On a beautiful campus like ours at Ohio University, bustling with trees, pedestrians and cars driving around thanks to vegetable oil, it's hard to believe that the environment as a whole takes a daily beating from deforestation and carbon emissions (among many others). While I plan on discussing these issues throughout the quarter, I think it's important for people here at OU to know that while global climate change seems like an ambitious task, there are steps that can be taken to help the environment that aren't so gigantic.
I'd like to think being active and aware is almost like the contagion of the flu ' it only takes one person to get it, but then he or she spreads it to the people around them, and so on and so forth. With that in mind, here are some delightfully infectious actions anyone here in Athens, or across the country, could do to help out even the tiniest bit.
-Walking: Especially on a campus where almost everything is within a 15-minute walk, there is little need to use a car for transportation. This isn't really an option anyway for most freshmen, but some people who live off-campus enjoy the convenience of driving rather than walking. If it's a nice day out, leave 10 minutes earlier and enjoy the scenery and save yourself some cash and gas ' both of which are luxuries to a college student. If you want to go home for the weekend, always take advantage of the car pool. I'm from Cleveland, and splitting the cost with other people to go home is great, and it's much better than sending two or three cars' worth of carbon into the atmosphere when one car would have done the trick.
- Recycling: If you live in the dorms, there are recycling bins and areas to put your recyclables on each green. Put your recycling bin next to your trash can and use it for aluminum cans and all those pizza boxes you keep stacked to the ceiling. Off-campus residents can utilize these resources, too. A helpful hint for off-campus dwellers: Visit second-hand stores like New-to-You, 9 W. Stimson Ave., and buy furniture there for a discounted price. Also, instead of taking your beer cans and chucking them into the street, find a garbage bag and take them to be recycled. Not only are you having a good time and recycling, but you also prevent littering ' look at all the good that comes out of that!
- Appliances: Even when appliances such as your computer or cell phone charger are plugged in but not being used, they still are using energy. Save energy and some money on your electric bill by turning your computer off or unplugging a cell phone charger when it's not in use. Televisions also suck energy from the outlet when they aren't in use, so after you turn the TV off, unplug it from the wall or keep it plugged into a surge protector that you can switch on and off alongside other appliances.
- On/off switches: I have heard this since I was young: my mom always telling me not to have the lights on in my room if I'm not there. She really did know what she was talking about, even if I did ignore her and leave my TV, lights and countless other electronics on and waiting for me to return. If the sunlight is shining, open your curtains or window shade and utilize the sunlight. If you leave the room, turn the light off. And most importantly, if you are leaving your room and it has air conditioning, turn it off before you leave. It might be a little uncomfortable to come back to a stuffy room, but within a few minutes the cold air will come back.
Helping out with the environment seems like a daunting task, but the little things really do count. We all can't afford hybrid cars and green-energy-run houses, but taking the time to unplug your radio or save that computer paper (I know I print out about ten drafts of everything) still helps. We are the ones who will be stuck with all these problems in the future, and learning how to conserve now will make all the difference in how we live our lives after our four years here.
Columns represent the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Post.
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Cathy Wilson
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