When looking at colleges, weather wasn’t a huge factor for me in terms of where I would end up, but it was something I found myself looking up anyway. In my searches, I found that the average snowfall for South Bend was 66 inches per year. That is over 5 feet of snow in an approximately 5 month stretch of time! In preparation, my family went out and bought me boots, gloves, hats, and a nice long and thick coat to help me survive the frigid winter months. I mentally prepared myself for the worst, and once November came around, I got all of my supplies ready for the first big snow day. When we got through November without a major snowfall, I was ecstatic, but then December passed as well as January and now we are into February still with very small accumulation totals. It wasn’t until yesterday that I realized how messed up our environment is. When it’s 50 degrees with a side of thunderstorms in the middle of winter, how can you not see that there is a problem?
Global warming is a very real threat to our natural world. According to NASA, 2016 was the warmest year on record and CNN states that “16 of the 17 hottest years on record have occurred since 2000.” If this doesn’t scare you it should. Our earth is boiling, ice is melting, islands are drowning, and we, the United States of America, currently have a president in office who doesn’t only disagree with the facts of climate change himself, but who also put a climate skeptic as the administrator and overseer of the Environmental Protection Agency. Now more than ever the citizens of America need to take charge of the planet. Our elected officials aren’t going to take matters into their own hands so we need to step up and do our part to heal our planet. There are so many minor changes you can make in a day that, over time, really will add up and make a difference. Below I will list ways in which you be what my old ecology teacher would call “Super Eco Ninja Warriors”
Recycle! You hear this all the time, but it’s more than just your papers and plastics. Almost everything can be recycled. Do your homework and find places that take your more obscure items like old technology, clothing, and medications. This is truly the simplest way in which you can make a big difference.
Eat less meat, if you eat it at all! Meat production uses a lot of resources and a 2006 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization estimated that livestock was responsible for about 18% of human-caused greenhouse gasses. While I love myself a nice fat and juicy burger, realistically I know that eventually, meat consumption across the world is going to have to change. Might as well start working on it now!
Unplug! Once your phone is done charging don’t just remove your phone from the cord, but take the cord out from the wall as well. Even while just sitting there, the cord is using some energy. If you’re not currently using it, don’t leave it plugged in!
Open the windows! Not every dorm on campus has air conditioning, but for the ones that do, if you can bear the temperatures, try to avoid turning on the air. If you’re going to be gone for most of the day, shut the air off before you leave. Even just a couple of hours each day will really save energy in the long run.
It’s in the little things! Turning the lights out when you leave a room, turning the water off when you brush your teeth, taking quicker showers; these are things that everyone can do that takes next to no effort at all but really does create an impact!
We have become our own biggest enemy. If we don’t become more environmentally concious of our actions, then in our old age, we will be living in a world of ruin. Do you want our children and grandchildren to have to fix our mess? While the generations before us might have started it all, it is now our job to clean it up and leave it better than we found it! Do your research, do your part, and ultimately, make this world a better place to live!
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