What can I do to Go Green?

Question

I'm a 13-year-old girl, and I want to be an enviormentalist when I grow up. I want to protect the Earth, so what can I do to Go Green?

Answer 1

Turn off lights, TVs, stereos, computers when not using them

Use the energy efficient light bulbs

Wash clothing in cold, and hang to dry

Take shorter showers

Don't leave water leaking

Unplug things you hardly use

Answer 2

1) Go vegetarian or vegan.  If you can't do that, reduce your meat consumption sharply.

2) Go childfree--humans, especially in industrialized nations, use incredible amounts of resources.

3) Reduce, reuse, recycle.

4) Don't buy bottled water; most of it is just purified tap water.  If you're allowed, carry a small bottle you can fill with water from the water fountain at school.

5) There are reusable bags that fold into a small pouch.  Keep those on hand and use those when you buy stuff.  Get your parents to keep reusable bags in the car for when they go grocery shopping.  

6) If you live in a large city, go car-free.  Use a bike, use public transit.  Hopefully, car-sharing services will still be around when you're grown up and you can do that for when you need a car.

7) If you live in a place where transit isn't an option, find the most fuel-efficient car available.

8) Get your friends to do any or all of the above.

Answer 3

To add to everyone else's suggestions..

Since you're in school, get recycled or tree free paper instead of regular notebooks.  Also, use the backs of everything for notes.. old tests, handouts, etc.

Cut down or eliminate bottled drinks.

Think of ways to reuse everything you possibly can.  When you can't reuse, recycle.

It's really good that you're already conscious of the environment.  Just keep that consciousness and carry it with you whenever you make decisions.. however small they might me.  Think of the impact of your decisions on the world around you.  I'm not suggesting to be obsessive -every bit counts- just generally conscious.  For example, if you need to go somewhere, do you really need to get a ride, or can you walk?  Instead of buying a new book, can you find it used?  The little things add up.

Answer 4

Watch that Al Gore movie.

Answer 5

Hi, I'm happy to see a question like this, it gives me some hope!

* Eat less (ideally – none) meat. Have completely meatless days, like Tuesday and Thursday, for example, and then add more. First of all, reduce your beef consumption, eat fish instead.

* Swap cow milk for soy or (even better) oat milk.

* Join a local environmental organisation, maybe your high school's eco-club. Or start one, if you have none, just put up some posters and leave your email, so that interested people may contact you.

* Join some "big" environmental organisation, like Greenpeace or Friends of the Earth. They have very interesting and useful newsletters, from which you can educate yourself on environmental issues. It worked well for me, when I was 15, and helped me to make a career in Greenpeace and WWF later in life.

* Study life sciences (biology, ecology, etc) as well as you can, it really helps you to understand the world around you and have scientific arguments for whatever discussions you might take part in.

* Plan not to own a car, find alternative transportation modes for yourself, like biking, walking, taking a bus.

* Go hiking and spend more time outdoors, observing wildlife and being connected to the rest of living nature. Be observant. Notice how the things, plants and animals there are, their interconnections and interrelations. It might give you a great emotional and spiritual uplift, and it's a great way to "recharge your batteries" after intense study or work!

Good luck with everything, don't hesitate to write how it is going for you.

Answer 6

Does your school have any programs on environment? If so, go to them to learn more and if not, you could help in educating people.

Do you have a recycle program in your area? Work with that and get your friends to participate. Don't litter and learn about environmentally friendly products.

You want to use natural products, encourage tree planting.

Good for you to want to protect the planet, it allows us all to live.

Answer 7

1.  Save energy -google energy saving tips and follow them

2.  Go meatless.  Animals raised for food emit more pollution than cars do.  There are also several other factors.

3.  Reduce.  Use sponges instead of paper towels, re-use ziploc baggies etc.

4.  Use eco friendly products like sun and earth or Holy Cow cleaning products.

Answer 8

if you want to protect the Earth you need to join the US Department of Defence and get into their Star Wars program.

Answer 9

That's a great field to be interested in.  Get yourself educated on pollution, recycling, soil management, wind / solar energy, composting, vermacasting farms,  water conservation, plants and animals.

Now is the time to start thinking green.  Leonardo Dicaprio has an important message in the following website.

http://www.leonardodicaprio.org/whatsimp...

Hope you all have speakers to hear his message.

I'm trying to do my part by encouraging everyone to have at least one live plant in each room, especially if it's air conditioned.  If you want to know the best plants?  Please use NASA's Clean Air Plant Study as a guide.  It can be found at: http://www.zone10.com/tech/NASA/Fyh.htm

Answer 10

The hardest but very best thing you can do as a teenager, is buy a lot less stuff. If everybody did that, there would be massive positive impacts on the environment. So buy less, less clothes, less electronics, less games, less make up, less bags, shoes, less of everything.

Answer 11

Don't have kids.

Answer 12

Great Question. I will happily give you some links to some great resources for you. There is a website called Care2. There are 7.3 million members its kinda like and environmentally friendly myspace. You can set up a profile, sign petitions, research stuff, read articles etc. I LOVE IT! I will also send you some articles on global warming.

PEACE AND LIGHT

GG

Answer 13

in terms of ways that you can better yourself in your day to day life, I suggest that you don't necessarily stop eating meat all to gather, but don't eat any meat , unless you know where it comes from. Like an local organic farm, because if not than you'll be eating beef from a cow that’s been "living" in a mega barn its entire life not being able to move, and living in its filth( yuck)!!! And that doesn't just go for meat or beef, but for EVERYTHING you eat, vegetables, fruit, bread, ext...  



Find out were your local farmers market is and ask your parents if it’s ok to start shopping for groceries there from now on. But if you already do that, GREAT!!! Now why don't you try growing something, it doesn't have to be anything huge. I grow some tomatoes in a beautiful pot on our back porch, along with jalapenos, green peppers, and many herbs. Not only is it wonderful to have fresh veggies, but it makes our back yard look great too!!! Double whammy!!!

If you all ready do all of this outstanding, I guess the only thing left for you tot do is to try and get your friends and family to do it as well. I am a senior in High School and in my AP biology class we have been growing lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and herbs in a once run down green house. Now we have something called local food day, which is when our entire lunch for that day comes from our community and biology class.

Good luck on your road to saving the world!!! But just remember that it’s the series of little steps and constant persistence that make the difference, so don't try and tackle the world at once, or else you'll feel as if you'll never get anything done

                                                Peace