Where should a college student who wants to "go green" start?

Question

I am a college student who is partially, well aware of the threat of global warming. However, being a college student sets me a little back with going green, because I am limited to spending and going green from what I have researched tends to be a little bit more expensive.

I know that recycling can help but what are some other ways that help, that I may not be aware of and that I can inform my roommates, friends, peers, and family about?!

Thanks in advance, this is something I really want to learn more about!

Answer 1

Congratulations on even thinking of the question.  I think it's  a myth that going green has to be expensive and you'll probably find that when you start being aware, you'll actually save money.  I started by simply paying attention to my habits.  I was buying a newspaper everyday and had multiple magazine subscriptions to magazines that I barely read.  Realized that the magazines were 90% ads - so I was paying to buy ads to buy things!  Now I read the same newspapers online, cancelled the subscriptions and if I really need a magazine I go to the library and check it out.  Then I slowly detoxed and found out that I couldn't care less which celeb was sleeping with whom.  So I'm saving money and trees and finding out that my life is really a lot more interesting than I gave myself credit for!  It's a matter of changing bad habits and going on an energy "diet" - like any diet you'll fail immediately if you decide to stop eating totally.  Begin by focusing on trimming electricity usage.  Lights are only on when they are essential.  Totally shut down the computer when you're done.  When you're watching tv and the phone rings, the tv gets shut off, not muted.  Don't put on the tv for "company" - unless you're actively engaged in a show, shut it off.  Appliances - even when they are not in use they "draw" and waste energy.  Totally unplug the ones you can like the coffee maker, the toaster, the cable box, the hair dryer, the printer, etc.  Think about large appliances that sit around 24/7 drawing huge amounts of energy.  The fridge - can you lower the settings so that it's still keeping food fresh while using less energy?  The freezer - keeping it well stocked will actually cause it to use less energy than a freezer just holding a couple of items.  Water heater - most home water heaters are kept at way too high a temperature and work all day/every day to keep the water at this high temp.  Check the settings to see if it can be lowered to a temp that still works well for you.  If the family is going away for vacation, check the owner's manual to see if it's okay to shut it off completely.  Newer water heaters only take a couple hours to return to the correct water temp setting when you get back.  Air conditioners - are they on because of habit when it would be just as comfortable to open a window?  Same thing with heat - lower the temp on the thermostat and put on a sweater.  Is the heat on at 70 when no one's home?  Install a timer so it drops down to 55 while you're sleeping or everyone's gone and then goes up an hour before you get wake up or get home.  Not only are you saving oil/energy, it's actually healthier too.  Is the water running while you're brushing your teeth?  Can you take a shower in 10 minutes instead of 20?  Transportation - huge contributor to global warming.  Start by paying attention to your own habits - are you running to the store and then coming home and then going back out?  Can you combine your trips to save gas?  Carpool - you're going to the store, see if someone else wants to go with you or needs anything.  The question at the food store "paper or plastic?" should really be phrased "kill a tree or drown a fish?" - bring your own reusable bags.  Are you arriving at a restaurant to meet 3 friends all with their own cars?  Does it make green sense to all go together?  When you're going home from school for the weekend, can you give someone a lift and share the cost?  Walk everywhere you can.  Again, saves money and is healthier.  Recycling is great and important but take it a step further and look at what you're recycling - are you recycling a dozen soda cans?  Think of the energy and resources that were wasted making the product and the energy and resources that are wasted in recycling them.  If you have to have soda, buy the liter bottle.  Better yet, switch to water and NOT bottled water - never!  Buy a reusable container and fill it with tap water.  That's what you're paying for anyway lots of times.  I used to whine, "well it gets warm" so now I keep a small cooler in my trunk to keep them cold.  Make coffee/tea at home instead of going to Starbucks and am saving resources and huge amounts of money.  Pay attention to corporate marketing - if a corporation is marketing something as "convenient" it often really means "wasteful and full of chemicals so it can last on a shelf for a 100 years".  "Single serve" items like bags of chips or cookies or soups are a waste of packaging and your money.  Buy in bulk and you'll save both.  Buying a hybrid car is great but if car makers were really concerned about the environment they'd be telling you to buy a used car or use mass transportation.  It's critical to real environmental change that we all start paying attention to marketing and remembering that spending money is really spending resources.  I look around my own home and see at least 12 bottles of barely used "latest greatest" hair products that I bought that I'll never use.  Recyling the bottles is a small improvement but how much better if I never bought them to begin with?  Same with lipsticks and nail polishes.  Now when I'm in the makeup section I ask myself how many eyeshadows do I have at home that are really exactly the same as the one that I'm considering buying simply because it's embazoned with "new!".  When I pull out my summer clothes I'm dismayed at the pile of barely worn clothes I'm getting rid of simply because they are no longer in fashion.  Now when I clothes shop I pay attention to what is made well and will last because it's a classic style rather than what is fashionable for a minute.  I am so impressed that someone as young as you is even asking this question.  You and your generation have the ability to change not only your own habits but global habits as well simply by speaking up.  When grapes are available in the food store year round it's because they're being flown from Argentina and treated with chemicals harmful to the environment.  You ar emaking a huge statement by not buying it.  Only buy fresh stuff that's grown locally and is in season.  Farmer's markets in your area are cheaper and you're supporting a neighbor instead of a huge conglomerate.  Speak up - when you hear of a celebrity travelling by private jet or buying a Hummer, instead of being impressed remember that our natural resources are limited and that celebrity is wasting YOUR resources simply because they can.  If you invited that same celebrity over for pizza and they took 8 slices and threw them away you wouldn't be impressed for long.  Having 5 homes scatted around the globe is not impressive, it's 4 homes that are sitting around empty at any time wasting valuable resources being heated and cooled while empty.  Start being impressed by the celebrity that flies commercial and has sold the 4 extra homes and donated the $ to preserving the rainforest.

Answer 2

Walk or bike whenever possible. The added plus here is the exercise!

You can compost your green waste (fruits, veggies, coffee grinds, tea bags, and egg shells) and use it in the community garden or your own garden!

When you go shopping, bring your own tote bag. That way you won't have to use the bags they give you. If you forget your tote, ask for paper bags, which you can recycle, reuse or even compost (in limited amounts).

Be really careful with your energy water. Turn the faucet off when you're brushing your teeth or shaving, turn it down a little when you wash your hands, and take shorter showers. Also, make sure the lights are off when no one's in the room. This will have a remarkable impact on your energy and water bills!

Shop at whatever thrift stores, flea markets, and farmers' markets are nearby. You're reusing/recycling, buying fresh, local food, and finding really interesting stuff for much lower prices! It's a win-win-win situation.

Good luck :-)

Answer 3

Buy a pre 1985 Mercedes diesel and run it on wvo.