Ten Ways for Teens to Go Green
Alex Baker, Desk Writer
August 20, 2009
Filed under Opinions and Views
Do you know the world is going to end? You may have heard of global warming and carbon footprints. Most people think there is no way for them to save the world and this is especially true for teenagers. This does not have to be true and here are a few tips for you to go green. Try some of them out. Mother Earth will thank you.
1. Pick up some litter. Litter is unsightly and harmful to the environment. If you need some community service, why not go out and clean up the roadsides?
2. Catch the bus every once in a while. When your car is in the shop check out where the local bus stop is. According to national reports school buses are safer and more fuel efficient that cars. Freshman Matt NeSmith says “I might be willing to ride the bus even though I would have to get up a little earlier.”
3. Get a new used outfit. Vintage is cool. Shop at thrift stores and at garage sales. You never know what you are going to find!
4. Give yourself a green hairdo. The chances are that your shampoo is loaded with some pretty nasty chemicals that can be harmful to the environment. Why not try a natural shampoo made from organically certified ingredients?
5. Try a cup of fair trade. Your next frapuccino may be destroying the rainforest. Fair trade means no industrial chemicals are used and local farmers are paid to protect the rainforest.
6. Buy organic clothing. Millions of gallons of pesticides and toxins are used on cotton fields. These chemicals run into rivers and they poison the wildlife. Organic cotton is grown without these chemical and is better for the earth.
7. Use a reusable water bottle. Throw out those dinky plastic bottles and get a Nalgene. These water bottles are practically unbreakable and can last you for years.
8. Turn off the lights. What is the point of leaving a light on when you leave a room? Lighting is 11% of an average electricity bill. The money your parents save may just end up in your pocket.
9. When you log off, turn off. By turning off your computer, and other electronic devices, when you are not using them you can save up to ninety dollars a year. If you don’t want to turn off your computer the sleep and hibernate mode also save money.
10. Recycle. Recycle. Recycle. Everything and anything can be recycled. If you do not live where you can get your recycling picked up, you can separate the materials yourself and take it to a recycling center. Junior Rèven Smalls recycles at home. She recycles by separating all of the recyclable materials from the regular trash and then taking them to the dump. When there, she puts the recyclables in the designated containers and its as easy as that.
