Earth Day is celebrating its 40th anniversary today; nearly the age for a mid-life crisis.
However, there's no need to freak out about the "green" day being here once again. Each person can help in little ways to make a difference in aiding the sustainability of the Earth.
Plant a tree. This takes an hour or so and about $20. Grab some friends, a shovel and seedlings or a sprouted tree. Give your tree a name, find somewhere (off campus) to plant the tree and help offset carbon emissions. You get to have fun and help the environment. Win-win.
Recycle. The oft-repeated phrase "Reduce. Reuse. Recycle." still holds true. In fact, go ahead and recycle your copy of the Daily News when you are finished reading it.
Park your car. Instead of using tons of gas, try to walk, bike or catch the bus to campus. Along the same lines, if you go to a fast food restaurant, don't idle in the drive-thru. Go inside and reduce the amount of fuel being burned by waiting for your Big Mac.
Unplug chargers. Cell phone and laptop chargers use energy when they are plugged in, even when they aren't in use. As soon as you are finished revving up your battery, make sure to unplug. Before you leave your apartment or house, do a quick glance around to make sure you didn't miss unplugging anything. Bonus: This can help bring down your electricity bill as well.
Shower faster. We fully encourage everyone on campus to take a daily shower. But 10 minutes should get you just as clean as 20.
Volunteer. We have to admit that we're a little disappointed with the amount of service activities going on around campus today, but we can still find ways to help out. There will be a cleaning of the White River on Sunday, so that's an option. Or you can group up with a few friends and make sure your favorite outdoor hangout spot is free of litter.
Take less napkins. The average American uses six napkins per day. See if you can cut it in half and use just one per meal from this point forward.
Whatever you do, find a way to make a difference today and for the rest of the semester. Every little bit helps.
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