Who needs a car when you’ve got a bike? Gas prices are climbing and they’re expected to reach $5 per gallon or more. That’s just crazy. And I’m sure you’ve heard of another little thing that’s going around called global warming. What’s going on with our environment is just crazy too. So lock up your cars and do some stretches. You’re about to be schooled in how you can change your life by simply busting out your trusty bicycle.
You’ve most likely seen someone on campus biking or skateboarding around (heck, I live in the snowiest city of the US and I still see kids biking in blizzards). Maybe you’ve made fun of them for taking up the road or for having a goofy looking bike. Perhaps you’ve mocked their helmet hair or saw them get almost hit by a bus and had a mini heart attack—and don’t let this turn you off to bike riding; only the bikers not paying attention get in the way of a bus (crazies!). Laugh all you want because those foot pedalers are saving green in more ways than one.
Bike riding is good for you and the environment. You’ve likely heard all this before. Oh, I can build some muscles if I ride my bike for half an hour today. I won’t pollute the earth if I leave behind my car for this shopping trip. You think you can’t really make a difference. You think biking won’t really make a difference in your life. Err, wrong!
For starters, riding a bike can make a test day tolerable. By cycling to class on a fine morning, your stress will noticeably diminish. And if you keep this up every day for the week, your anxiety and any depression you feel will greatly reduce. It gives you time to take in nature—or, you know, all the buildings between your apartment and campus—clear your head, take in fresh air and relax. So, really, a bike ride is like taking a mini mental health day.
By riding your bike to class, you will actually make time to exercise. It can be hard to find time to go to the gym or sign up for a workout type elective. Between homework, internships or jobs, poor campus food and a lot of your day spent sitting behind a desk, those pounds will add on without you even noticing. Biking will give you a chance to tone up your legs, get in the cardio, increase your mobility, and just make you feel better about yourself.
If you’re concerned about leaving a carbon footprint, bike riding can haul that worry away. Not only will your car not be sputtering out harmful pollutants, you’ll also use less gas overall, which is a definite benefit with the world’s problems right now. With a four mile trip, you save us all 15 pounds of pollutants. Imagine if you and everyone you knew contributed to that! Also, instead of needing new roads and driving routes, you can take a scenic route and stick to the sidewalk, helping to save materials and keep nature as it should be—without a highway cutting through it. Plus, supplies for bikes don’t require the deforestation necessary for rubber plants and bio-fuels used in other transportation methods (aka the car).
Biking can also become a great way to meet new people and enhance existing relationships. Some people don’t like to drive to a store alone. So get them to bike with you instead. Believe it or not, just seeing you bike ride every day will inspire your neighbors and others to lower their environmental impact and work out on their way to work or school. You’ll be like a modern day gang…without the bandanas and violence.
And if that wasn’t enough to convince you, think of all the traffic you can avoid, alternate routes you can take, animals you can save (especially if you’re not a good driver), and the excuse to wear tight biking shorts without feeling like a total weirdo.
Oh, yeah, and it’s the third most popular activity in England, so if you want to pick up a cute Brit, biking could break the ice!
-ToonyToon
I’m reading A History of Western Art
Want to help save the planet? You can’t save Earth all by yourself, but the efforts you put forth can help make this planet a better place!
Help Save the Planet!
-Replace your regular light bulbs with Energy Saving Lightbulbs!
-Turn off your computer overnight or when you know you won’t use it for a few hours!
-Let your dishwasher do its job! No need to rinse your dishes before you load them into the dishwasher.
-Skip the oven pre-heat.
-Recycle, recycle, recycle! Even your glass bottles!
-Baby diapers? Try using cloth or eco-friendly diapers. These disposables make up 3.5 million tons of waste per year.
-Who needs a dryer? Air drying your clothes will save energy and the size and fit of your clothes!
-Skip the meat once a week.
-Use the “Warm-cold” option on your washer.
-No need for so many napkins! By using one less paper napkin more than a billion pounds of napkins could be removed from landfills!
-Use both sides of the paper! As a college student it is hard to minimize your use of paper. Ask you teacher if you can submit your research paper on both sides of the paper. Just explain you are trying to help save our planet.
-Recycle your newspapers! The paper can be used over and over and over again! It also saves about a million trees a week!
-Skip the fancy wrapping paper! Try wrapping gifts in non-traditional paper, or reusing a gift bag!
-Skip the baths and take a shower! You will save so much water!!
