Turning off your lights when you are not home is a good way to save energy, and as a result help the environment. In addition to this well-known act, there are many other tricks that are just as easy to live a greener life.
???Out of the three Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle) the best way to help the environment is to simply reduce. One way to cut back waste in daily life is replacing disposable water bottles with a reusable one.
???According to Erin Moscati, an environmental educator at UB Green, students should look at what they can buy in bulk with their roommates to save money and also reduce the waste from packaging.
???"Look at what you are consuming on a daily basis that has a package to see where you can reduce waste," Moscati said.
???Separating garbage based on composition is another step students can take to living greener lifestyles.
???"Think about your trash and recycle what you can," Moscati said.
???Another way to reduce harm to the environment is to turn many small errands into one big trip, trimming down the amount of gas used and carbon dioxide emitted. Coordinating with friends to get around is another easy solution, according to Moscati.
???Replacing the use of chemicals, like cleaning products, with eco-friendly products can also reduce harm to the environment. Mixing a few drops of essential oil with vinegar (to mask the smell) makes a greener and cheaper cleaning solution.
???Vinegar can also be used to replace aerosol air fresheners. The chemicals in air fresheners are known to damage the environment, but the aerosol containers are also harmful to the earth. Lightly sprinkling vinegar in a room in lieu of using an air freshener can eliminate odors.
???Reusing products that are commonly thrown away is also a good way to help cut back harm to the environment. The plastic bags that loaves of bread are sold in are not often thought of as a large source of waste, but they add up.
???From being used to pack a lunch to garbage bags for the car, bread bags have many other uses that people do not often think of.
???According to Moscati students should examine what products they buy from China, because of how much energy is wasted to ship those products to the U.S.
???Moscati suggests that students ask themselves a few questions before they commit to buying a product, such as if the product is durable, if it will be thrown out or if another one will need to be purchased in the future.
???However, some products are worth buying despite their origins or composition. For example low-flow showerheads are extremely eco-friendly because they save water and the energy spent to heat the excess water. Compact fluorescent bulbs are another product that help make any apartment more energy efficient.
???Moscati suggests keeping heat in at night by drawing the blinds and curtains as another way for students to save energy in their apartments, as well as unplugging items when they are not in use such as cell phone chargers, computers, and DVD players.
???Students have many different techniques to help reduce their carbon footprint.
???"I like using Marcal toilet paper because it is 100 percent recycled post-consumer paper," said Phil Gardone, a senior environmental studies major.
???Gardone recommends that students ride a bike in nicer weather and buy more used books to save paper.
???Another simple suggestion Moscati made is for students to try to eat lower on the food chain because meat farming is a large contributor to the current environmental dilemma. According to Moscati students should try to eat one vegetarian meal a week.
???"I have been a vegetarian for three years, which helps cut back my carbon footprint because cattle are the largest producers of methane," Gardone said.
???Living a green lifestyle is not impossible; it just requires students to take more time consider their impact on the environment.
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
