As I push down on my college bathroom toilet flusher, I ponder about my next Hebrew test. Oh, and how this water that’s dragged down the drain is affecting the planet. Though huge factories and giant planes are destroying the planet, the smaller day to day activities are also contributing to climate change.
When showering, brushing your teeth, leaving the lights on, leaving outlets plugged in, eating steak, and flushing the toilet, emissions are released into the atmosphere. Once in the atmosphere, these gases sit and trap heat.
Not only does sitting and trapping heat sound like a boring job, but it’s a detrimental one as well. Extinction is increasing at rapid rates, droughts have become more intense, and hurricanes are happening more frequently. In addition, climate change is not predicted to slow down any time soon.
With the increasing consequences, it became extremely important for me to change the way I lived, even just the small things.
Personally, my carbon footprint is 33 tons or 1,056,000 ounces of carbon dioxide per year. Nope, that is not a small number; however, simple lifestyle changes could decrease my carbon footprint dramatically.
Starting with getting ready for school, I waste way too much water while brushing my teeth. Though it feels unnatural at times, it’s important to turn off the water while brushing one’s teeth. Water is a precious resource and not one we can risk losing (trust me).
After I get ready, I shut the door behind me, but a glow remains through the crack of the door. The smallest click on the light switch could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by .15 pounds per hour according to Boston University.
For lunch, I go and grab my juicy hamburger with loads of ketchup and mustard. Even though it tastes like heaven between two buns, cows heavily contribute to climate change. Cows take up a lot of land, release gases in production, as well as emit methane. Saying no to these hefty animals could mean a big reduction in my carbon footprint as about 4 tons CO2/year comes solely from the way I eat.
At the end of my day filled with sweat (and sometimes even tears), I aggressively turn the handle on the shower to burning hot. Steam practically encompasses the entire bathroom as I stand beneath the water and reflect on my day. Those minutes that I waste standing under the water is not only wasting my time but also our precious resource. Reducing the amount of time, I spend watching the hot water pour down from above me means more of our precious resource as well as fewer emissions.
On a lighter note, by not bringing my car to campus, my travel emissions remain at only 6 tons CO2/year in comparison to the average 14 tons CO2/year. Increasing the amount, I walk instead of drive helps me keep that number somewhat low; however, my plane rides still contribute a significant amount.
Though they may sound small, these simple life changes can significantly reduce emissions. Check out the Nature Conservatory Calculator to learn what changes you can make, whether big or small.
So, as the water trickles down the bottom of the toilet, I fear for our diminishing planet.
Works Cited
“Turn Off The Lights.” Sustainability Turn Off The Lights Comments,
http://www.bu.edu/sustainability/ what-you-can-do/ten-sustainable-actions/turn-off-the-lights/.
“Carbon Calculator.” The Nature Conservancy,
http://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/consider-your-impact/carbon-calculator/.
(The photograph was posted to Flickr by Richard Ricciardi and can be found here. Licensing to this photograph can be found here. )
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