Happy Earth Day hostelers!
Since environmental awareness is the reason for the season, it’s fitting
that we explore some easy ways that you can decrease your carbon footprint
while increasing the quality of life for your grandchildren. Of course, driving a hybrid car and
installing solar panels on your roof are highly effective, but they are also
pretty pricey. Here are some simpler
alternatives that are affordable and easily incorporated into daily life.
1. Avoid disposable
bottled water. The bottles are all
assembled at one location, and shipped all over the world, which means huge
amounts of carbon emissions are released by the vehicles that transport them. Many people use the bottles once, and then
throw them away when they should recycle them, so they also cause huge amounts
of waste. A good alternative to this is
to use a reusable water bottle (like the ones available at the hostel’s front
desk) or a canteen to store your daily H2O.
2. Buy organic or
locally produced food. Organic
farmers tend to use fewer pesticides and other harmful techniques when growing
food than commercial farmers do, and locally grown produce reduces carbon
emissions because it only has to travel around the corner to arrive at your
doorstep. Many restaurants even offer a
locally grown/organic option these days, so you won’t have to worry about where
the hamburger on your plate used to graze anymore!
3. Take direct
flights. This one is especially
important for all you travelers out there. It can sometimes be tempting to choose a
connection because the flight will cost a little bit less, or because you think
you’ll be able to spend the five hour layover exploring San Francisco, but
taking just one flight reduces your environmental impact dramatically. You can also avoid feeling like this woman
when your first flight is late, and you miss your connection altogether. 
4. Use eco-friendly
modes of transport. While it’s true
that driving a car is very convenient and efficient, there are a lot of other
options that can get you where you need to go.
Walking or riding a bike are the two most eco-friendly choices, but
taking buses or trains also reduces carbon emissions because they transport so
many people at one time. It is also
pretty nice to be able to sit back and relax while the train glides you
speedily along the track instead of experiencing the road rage of a Chicago-style
traffic jam.
5. Just hang
out! Nowadays, it’s hard to resist
the incredible options we have to entertain ourselves. We can go out to eat for a fancy dinner, or indulge
in a shopping spree without even thinking about it. But you could cut the negative effects that
those activities have on the environment by simply spending time with the ones
you love. Have a game night, have good
conversation, or even have a nice home-cooked dinner! When you cook for multiple people at one time,
the cost of food per person is greatly reduced.
6. Always
unplug. Even when you aren’t using
your electronics, if they are plugged in to the outlet, they are still
consuming energy. Always remember to
unplug your phone charger, laptop, television and stereo when you are not using
them. To make it easier, you can plug
them all into the same power strip and simply turn that off before you leave. Also, always remember to turn
off the lights when leaving a room. Don’t
waste electricity on a bunch of furniture that really could care less about being in the dark.
7. Understand the
beauty of cold water. The amount of
energy it takes to heat water is astronomical.
Of course, the modern conveniences that most of us have enjoyed up until
this point would make it almost intolerable to take cold showers (especially in the winter), but there are many other opportunities to reduce energy consumption by
choosing cold water. When washing your
clothes, cold water is not only more eco-friendly, but it also works better for
removing protein stains, like sweat, and causes much less shrinkage and
wrinkles than hot water cycles do. You
can also use cold water when washing your hands or washing your face. It’s actually quite refreshing.
8. Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle! This one is pretty
self-explanatory. Buying less, and
fixing or reusing items that you already have, is very effective in decreasing
your carbon footprint. Recycling is also
one of the easiest and most helpful ways that you can eliminate waste. Paper, plastic and glass are always recyclable,
but did you know that you can also recycle things like wooden furniture and
even batteries? It may take a little
more effort because you will need to contact a local recycling agency to
arrange a pickup or drop-off, but the reward of having a cleaner Earth is
definitely worth it.
If you want to find out what your current carbon footprint
is, visit http://myfootprint.org/en/
and take the quiz. It only takes a few
minutes, and the results can be very enlightening. Today is a beautiful day! Go outside and enjoy the sweet gifts our
planet has given us, and maybe think about incorporating some of these
techniques into your life so you can give something back.
By: Intern Sarah Consoer
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