One for All and All for One

A Reminder from the Michigan Environmental Council

It's not entirely up to you, or me.  The best thing, in fact, about this cause is that just a little bit of effort on everyone's part can result in a great change- we are not alone in this battle.

The state of Michigan is certainly looking to get everyone to do their part.  As many of it's citizens are aware, our state is slowly becoming more eco-friendly.  Windmills are cropping up to supply renewable energy.  Special initiatives are being put in place to protect the Great Lakes.  Through urban farming and more considered use of land, the government is helping to develop more sustainable communities.

The Michigan Environmental Council is a force within the capital fighting for such progress, and they fight for issues as varied as issuing tax credits for energy efficient property and restricting dangerous pesticides to cleaning up underground tanks.  Their website is a great resource, not only to read up on their initiatives, but to understand the relevance of many laws and regulations.

For the more passionate amongst us, don't feel as though you're sitting idly by, watching decisions being made without you.  You can easily get involved by getting email updates on the state of upcoming decisions.  Also, while you're at the computer, feel free to check out the online petitions in favor of environmental protection on change.org, which you can sign as quickly as you can type your name.

And, with so many people trying to reduce paper consumption, a paperless petition is an utterly perfect way to kill two birds with one stone.

Not Your Typical Farm

While most people never question where their food comes from, or what that mysterious place is like, Michigan city-dwellers have recently taken matters into their own hands.  I speak of course about urban farming- the agricultural phenomenon that's sweeping the country.

By planting community gardens in vacant land (a problem-solver in and of itself!), neighborhoods, schools, and organizations such as the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative are able to instill values in workers, volunteers, and children, provide cheap, nutritional food to locals, and help fight unemployment, all while bettering the environment.

It calls to mind the victory gardens of WWII.  But what most people don't realize, is that those victory gardens grew so successful that at their peak they were providing 40% of the nation's produce.  Not only can such gardens alleviate hunger, they can help reestablish the well-being of our cities, which are too often filled with pollution and litter.  The plants provide oxygen, and remind people of the importance of keeping our land clean!

So how can you help in such a massive program?  The answer is simple: just volunteer some of your time.  Working on multipurpose initiatives such as urban farming look amazing on resumes and are great ways to spend required volunteer hours (you can bring friends along, or make some new ones while you're there).

If you won't take it from me, give a minute to the folks at Urban Roots, who are dedicating themselves to rehabilitating Detroit through gardening...

Environmental Consciousness: The Corporate Interpretation

With the upsurge in environmental awareness over the past few years, public pressure has forced large corporations to follow suit. Most department stores and grocery stores sell reusable shopping bags, and some stores offer the option to e-mail your receipt to you. Everyone is making small steps -- even Costco is an Energy Star rated store, for cryin' out loud.

With the overwhelming corporate support for the green movement, many people feel that their individual contributions are insignificant. What good is recycling some yogurt cups and carpooling when the large corporations will save the world for me?

The problem is that these corporations are not going to save the world for you. In fact, I'm not even sure what an Energy Star rating entails. I tried deciphering the criteria for an Energy Star Rated store, however, it is written in a language I do not speak. However, I can tell you about the practices I see being exercised at Kohl's, the Energy Star rated store I work at.

I've worked at the same Kohl's department store for the last six years. A few years ago, I started taking note of the announcements claiming that the store is environmentally conscious. These announcements coincided with the giant, flat screen TV they installed in the break room. I also noticed that they did not reduce the use of paper products. Kohl's still uses paper towel in the bathrooms, rather than air-dryers, and a customer service survey prints with every receipt. And you know how they say they will recycle your old shopping bags? Those bags are thrown away like everything else.

Granted, I can only account for the store I work at. Not every store is subject to the same policies, and some stores demonstrate more environmental responsibility. A store in Chesterfield, Michigan is one of a handful of Kohl's stores that is installing electric vehicle fill stations in the parking lot.

Kohl's is trying to project an Eco-friendly image by virtue of these baby-steps. What I've learned is that these baby-steps are truly just PR moves, and often mitigated by shortcuts.

