Let’s Take Action!

Earlier this week I was mindlessly scrolling along on facebook, as most people do until I came across a post that made really made me think. This particular post was shared by one of my friends and it read, “When are we gonna stop pretending it’s regular people’s fault the planet’s dying because they won’t go vegan or take 5 minute showers and start actually blaming corporations that produce astronomical pollution and dump toxic waste directly into the mouths of great whales…”

At first, I agreed with the post initially. Yes, why don’t we blame these big corporations? Why don’t we do something about it? Why doesn’t human civilization as a whole DO something? Until I remembered something. Change starts one person at a time! We all like to talk about change and how great and wonderful it would be, especially regarding our current climate crisis. Although I can honestly say that I don’t see many people doing anything to make this change happen!

Here, we have a post wanting to place all of the blame on “big corporations” and not the “regular people” for our climate crisis. We can’t just take an issue such as climate change and place the blame on someone else, we are all the problem! America is one of the most wasteful countries regarding water (and did you know, if you take a 5 minute shower you save TEN gallons of water?), that really starts to add up! Going vegan also helps the planet in numerous ways: It conserves water (Think of all the water it takes to produce meat), It protects soil (less erosion from cattle grazing), it clears the air, it conserves energy, and its healthy!

Now, I’m not saying that everyone has to go vegan or that you must start taking five minute showers. The point is, change starts on a small scale. So if that means going vegan, taking shorter showers, walking to the recycling bin that’s just a little bit further than the garbage can, or even bringing your own bag to the grocery store, then take action! Why should we point fingers at who did what when we can start bettering the Earth we share one step at a time? We need to start being responsible for our own actions and start taking action. It may be surprising what us “regular” people can do!

Until next time,

Anna

Gas Use: What Can We Do?

Hello all! My name is Anna Sheridan, I am a sophomore at Albright College studying environmental science. Since arriving on campus my freshman year, the sustainability house always intrigued me. I knew I wanted to be a part of something a little bit bigger than dorm life and be around people who share the same interests and concerns as me. Those two reasons (among others) are the reasons I am living in the house today! For this month, I was assigned monitoring of gas and water use for the house. So without further ado, let’s talk about gas!

It is next to impossible this day and age to go without the use of natural gas. It is used in virtually everything, from powering our vehicles, to warming our homes in the winter, and even cooking food! Natural gases are known as un-renewable resources, meaning that we consume them faster than they can be produced. This creates a problem for our environment, since environments are destroyed in order to obtain these gases. So, what can we do to limit our use of natural gases and what are other alternatives?

Let’s start with something simple, carpooling! Carpooling with friends or co-workers is a great way to limit the amount of gas we use, and you get to enjoy a car ride with company! Another way we can limit our usage is during the winter, try not to blast your house with heat. I know that can be uncomfortable at times, but try to set your thermostat 5 degrees lower during the winter months and bundle up with blankets. Not only will you be saving the planet, but you will be saving money as well!

I’ll be honest and say that gas usage is not something that is always on my mind, but I do try to think about how much I am consuming. Sometimes all it takes is a conscious mind, and remember, every action helps when you’re trying to save the planet!

Until next time,

Anna Sheridan