An Earth Day education
Students hear a lot about ways they can save the environment but most tips about water heaters and thermostats are out of students’ control. In honor of Earth Day here are some tiny changes students can make to help the environment.
Building a Community
Ken Henry from the Nevada Collision for Climate Protection said people should create communities and share items they don’t use much to reduce waste. For example, not every one of your friends needs their own book or calculator, so figure out a way to share.
Bottled Water
Not only does bottled water produce plastic waste, even if you recycle the empty bottlesn it still takes a lot of energy to process. The water also takes a lot of energy to bottle and ship all over the country. Buy your own water bottle and fill it up whenever you pass a drinking fountain. It will save a lot of materials and a lot of money.
E-waste
Electronics can be some of the most toxic-waste products to the environment, said Valerie Andersen chair of the Great Basin Group. If you hang onto your old computer or dead cell phone for a while, students will get the chance to recycle their old electronics through e-recycling events provided by University organizations, usually in the fall .
Light Bulbs
New CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) light bulbs take a little bit of time to warm up and get bright, but they save a lot of energy, Tim Kiersz from Sierra Pacific Power Company said. He said CFL lights are much more efficient than incandescent lights and aren’t as hot as regular bulbs, which is where they lose a lot of energy. SPPC even offers a rebate for buyers of these bulbs.
The Green Ballot
Though one individual can do a lot to help the environment, the government can do even more to help, Kyle Davis, policy director for the Nevada Conservation League, said. His group’s Web site, nvgreenvote.org, keeps track of politicians’ environmental records and makes endorsements. So with a little research, politically active students can vote green.
Saving Water
Students can collect water while they wait for their shower to warm up and use it to water their plants Lauren Siegel, Director of Nevada Eco Net, said. Also putting a brick in the tank of their toilet can go a long way in saving water by reducing the amount water in the tank.
Local Food
Buying local food is a good way to save resources said Jana Vanderhaar from the Great Basin food Co-op. Food bought at the local super`markets can come from all the way across the world but there are plenty of local farmers who sell their goods. The Web sites www.nevadagrown.com and www.crystlbrdg.clearwire.net are good places to find out where local farmers sell their crops, and you can even pay a farmer up front to deliver a box of fresh veggies every week with the Great Basin Basket service at www.greatbasinbasket.com.
Groups around the community
There are many environmental groups around the Reno area that are trying to protect nature around Nevada. Here are a few groups that help students get involved, get info or just have fun.
Green things to do
Though some students don’t think they can find anything to do that doesn’t plug into a wall, there are plenty of organizations that help adventurers find the perfect activity to occupy them over the weekends.
Reno Bike Project
Nothing can help the environment better than riding a bike instead of driving John Sagebiel, manager of environmental affairs for the university, said. The Reno Bike Project has expert bikers that can set students up with a cheap bike and teach them how to maintain and fix their bikes.
www.renobikeproject.com
250 Bell St.
Reno, NV 89503
River School
The River School provides a space for teachers to rent and hold classes manager Kim Swearingen said. Along with regular classes about organic gardening, Brazilian martial arts and dance, they also have one-time art and environmentalism classes. The school also organizes events like an ongoing full moon drum circles.
www.riverschool.info
7777 White Fir St.
Reno, NV 89523
775.747.3910
Nevada
Eco Net
This organization plans events like the Earth Day celebration at Idlewild Park and educates people about living green along with organizing volunteer events. On its Web site you can also find a list of local businesses that practice green so shoppers know who to support.
How to find them: www.nevadaeconet.org
Bike Trails
There are plenty of bike trails around Reno that offer a great view of the city along with a good workout. John Sagebiel said The Reno Bike Project can suggest some good routes but Great Basin Bicycles has maps of all the bike trails around Reno available at www.greatbasinbicycles.com.
SEEDS and EnAcT
These two student groups have been fighting to make the University of Nevada, Reno campus a little more green. Students and Educators for Environmental Development and Sustainability lobby campus officials to adopt green policies like using triple-certified coffee or using storm drain water for campus plants.
New campus group Environmental Action Team just formed this semester and is educating students through movies it has shown, like “King Corn,” about American modified food supply, and by organizing events.
How to get in touch: Both clubs have pages on the UNR environmental social networking site unrenvironment.ning.com.
Truckee River
The Truckee River can provide a lot of fun for students. Walking or bike riding on the riverbanks or rope swings to launch fun seekers into the rushing waters can provide a few hours of fun. Inner tubing down the river can also be a great way to spend a hot Reno day with a few friends.
Great Basin Group
Along with conservation, the Great Basin Group leads frequent hikes, said Valerie Andersen, chair of the Great Basin Group. The group organizes day-long hikes or after-work hikes that only last a few hours to match any student’s schedule.
Upcoming hikes can be found at nevada.sierraclub.org/gbgroup.
Grist.org
Grist.org mixes light-hearted comedy with environmental issues, almost like a green online version of the Daily Show. Grist covers a wide variety of topics from serious political commentary to tips on how to have green sex.
How to find it: www.Grist.org
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April 25th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
most of the ideas cost more money in an economicly unstable times. some of the things including the new light bulbs can actually cause more harm to the environment than good. Nalgene bottles take an expodentially larger amount of energy to be produced than new eco-friendly nestle water bottles. (even cases of them)… next time you look for environmental friendly things look at environmental engineers and electrical engineers than liberal journalists or poly sci majors.