Be a hero: Help take pollution down to zero
Kasey Fielding
Issue date: 3/29/07 Section: Lifestyle
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"One of the easiest ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and do something
about global warming is to turn off lights when you no longer need them. Please do your part ... turn off this lamp when you leave!"
And it really is that easy.
Every day, in the simplest parts of your daily routine, you can contribute positively to the environment.
"There are a ton of things students can easily do to be more eco-friendly," said junior writing, literature, and publishing
major Lauren Robbins. "The environment
is everyone's responsibility."
As president of Earth Emerson, the college's environmental action group, Robbins has many suggestions on easy ways you can help the planet by counting
on the "three Rs"-reduce, reuse and recycle.
Reducing your daily waste production and watching the things you throw away is a big part of staying eco-friendly. Don't overdo it in the dining hall. Help cut down on food waste and costs by only taking what you'll eat and throwing away less.
Buy and use recycled paper for your printer, which you can buy at any Staples. And when you're printing out assignments for class, switch your printer into "draft mode" to conserve ink, saving you money while cutting down on waste as well.
If you have to start every day with a cup of something caffeinated, reusing a travel mug instead of using the paper and Styrofoam cups from Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts is a great way to help out.
"Never accept Styrofoam," said Robbins.
"It never, not in a million years, decomposes. The only way it will decompose
is if you throw it in a volcano."
Also, hold on to that Aquafina bottle and refill it with water from the dining hall's fountain machine or a Brita filter.
The easiest way to stay eco-friendly, especially here at Emerson, is to recycle.
In Piano Row, every suite is given three recycling bins in addition to the larger blue bins in the halls of every floor. In the Little Building, recycling facilities are located in the basement near the Cabaret.
Collect your cans, bottles, and paper, and bring them to the appropriate containers.
Or, if you're feeling a little more ambitious,
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