Time is running out. The truth is harsh, but it’s blaring. The climate is declining, and today’s generation is the one that will bear witness to the consequences. The only way to change the future is to get ahead and be the change. Improving the world isn’t always as extravagant as heading an international organization, or planting a thousand trees for a youtube video. Actually, it can be as simple as altering your daily activities to make the world a more sustainable place.
THRIFTING FASHION – Thrifting your wardrobe is a win-win way to help the environment and spruce up your closet. Donating and purchasing clothing secondhand leaves less material in landfills. Instead of letting cute finds rot in a dump for the hundred years it takes them to decompose, hit up your local Goodwill and give them a few more years in your closet.
SHOP FRESH – In Indiana, finding fresh produce is as easy as walking down the street. The farmer’s market on the square is the home of everything all-natural. Buying local produce cuts back carbon emissions, one of the leading factors in detrimental climate change today. When you shop locally, you also support the people in your community.
REUSE, REUSE, REUSE – A major factor in Earth’s decline is an overuse of non-perishable products. Just because something is coined as ‘disposable,’ that doesn’t mean that it’ll decompose in a timely fashion. Instead of bringing home a dozen long-lasting plastic bags every time you go grocery shopping, try bringing reusable canvas bags to decrease waste. You can also give up on expensive plastic bottles and buy a reusable one that you can fill up for free.
GIVING BACK – The earth has given us a multitude of wonderful things, so it’s time to give back. Planting seeds is a simple and effective way to provide for the planet. Gardening is beginner friendly: There are plants for those who have natural green thumbs, and those who have never even held a watering can. The Hamilton East Public LIbrary has a seed bank that anybody can take from for free, so you can even get started any day.
USING YOUR VOICE – Taking initiative is the first step to making a change. The next is spreading awareness. There are endless opportunities to use your voice in the wake of environmental change, as small as posting on social media, or as big as protesting and speaking to local government officials. When enough people express their care for something, it eventually can’t be ignored. This is Earth, meant to be protected and loved. News outlet The Conversation says that for social change to have any influence, it “needs to endure over time.” So to ensure that the state of the world is never a silent subject, don’t wait to be the change.
