To actually make a change, you do not have to commit yourself to hours of community service, running for office, or creating a foundation; most of what is extremely effective in enacting changes are the many small actions and decisions that we make during our daily lives. You dont need to be some loaded billionaire to be able to create a change, although I do admit it helps. Simple things like not leaving your light on, keeping the water off when you do not need it, or unplugging devices when not in use can add up, especially when this happens across a large number of people. Like I said in my last post, your actions DO matter, and these small things will add up to create significant change.

See this video for a comical approach on how much weight (literally- kg of CO2) that your actions have on the environment. There is no need to go into drastic measures such as refusing to use a car for a 20 mile commute, but keeping in mind how much of an impact that your smaller actions have is beneficial in reducing your footprint. Most of this reduction comes out of reusing items, which brings me to my first point.

Single use items like water bottles and bags can be easily switched out for reusable versions. I have seen many organisations or places make this switch to help enact change. For example, Penn State has implemented those water bottle fill up stations around the dorms, commons, and building to promote multiple used for liquid containers. They have also recently implemented a reusable bag only policy at the convenience stores on campus like Louie’s in Redifer Commons, along with the Green-To-Go containers to discourage Styrofoam use. I wish they would completely take away the option to get the paper cups and Styrofoam containers; there is no need to have them when Green-To-Go is an option. Still, it is small actions like this that will create a change.

For the second point, turning off/unplugging devices when they are not in use saves a lot of energy. There is no need to keep your phone or laptop plugged in all night. It will take up to an hour total to charge and will end up wasting energy when it is sitting idly at 100 percent (even when it is fully charged and plugged in, energy is wasted). Also, it is harmful to your laptop in general to it plugged in all the time when you are using it. Another way to create a small bit of change is turning off lights when a room is not being used, this counts not only for your own room, but for any room that is not in use. There are many study rooms in my residence hall, and if I leave one and no one else is there, then I turn off the light(s). There is no need for them to be on, and I think if everybody started to be conscious of something like this there would be a significant change.

Thirdly, emissions from vehicles creates a large impact on the environment, so if more people were to take public transportation or walk (when these methods are applicable) then this would cut down on a lot of air pollution. In my high school, there was a teacher whose house was a 2 minute walk down the hill, but she still drove to school. In a situation like this, driving is unnecessary and hurts more than it is efficient. Also, if you are in a city and can take a bus or subway, then that is much more efficient that driving.

I walked to school almost everyday from middle school to high school (unless the weather didn’t allow for it), it was about a 14 minute walk, so think about how that would equate to ~4 minutes of driving each day that were missed out on because I chose to walk instead of drive/get a ride from my parents. I know many other did this as well, and when something that is seemingly small like this gets repeated by many people, it is very impactful.

Going along with this train of though, I see a lot of people who use public transport at PSU, but also a lot who walk, ride bikes, and use skateboards. This is much more beneficial than those who drive or use electric modes of transport like scooters or the electric skateboards (I honestly do not comprehend how lazy you have to be to use a electric scooter to get to class). Not only are walking, bikes, and other non-vehicular modes of transportation beneficial to the environment, but also to your health.

Overall, keeping track of the small actions and decisions that you make everyday can allow you to start making change while altering your lifestyle very minimally. If you are curious on more ways to help, this article gives other general actions you can do to make a larger change.