). This idea can apply to the dining hall: some college dining companies will be willing to expand their local and organic sections if they see students utilizing that section. Brown vocalized what is most important about this example: “Once those sections are available, use them so it sends the appropriate market signals to those managers that you value those items and will purchase them when they are available.” o Second, don’t support companies with a spotty environmental record. This one might take more research, but it’s worth it. • Local is best. Here’s the deal with local businesses. If they make products in your area, it cuts down on resources dedicated to shipping the product around the world (as mentioned earlier). Also, supporting local businesses supports the local economy, which makes it more beneficial to the people living in your town. Big-box stores and large chains send a greater percentage of their profits to the company itself, rather than keeping it inside the local economy. Buying local also means buying things on campus. Sometimes “‘buying local’ on campus has a greater benefit in terms of minimizing your travel footprint of getting to Wegmans or WalMart,” said Brown. “Too many folks completely ignore the embodied energy and carbon emissions ‘costs’ of taking a quick shopping trip down the hill to pick up something that they could have purchased with a quick walk to the campus convenience or bookstore.” • Get involved. On campus, in the community, wherever. You don’t need to start an information campaign about bottled water or run for office, but there’s no harm in volunteering when you can. If nothing else, it’s a chance to make new friends who share similar interests. For people who have limited time, Brown suggests that “Even making more mindful, deliberate choices about everyday things has a positive benefit.” Being aware of the environmental movement and your effects on the world, and acting in regard to that knowledge, is still involvement. Following these steps will not give you a neutral carbon-footprint overnight, but it can be a great start. Our generation is leading the way in the environmental movement and it is our duty to adapt our lifestyles accordingly, for ourselves and the rest of the world. Related links: How many Earth’s would it take to sustain your lifestyle? - http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/ Sourcemap – learn where your products come from - http://www.sourcemap.com/ Powershift – get involved in the youth energy movement - http://www.wearepowershift.org/