Every day people make choices that affect the environment around them. The food a person eats for lunch uses dozens of gallons of water to create, transport and prepare, while also using many acres of land. This produces negative greenhouse gasses all throughout production. All of an individual’s actions have an environmental impact, whether they are aware of it or not. One of the best things a person can do in their community to help fight the ongoing climate crisis is to stay educated, and help educate others. Here are some helpful tips and tricks to help fight climate change through action and education.
Planning meals ahead and being mindful about what a person or household buys can reduce food waste, save money and help the environment. By planning out meals, only purchasing the food necessary for those meals, avoiding using excess packaging and most importantly reduces the chance of throwing away any uneaten food at the end of the week. Bulk buying can also reduce packaging waste and trips to the store, though it may require extra storage like a freezer. The average American family wastes around 200 pounds of food every year, often because too much food was purchased, or over preparing meals.
Agri-science teacher Kathleen Crowley gave some insight on what that looks like in her daily life. “We at my house, we like to meal plan, and we try to be really intentional with what we purchase… we very rarely throw away food like that. It’s just not our jam,” Crowley said.
Using items multiple times instead of buying new ones lowers waste and saves money. Items like jars and vases can be used as cups, storage, decoration and so many other things. A huge trend recently has been reusable water bottles like Stanleys and Owalas. As fun as collecting every color is, having more than 2-3 reusable water bottles can end up being more wasteful than single use plastics. By minimizing spending a person not only saves money, but limits the amount of energy and resources used in producing new items. At school, being sustainable can look like tearing the used notebook pages out of an old notebook and using the rest of the pages for another class. Or using wooden pencils over mechanical pencils because they can be sharpened and reused more times than a mechanical pencil or pen.
“I don’t buy vases and I don’t buy jars… I just store them and use them. Probably the most wasteful thing I do every day is drive here,” Crowley said.
Increasing the life-span of clothing through second hand shopping, hand-me-downs or upcycling clothing can help lessen the environmental impact of fast fashion. Fast fashion contributes significantly to environmental damage, with 92 million tons of textile waste ending up in landfills each year. Purchasing second hand saves money and also gives donated or unwanted clothing a new life, saving them from landfills. Supporting eco-friendly clothing brands is a great way to maintain the quality of clothes, while also supporting the environment, but it can become more expensive.
“Anything, whether you got it from Goodwill or Shein, can be made into fast fashion if you’re wearing it a few times, throwing it away. You have to really try to increase the longevity for sure,” Sustainable Fashion Co-President junior Amelia Kozlowski said.
Outdoor activities like camping can be made eco-friendly by reducing waste, conserving water, and following leave-no-trace rules. Being mindful while enjoying nature, packing out trash, minimizing single use items and using eco-friendly supplies all ensure that natural environments are preserved. It also sets an example for others about combining recreation with sustainability.
“I try to do completely sustainable camping… no littering, minimal water use, and not creating waste… pack in, pack out,” Kozlowski said.
Being conscious about energy use by turning off lights or reducing greenhouse heating, helps both the environment and saves money. Small daily decisions at home or school, like switching off unused lights, lowering heating and cooling when possible, and being intentional and aware about energy-consuming activities. Taking a shorter cold shower uses less electricity than a long, hot bath. All of these habits can add up to significant reductions in energy consumption and carbon emissions over time.
“I turn the greenhouse off and down in the winter so that I’m not wasting energy. I turn off the lights when I can… I think what I can do… is reduce buying and reduce energy use, but not sacrifice overall education,” Crowley said.
Sustainability is not about perfection, it is about making mindful and intentional choices by reducing waste, conserving resources, and protecting the environment for future generations. From meal planning and reusing materials to extending the life of clothing and practicing eco-friendly outdoor habits, all of these tips not only benefit the environment, but also encourages mindfulness and creativity through thought-provoking actions. By taking steps that fit into daily life, anyone can contribute to keeping the earth clean, one conscious decision at a time.
