Green Corner

It is easy to take environmental action in your everyday lives by changing your daily routine. Just taking a shorter shower, for example, can have a profound effect. Below are a couple other of things that you can do to save resources and help to improve Exeter’s sustainability.

First, you can do simple things around the dorm. During the winter, when the heating is turned on, close your windows to conserve energy. Also, take shorter showers to save water and turn off the lights when leave a room. New recycling bins have also recently been added to each dorm, so make sure to use those regularly. There are also students in every dorm called E-proctors who are there to help the members of the dorm to become more sustainable, and they are available to answer any questions you may have. These small acts will eventually all add up, helping our school to save energy.

When it comes to classes, you can transition to using your iPad or computer more often for taking notes and writing. This will help to reduce the amount of paper that each student consumes. Consider talking to your teachers about limiting the amount of handouts on paper and instead posting them on Canvas. Also, most teachers don’t mind if you print your essays double-sided as it is another simple way to save paper that helps save trees and the school’s money.

Another thing you can do, although more difficult, is try experimenting with vegetarianism or even veganism. The meat industry, particularly red meat, is a frightening contributor to the increase of carbon dioxide emissions that have led to climate change. We have found that the dining halls do a great job of having multiple vegetarian or vegan options. While it is a challenging transition, eliminating even just red meat from your diet can support the vegetarian movement and help the environment. Even if you can’t stay away from meat, try to take only how much you can eat. If you’re trying something new, take a small amount before putting more on your plate. This goes especially for foods that take a lot of resources to make, such as dairy products and meats.

Lastly, get involved in the many environmental clubs on campus and educate yourself on sustainability practices. This is a great way to help the Exeter community to reduce its environmental effects and to learn about the current climate issues.

Sustain is a great way to start. We publish articles once a term on our website and hope to raise awareness and shed light on important topics pertaining the environment. New writers are always welcome. We meet on Wednesday’s from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Sustainability Office.

If writing isn’t your thing, you should still take a look at our website. We have different sections where you can get informed about issues around the world, events and clubs at Exeter or understand students’ opinions on controversial topics. The website for our magazine is sustainexeter.org.

If you have any questions, please contact:

prsanson@exeter.edu

lgalligani@exeter.edu

toguri@exeter.edu