It’s what’s in style, it’s the new trend, and everyone is doing it. No, it’s not the latest fashion trend or new gizmo, it’s “going green.”
Going green is a conscious decision to make environmentally friendly changes to one’s lifestyle to help and reduce the human effects on global warming. Global warming, defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is an “average increase in the temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth’s surface and in the troposphere which can contribute to changes in global climate changes.”
Many people around the Winston-Salem State University campus have been taking notice of the climate changes this past year. Many people have begun to ponder what causes these temperature changes.
According to the EPA, global warming can occur from a variety of sources, both natural and human induced. In common usage, global warming often refers to the warming that can occur as a result of increased emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities. Therefore, the increase of emissions and the unrecognized harmful affects of daily human activity increases support of going green.
So why should we turn off the lights in our homes? Why should we recycle? Why should we really care about any of the things we are told make a difference?”
In the University of North Carolina system $14 million a month was used for power and water during the fiscal year 2005-2006, accounting for 70 to 80 percent of state government energy use. The UNC system is the single largest user of electricity and water in North Carolina. If more attention is given to energy and water consumption atUNC campuses, more money can be saved and redirected into facility and campus improvements.
On the WSSU campus alone more than $2 million was used for utilities in fiscal year 2006-2007. In addition, recycling bins on campus are scarce and rarely, if ever, used.However, the University’s Facilities Department is continuing to develop conservationawareness programs that are designed for energy and water savings. Ultimately, green changes depend on the students and staff on campus.
Most notably, the green changes in the automobile industry are becoming more popular. Many people are opting for hybrid vehicles, environmentally friendly gas cars, and sportutility vehicles. However, the roadways are still heavily populated with traditionally fueled vehicles.
Changing the type of vehicle driven is a major change, but there are smaller changes that can have an effect as well.
“Going green is a wonderful idea if everyone chooses to participate, but that is the issue, not everyone will participate,” says Quintin Jones, junior psychology major.
The green action plan calls for relatively small changes that lead to changing the daily human impact on the world. There are many agencies and organizations that promoteenvironmental protection and awareness and give citizens “green tips.” These organizations are available to educate others about the daily impact on the environment, and provide information that can be used daily to help reduce the impact on theenvironment.
The green lifestyle is constantly changing. It encompasses food, water, waste, energy, transportation, television and even fashion. For fashion lovers, even purchasing certainitems such as t-shirts and trinkets can contribute to environmental changes. A shirt can be purchased and a portion of the sale will go to scientific research or a wildlife fund.
Go online to thenewsargus.com, for additional green information, statistics, and links to various green Websites.