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5 ways you can help fight climate change today

With a constant stream of climate disasters filling our news outlets, it can sometimes seem like there is little hope left for our home planet. When earthquakes, heat waves, rising sea levels and hurricanes completely dominate your feed, it's normal to feel a little overwhelmed. Good news is, there are always ways you (yes, YOU!) can do your part in reducing the effects of climate change. Read on for a few simple practices to make your lifestyle a bit more green....

Change your modes of travel

About 61% of transport emissions each year come from cars. Instead of hopping in your parents' car every day to school, back from school, to soccer practice and back again, try some alternative travel options! Wake up a little earlier to catch the bus you always miss. Create a carpool group for your sports team and take turns doing the daily pick-ups and drop-offs. You could even break out that skateboard you bought during quarantine and (safely) skate to your bestie's house nearby! Any time you replace your usual solo car ride with a greener choice, you reduce your carbon emissions (and who doesn't want to jam to Rihanna with your carpool gals every day?). 

Switch up your everyday habits

Taking shorter showers can reduce water waste, and drinking out of a reusable bottle cuts down on plastic pollution. Composting your leftover fruit peels can enrich the earth while minimizing landfill waste. Even just turning off the lights every time you leave a room saves extra energy. If you want to be more environmentally conscious, it's can be as simple as a lamp switch!

Shop more sustainably 

We know, we know: That new top at H&M is *so* in rn, but that's just our point. Nowadays, fashion trends tend to go in and out of style really quickly, which encourages overconsumption. According to Earth.org, "Of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tons end up in landfills." One way you can help lower this statistic is by shopping more sustainably. Trying out new thrift stores, digging into your sister's old dresses or even repurposing your current wardrobe to fit today's styles are just a few ways you can send less clothing to landfills in 2023 (and if you want more tips on this, GL has you covered!)

Petition for greener practices at school

Have you noticed those unnecessary styrofoam cups your school provides? How about the obvious littering problem students have at the outdoor lunch tables? And why does everyone throw their Starbucks cups in the trash instead of the recycling bins? These are common un-eco-friendly probs that plague schools today, but you can combat any one of them! Assemble a Green Club to petition against harmful acts that are contributing to climate change. You can put up posters and signs reminding kids to do their part in saving the environment or create proposals to the administrators advocating for cleaner practices in your school. 

Raise money for anti-climate change organizations

Okay, so maybe you've moved on from your sidewalk lemonade stand era, but raising money can still be fun and lucrative (even without those one-dollar contributions from your neighbors). Host a baking night with your besties, then just acquire your school's permission and sell your treats after class! Or, whip out that friendship bracelet string from the summer and make jewelry for others to purchase on Earth Day. With the profits you gain from the products you create, donate it to organizations like The Clean Task Air Force, The Good Food Institute or The Evergreen Collaborative. Climate advocates need funding to achieve their goals, and even small donations can help in huge ways.

Slider image: @gretathunberg
GIFS via Giphy

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by Julia Szymanski | 3/2/2023
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