-Turn the water off when you brush your teeth. Many of us are guilty when it comes to letting the water run while we are brushing our teeth. If you don’t need to use the water , turn it off!!
-Take a shorter shower! Try multitasking! If you are letting your hair soak up the shampoo, wash your face or body at the same time, then rinse everything at once.
-Plant a tree! It surely can’t hurt the earth!
-Cruise while on the high way. Try using cruise control instead of constantly pushing the petal!
-Turn off the lights whenever you leave a room! Thats a given..
-Water your lawn early in the morning. Your grass will soak up the moisture before the sun does!
-Skip the rake! The natural clippings from the trees and plants can naturally fertilize your yard!
-Mark your territory. At a party? Put your name on your cup so you don’t lose it and risk having to get a brand new cup!
-By now you have probably been through a few cell phones. If you have the old ones lying around somewhere try recycling them.
-Keep up with car maintenance! Clean your air filters, change your oil, keep tires inflated. It will save gas and the air!
-Wired hangers? Recycle them at your local dry cleaners!
-Recycle aluminum and glass!
-Try working from home. Ask your boss if you can work in your home office once or twice a week. You can save gas and take traffic off the roads, meaning less emissions into the environment.
-Light your candles with matches instead of lighters. The process and elements required to make a lighter is costly and uses elements like plastic and butane fuel that will just end up in a landfill.
-Stop phone book delivery. Use the internet to look up business phone numbers. It saves paper!
-Skip your front yard car wash and go to a professional car wash. Most car washes are more efficient with water consumption.
-Paper please. Plastic bags are TERRIBLE for the environment! They aren’t biodegradable and have been found in our water resources, causing pain to animals.
-Skip the disc installation and download your computer software!
-Bye bye answering machine, hello voicemail! Answering machines use energy 24/7..
-Add the cream and sugar before the coffee. It will be well mixed, thus not needing a straw or stirrer to stir your coffee.
-Use cotton swabs that don’t have a plastic spindle. Paper is always better!
-Choose paperless billing. It saves paper.
-Use rechargeable batteries!
Know any other tricks? Let us know! Happy earth saving!
With love,
Kat VonD
I’m reading From Slavery to Freedom
Earth day was founded in the early 1970’s by Gaylord Nelson, a United States senator, and according to EARTHDAY.org it’s now celebrated in about 175 countries. There is a lot of focus on earth day this year as the green movement continues. eCampus.com is trying to do our part. We offer eTextbooks which, obviously, use no paper. No Paper, No dead trees. Along with these ideas I’d like to offer you a few more that we’ve come up with. Don’t fret, I know that the newest green technology can be very expensive, and I’m just as broke as you. Here are a few things you can do to help the earth, feel good about yourself, and not spend any money!
- Help out at your local park. Using findlocalparks.com you can find the locations of your local parks. Some have phone numbers, use that number, call and tell them you want to volunteer. A little yard work never hurt anyone, but it did help mother earth!!
- Don’t drive your car. Run, walk, jog, ride a bike, take a bus. Anything you can do to reduce your daily emissions. Earth week is only one week of a year, sacrifice, its for the earth…Really.
- Try and recycle “everything” you use on earth day. Now college students don’t get carried away. No reusing toilet-paper…Please
For more info on earth day and earth week check out this book Earth Day
SeanJohn
I’m reading Social Psychology
Holiday season is here and it’s always important to stay environmentally friendly. Here are a few ideas on how to go green this holiday season and how to make some cool holiday decorations from stuff you might usually just throw away.
Buy a REAL tree, it might not be cost effective to buy a real tree every year, however, it is environmentally friendly. Christmas trees are grown on tree farms and don’t have an impact on national forests. When the holiday season is over, go to earth911.org to see where you can recycle your tree.
LED Lights are one of the coolest new things in Christmas and holiday decorations. They are much brighter than the conventional Christmas light, smaller, 90% more efficient, and the bulbs last an average of 2 times longer.
Try using an old light bulb to create different kinds of ornaments, they can be painted to look like anything and they are light enough to hang on your Christmas tree. I had a Christmas Tree last year decorated with Red Bull cans, so you don’t always have to buy something new.
Empty out that shoe box full of old Christmas cards and make them into a wreath. Cut out the cards with a holly leaf stencil and attach them to a Styrofoam wreath from your local craft store.
And if you dont celebrate Christmas, you can always follow Sienfeld’s lead and have a “Festivus Holiday Pole”. Festivus, its for the Restivus.
SeanJohn
I am reading Intermediate Algebra
