Why go green? Starting a new semester of college for the first time can be daunting and probably the last thing on your mind is being environmentally friendly. Many students will be busy registering for classes, finding a place to live, and planning a social life. However, going green does not just mean saving the environment in fact there are money and time saving benefits. Here are a few examples of reasons to go green for the new college semester:
Get organized: Look through your stuff at home or at your parent’s house, chances are you have extra supplies that you could use for school. Also it gets you to clean your room or storage space, and you are reusing an item and not going to the store again and spending money. Reuse items: Find items that are worn out or just need a makeover. This may include an old backpack, or a piece of furniture for the dorm room. Also try to find old cardboard boxes and reuse them to pack things that you are taking. This saves time and money as well. Traveling green: Many schools and universities offer public transportation which eliminates the need to drive on campus for courses. Most universities also have a lack of parking so just taking the bus saves time, money, and is good for the environment. Meal Plans: School can be expensive and students want to save where they can. One way is planning meals ahead of time and making meals at your house or apartment instead of getting fast food. This saves money because it is inexpensive to make your own food, and you can also reuse food containers. Going to a restaurant or fast food place will have more trash, and probably won’t be as healthy for you as well compared to homemade food with fresh fruits and vegetables. Used Books: Purchasing used books from the college bookstore or online, which can save a lot of money. You should also look into digital or eBooks that can be downloaded onto a computer or portable device. These options save money and help the environment.
These are just a few of the many benefits of going green or reusing items that save time and money.
Green technology
We have discussed the various benefits of reusing items and saving time and money for college and for daily life. Recent technology has enabled daily tasks to be completed with a minor carbon footprint. For example, sending an email, or submitting a paper online verses printing out the paper or waiting resources by mailing a letter. Also developing and installing solar panels is a great use of natural energy and saving the use of pollutants to provide power. For example LG 265 watt panels can provide ample electricity to power a house or corporate building. This can provide savings on energy consumption, and is good for the environment as well. There are also many portable chargers for cell phones that can charge a phone via solar energy. Photocredit: openclipart, fotopedia, wikipedia