It's sad to admit, but you can't rely on anyone to protect the environment for you. Though your individual contributions are not capable of reversing the damage done by large corporations, a collective effort can make a profound impact. That is why I urge everyone to keep doing those little things, keep bundling old newspapers and junk mail to put out with your recycling bin, keep riding your bike to class or work, because we're all responsible for doing our part.

Eco-Friendly Life in the Fast Lane

 

For you Grizzlies out there who want to "Go Green at OU!," know that students living on-campus are not the only ones responsible for environmental awareness. That's right, there are a few steps commuters can take to contribute to OU's green movement.

The most obvious reform commuters can make is cutting back on emissions. In other words: drive less. I understand why some students are intimidated by the prospect, but there are a few convenient changes that commuters can make that will make a big difference.

Carpooling is a great way to reduce fuel emissions. If a fellow Grizzly lives in your area, offer to give them a ride on days you have class. I know that it's no fun waiting for your ride to get done with class, so you may want to consider signing up for classes with friends. Not only does that provide you with a carpool option, class is almost bearable if you have a friend with you.

If there's no one to carpool with, make an effort to schedule your classes in blocks. This is the least you can do. Take it from someone who schedules their classes at the last minute: block scheduling is not that hard. I drive to OU just twice a week for my two classes, and I waited until the middle of December to schedule classes.

Now if those first two suggestions are asking too much, this last step is one all commuters can and should follow. When you make it to campus and find that elusive parking spot, pleasepleasepleaseplease TURN OFF YOUR CAR! I understand that surfing Facebook on your phone in the comfort and privacy of your heated car is enticing. But people, there are several buildings right in front of you that will provide that heat and comfort. I cannot express how maddening it is to walk across the parking lot in the morning and hearing your SUV's motor chugging away.

Making this minor change, along with the others, will not only impact the environment, but your wallet as well. That's the added bonus. So save yourself some money, carpool when you can and contribute to saving the environment.

Green Living At OU

One might assume that living in the residence halls at Oakland University would make it challenging to be environmentally friendly. The exact opposite is true, in fact. The residence halls offer many possibilities for the students to help the environment at different levels of actions.

On every floor, there is a recycling bin for residents to dispose of recyclable materials. There is also a separate bin for plastic bottles. In addition, every water fountain there is a specific nozzle to fill up water bottles, which promotes reusable bottles instead of the disposable plastic ones.

To take being green and being a resident even further, beginning in 2010 a floor in West Vandenberg focused on tasks that would improve the environment. The students who live on this floor must attend meetings that dispense information about helping the environment and other ways that they can go green.

These students also work on volunteer projects such as Make a Difference Day and they are required to attend programs and can go on field trips. During move in week, they separate recyclable items from the garbage, which would have a huge impact on the environment because a lot is thrown away on move in day.

In the summer of 2010, the floor was converted into an eco-friendly project.  According to the Eco-Interest’s website, “The floor now has 100% recycled and sustainable carpets, non-toxic paint, dual flushing toilets, water-saving faucets and showerheads, and sustainable furniture.” Clearly, Oakland University is making an effort to make the world that we live in a better place while making life for its residences interesting.

The Eco-Interest’s website has some suggestions about how to help the environment without spending extra money, which is great for any college student:

1) Don't leave water running. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and do not use more water than necessary for other activities (doing the dishes, taking showers, washing your hands, etc.)

2) Turn off the lights when you leave the room, and when you do turn them on make sure you have fluorescent bulbs.

3) Instead of waiting for the water to run cold from the tap, have a jug of water in the fridge for when you need a cold drink.

4) Buy rechargeable batteries, and recycle those batteries you have that are not.

5) Put on more clothes before turning up the thermostat.

6) Try to avoid using Styrofoam.

7) Use cloth napkins and towels instead of paper.

8) Make a habit of recycling EVERYTHING that can be recycled. Paper, aluminum, glass, plastic, etc.

9) Donate old things such as clothing, books, and toys that you do not use anymore to others that will use them.

