Written by: Alyssa Musa
Ah, you know Spring is here when the birds chirp their sweet little songs from the morning on, and blades of grass peep out beneath the melting snow - and the air, so fresh, crisp, and dewy makes every breath a delight. Soon a bounty of beautiful colours will surround us once more. This month, take a minute to decide what you will do for Mother Nature in return, even if it is one small thing.
Here are some ideas to help you do just that!
Type out your notes
Now that I'm in grade 11, I've seen for myself that it's easy to go through a good 50 sheets of paper in a month just for writing notes, which is something that I didn't want to continue doing. That's why I decided to start typing some notes! For some of your courses, you might find that typing notes is faster and easier. I know I did. Personally, I prefer typing notes for Biology and English.
Switch over to a reusable water bottle
Here's some neat ones to try out!
Visit your farmer's market and tell others about it
I love my Farmer's Market. As soon as I walk in, my mouth waters at the sight of the fresh crops, berries, and baked goods. And let me tell you, the food at Farmer's Markets tastes amazing; it's a whole new level to food at grocery stores.
For your next grocery run, check out your local Farmer's Market if you have one. You won't be able to find everything here, but you will get a good bunch. Crops sold at Farmer's Market are grown nearby, sometimes in the next field over, so minimal transportation is required. Not only is shopping at a Farmer's Market sustainable, but it is the perfect way to show your appreciation to local farmers for all the hard work that they do each day to feed the community. Be sure to tell your friends and neighbours to stop by too!
Do some second-hand shopping
Not everything needs to be bought brand new. In fact, not everything should be brought new! Just think about it, it takes 2,700 litres of water just to produce one cotton T-shirt. That's right 2,700 litres! Imagine how many cotton T-shirts one person goes through in their lifetime. Imagine if from early childhood through old age, a person always brought each cotton T-shirt brand new. Now imagine all of the water that would be consumed just to produce all of these shirts.
Do you see why you should shop second-hand at least some of the time? If you don't, a whole Niagara Falls will be traced back to you and your wardrobe! I get it, thrift shopping may not be your favourite thing - it may feel unfamiliar and uncomfortable - but they offer a wide selection so there's a good chance you'll find something you like. Plus, there are so many benefits that come with thrift shopping besides protecting the planet! Curious? Read them here!
Make things out of worn-out clothes
If you have clothes that are too worn out to wear, salvage what you can and make something out of it like a jean purse. YouTube has tons of ideas like these to inspire you!
Buy sustainable clothing
Fortunately, there are some clothing brands that put Earth first. Check them out here!
Support school or community eco-initiatives
Supporting community eco-initiatives within and outside your school is a planet Earth. These include your school Eco Club, Textile Recycling Programs (where you can drop off any worn-down clothes to be upcycled), and Recycling Depots (where certain materials can't be recycled via your blue bin can be dropped off to be recycled). Every community is different; do your own research to find more environmental initiatives that exist near you and be sure to tell your friends about them!
Bring reusable bags for carrying purchased groceries
Oftentimes, grocery stores will carry these. If you don't see them here, you'll find them in lots of other places.
Prevent food waste
The next time you get a chance, observe if any of your groceries are rotting in the fridge or ending up in the garbage. If you notice a lot is going to waste, step in and tell your family that they should either purchase fewer groceries or cook more. According to WWF,
"About 6%-8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced if we stop wasting food."
Cook more
Encourage your family to cook more often. Offer to help out in the kitchen if you don't already; this will make ordering takeout less tempting for them.
When you cook more, those pesky styrofoam and plastic takeout containers are avoided, as well as the pollution generated from delivering or picking up the food.
You can always experiment with new recipes and who knows, you might even enjoy it!
Compost
When food sits in the landfill, it produces methane. This is a problem because compared to carbon dioxide, methane is over 25 times more effective at capturing heat in the atmosphere.
But when food gets composted, microorganisms break it down into basic materials that enhance soil quality. As a result, reliance on toxic pesticides and fertilizers that threaten animals and ecosystems is reduced. If you don't already have a place for compost in your house, what are you waiting for! It doesn't require much, and you don't have to put the compost in your own soil if you don't want to - but it's a great thing to try! You could even grow your own vegetables this spring!
Fundraise
Fundraising is a fun and rewarding way to back up organizations fighting for environmental justice. Perhaps you're too busy right now to dedicate time to a fundraiser, but there's always the summer!
In terms of what you could do, the possibilities are endless! You could host a bake sale, a contest, an art sale, an intramural, a sports tournament and so much more. This website will be sure to have an idea that speaks to you!
Some environmental organizations that you might consider donating to are NRDC, CWF, WWF and Environment Defence Canada. Of course, you can fundraise for other causes too!
Shop local and wisely
Shopping local whenever possible limits your reliance on unsustainable transportation. Even if you must drive or bus somewhere, a shorter distance between you and the destination minimizes the environmental impact.
As tempting as it may be, rather than hopping onto Amazon.ca for your next purchase, ask yourself if you could find the item you are looking for somewhere nearby. Do some research if you need to.
Also, shop wisely. In today's day and age, producing nearly everything requires massive amounts of energy, water and/or fuel from production to shipping. Don't buy something just because it looks nice - ask yourself if you will use after a day, a week - and if you have something similar.
Walk or bike to school
As a student, walking or biking to school is one of the best things you can do for the planet. Think about it - 2 ways there and back, 5 days a week, over the course of your education - that's a lot of greenhouse gas emissions saved! It's also quite relaxing, as long as you make sure you leave on time!
Shorten your shower
I know, this is one that we hear a lot - but that's because it's more important than others.
Did you know that the average eight minute shower can consume 76 litres of water?! I don't know about you but that one blew my mind! You may be sitting there thinking, "why even worry about conserving water? It's renewable, isn't it?" Well yes, water is renewable, but the energy required to treat, transport, and heat this water is most often not. In fact here in Canada, the heating of water alone accounts for a whopping 11% of our total greenhouse gas emissions!
This is why it is so crucial that we all minimize our shower time and our water use in general; the less water we use, the less water will need to be heated and the less greenhouse gas emissions will be generated. A low-flow showerhead is a great place to start!
Sign petitions and write petitions
Change.org is a wonderful platform for advocating for all sorts of social and political issues, like global warming. Make an account, and you'll be able to search for and sign petitions, and even write your own!
Attend climate strikes
Join other passionate voices in fighting for environmental justice by attending a climate strike. Being surrounded by people who share your hope, vision, and concern for the planet will remind you that so many really do care.
That's all, thank you so much for reading! I hope I've left you feeling inspired to #gogreen this Spring!
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