by Arshiya Goel
This week the Eco-reps had Dr. Jack Barbash as a guest speaker. A research chemist for the U.S. Geological Survey, he spoke to us about his job and his views on the green movement. I was especially inspired by his dedication to living sustainably. When he visited Boston from California, he took the train (a three day journey) instead of flying! We were all impressed by the amount of patience this takes and what a big difference it makes. Airplanes are the worst gas-guzzlers and have humongous carbon footprints, while trains use only a small percentage of that energy for the same distance travelled.
It’s not easy to forgo the ease of flying for long train journeys in order to reduce your carbon footprint, but the key to sustainable living is baby steps towards those big commitments! Here are a few simple ways you can reduce your carbon footprint and live green during college!
- Recycle! Tufts recycles everything from paper, cardboard, hard plastics to aluminum foil and metals. Just look at the front of the bins on your floors.
- Use CFL or LED bulbs. They use less energy and last for decades. Take your old bulbs to the Office of Sustainability (on the back of Miller Hall) to trade them in for a CFL!
- Use cold wash when doing laundry. This is better for your clothes and uses a lot less energy. To do this in the dorm laundry machines choose “woolens” or “bright colors”.
- Plug your electronics into a power strip and remember to turn it off when you leave your room. This stops them from leaking “vampire energy”.
- Compost your food scraps! Our dorm composts can compost nearly everything (but no meat, dairy or eggs, please).
- Try to cut down on your shower time or just turn the faucet off while shampooing.
- You can recycle batteries, ink cartridges, cell phones, and even electronic chargers. Look for the white boxes in your dorms and in some other buildings on campus!
- REDUCE! Think about the packaged things you are buying and make choices that decrease the waste you produce.
For more information and tips you can ask any Eco-rep for a Green Guide. These are just small steps towards creating a sustainable lifestyle. Every decision you make can make a difference. With every step we take, we aim to collectively reduce our negative impact on the climate as a species. It’s not always easy and it’s rarely comfortable, but it is essential for our future on this planet. And maybe next time you need to travel from Boston to New York or Seattle to Portland you can consider taking a train and enjoying the beautiful scenery from ground level!
-Arshiya
This is so true! First, we may do all the little things that help us exercise what life will be like in a more sustainable world (recycle, cold water wash, etc.). But, second, for people in an academic setting who want to have a big big impact, let’s start a conversation at Tufts about flying. I’m guessing we can reduce flying a lot and yet have *better* careers and *more* fun travel lifestyles. It might take a bit of initiative and concerted planned joint action.