YOU
How YOU Can Go Green
So now that you’ve heard everything we’ll be doing this year to make our club and conference waste-neutral, you may be interested to know – where do I fit in? What can I do to reduce my carbon footprint? What are the easiest ways to “go green” in my own life?
You will be happy to know that there is a lot you can do! We’ve listed here just a few of the easiest ways to make minor changes in your life that can have a large cumulative impact. We’ve linked most of these suggestions to a variety of websites hosted by non-profits that do work on environmental awareness, carbon-reduction, and “going green” so that you can explore their recommendations in more detail.
Kick your plastic bottle habit
• Consider the waste:
-Fact: Americans use about 2 million plastic beverage bottles – every five minutes. The oil used to produce individual-use plastic bottles, and ship them from their bottling sites across the globe, contributes enormously to the escalation of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, which is a causal factor to global warming.
• Consider the cost:
-You should especially consider eliminating the costs of bottled water from your budget. Did you know that if you consume the recommended 64 oz of water per day in individual 8 to 12-oz. plastic bottles, your habit can add up to hundreds of dollars per year? (And for those of you Evian drinkers in the crowd, it can rise into the thousands!) It makes economical sense to take back the tap.
• Choose tap water:
-Choosing tap water over bottled water is one of the quickest ways you can make a difference by slightly modifying your daily habits.
-The truth is, the bottled water companies have waged a marketing campaign to convince the public that bottled water is safer – but that’s not necessarily the case!
-Bottled water is monitored by the over-tasked and underfunded FDA – you’ve likely heard about the recent tomato recall this summer, and the contaminated beef scare several months ago.
-The EPA, by comparison, which regulates all tap water, conducts hundreds of tests on municipal water sources per month. Studies by the National Resource Defense Council conducted a test of 103 bottled water brands and found that one-third of the tested waters contained contaminants including synthetic organic chemicals, bacteria and even arsenic – levels that exceeded allowable limits under industry standards. Bottled water isn’t necessarily safer than tap water.
• How to ditch the plastic bottle:
-Now that you know that choosing tap water is a better choice for your wallet, the environment, and your health, you might be wondering what you can do instead.
-If you appreciate the convenience of having a water bottle with you, consider a reusable stainless steel or lined aluminum canteen like Klean Kanteen (www.kleankanteen.com) or Sigg (link: http://www.sigg.ch/). You can purchase them online, at some grocery stores, on college campuses (like UC Berkeley’s) or pick up one of our special BMUN-gear canteens at the conference in February! With our logo decorating the side of the bottle, you’ll be stylish and show off your interest in international issues and eco-awareness all at the same time!
Mode and frequency of travel• Cut back on driving:
-The biggest single thing you can do in regards to travel is cut back on car trips.
-Take public transit, ride the bus, hop on your bike, or start walking! There are often plenty of trips that we take in our cars that can be easily navigated by alternate means.
-Of course, if you don’t live in a big city and public transportation isn’t very easy to come by, there are still other things you can do to cut back on your use of the car.
-Plan ahead by grouping your errands so that you don’t have to take multiple trips; carpool with a friend to school or work, or ride home with a neighbor after sports practice.
• When you have to drive…
-For those times when driving is inevitable, keep these tips in mind. Did you know that for each mile that you drive in your gasoline-powered vehicle, about one pound of CO2 is emitted? Or that for every 5 miles you drive over 60 mph, you’re paying an additional $0.10 per gallon for your gas?
-Find more gas tips at the Alliance to Save Energy. Being conscious of these facts can help the environment and your wallet when you’re on the road.
Become a locavore
• What’s that?!
-What you don’t know about your food habits may surprise you. Our food now travels an average of 1,500 miles before making it to our dinner tables.
-Partly as a result of this disturbing fact, a recent trend in comestible consumption that began within environmental circles is growing rapidly – have you heard of “locavores”? If you haven’t, now’s the time to learn! Oxford Dictionary defined the noun as word of the year in 2007; it refers to someone who eats only seasonally available food from their local region (usually defined as within 100 miles) that can be prepared and consumed without preservatives.
• How to become a locavore:
-Choosing locally-grown produce and locally-made baked goods, cheeses and meats whenever possible is great for lots of reasons: it is fresh, which means it doesn’t need to be mixed with unnatural preservatives before being consumed, and because it’s local, it requires less transportation – which means carbon emissions are reduced. It’s a win-win choice!
-Check out the creators of the movement on their website for helpful tips on how to become a locavore yourself.
Check this site regularly. More suggestions coming soon!