10) Buy items that are already made of recycled materials, and when you're finished recycle them again.

Click here for more information

Oakland University Students Do Their Part

Sustaining Our Planet Earth (S.O.P.E.) is an organization at Oakland University that focuses on helping students make the environment a better place. They try to give the students information about the environment and what they can do to help. They also have programs for students to help them learn more about the environment.

The skills that students learn through S.O.P.E. can be used in their lives while at school. They can also take these skills off campus and into the future, such as when they own their own home or apartment and make it eco-friendly.

Students who live on campus can choose to live on the Eco-Interest floor, which will change their lifestyles to be more eco-friendly. They can also choose to be the recycling coordinator for their floor, which means that they are in charge of taking the recycling bin for their floor to the designated recycling area. Students who do not live on campus can also participate in this program by going to the S.O.P.E. office at 160 West Vandenberg.

Recently, S.O.P.E. had an Eco Conferences that covered green living on March 4, 2013. Different events occurred during this conference, such as education about having a vegan diet, organic farmers at OU, a free yoga session and other exciting events. Students could have fun while learning about environmental issues and how to lead a healthier life.

On April 10, 2013, they will be helping Oakland University Student Congress put on a benefit show for the
OUSC Food Pantry Initiative. Students can share their talents while helping with an excellent cause. They also have events to celebrate Earth Day.

S.O.P.E. is clearly an excellent organization at Oakland University that helps students to go green!

Check out their Facebook page for other exciting events and tips about how easy it is to be green: https://www.facebook.com/sustainingourplanetearth

Click here for even more information!

How you do your part

In this day and age, recycling and being green with your habits can make a big impact. Our planet is getting older and older each day, and our populations are growing. Therefore, waste and pollution are at an all time high. We each must do our own small part to make sure our earth remains sustainable.

However, many people these days simply do not care. They seem to only live in the present day and to not care at all about the future generations of the world that will inherit our mistakes. It is at this point that we must take a stand and fix our own problems. As of late, going green has become a much wider known thing, however many people still are not doing their part.

It stems from laziness and in some cases, ignorance. Some people don't know what it means to go green; they don't know the proper steps to take to recycle their trash or even about the large amounts of energy they waste each day. These issues could be solved if people who routinely participate in ways to conserve energy and eliminate waste simply informed those close to them, or even if the government went to greater lengths to inform the populace.

Also you can do your own small part by remembering to recycle your bottles and recyclable goods. There's always volunteer opportunities in your community; try to clean up your local park or get together with fellow concerned citizens and help clean up trash around town. There are plenty of ways you can get involved in your community; all you must do is make the effort and look into them.

Here is a page that lists the recycling centers in Rochester Hills: click here

Probably shouldn't Go Green

Some people will tell you that going green is a good way to protect mother nature and to stop pollution and what not, but these people are simply con artists, trying to get you to stop throwing away your valuable trash. In reality, they want it all for themselves. Have you ever perhaps heard the phrase “one man's trash is the other man's treasure?” These people who encourage you to recycle not only want first pick over the valuable things you toss out, but they actually want to make this earth a cleaner and more habitable place. But why would anyone want to do that?

I don't understand why people could possibly ever want you to recycle! Who cares about the state of our planet: its not our problem if our children have to live in a trash heap now is it? Also, that brings up another point. If any of you have seen the movie Wall-E, you may have false conceptions about recycling and pollution. In the movie, the earth becomes too covered in trash to support life, so the humans live on a space ship out in the galaxy and over time have become incredibly high-tech and advanced, even evolving past the need to walk around.

The main character, and also a villainly one at that is trying to get all of the humans to return to earth after they find a plant that signals that the planet is liveable. Wall-E and his friends are trying to get the humans to give up their peaceful lives to return to a planet of hardships and forge a new life.

I am here to tell you that if you start recycling now, the chances of the earth becoming this way are slim to none. You must realized what a wasted privilege this is; living in space, in tight quarters with your fellow humans and evolving as far as to not have to walk sounds awesome and would never come to light if Earth is allowed to thrive and remain habitable.