You want to make a difference to better the environment, but you wonder if one person can even make an impact.
So start small, first by losing the pessimistic attitude.
You hear others barking “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” but you have a bah-humbug attitude, believing that your contributions will only be in vain and will not improve anything.
This, my friend, is not true at all. By simply recycling one glass bottle, you can save enough electricity to power a 100-watt bulb for four hours. By recycling one aluminum can, you can run a TV for six hours on the electricity saved.
Recycling not your thing?
Maybe it’s not convenient enough for your lifestyle. Try switching your paper billing to electronic bills and opt for online bill pay. Many banks and utility companies are offering this option to their customers, which would save you time and reduce the amount of paper used.
It’s a cascade effect. Reducing the amount of paper wasted will help prevent deforestation and reduce global warming.
There are many things an individual can do, such as hopping on a bus instead of taking the car, or using a reusable shopping bag when visiting the grocery store. You can change your traditional incandescent light bulbs in your house to LEDs or compact fluorescent light bulbs.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs use at least two-thirds less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and they last up to 10 times longer.
With the plethora of small things available, you can make big differences. It only takes one small stone cast across water to create many ripples.
At least try to make a difference in your own life or the lives of your children. Plant that seed in them.
Let your new positive attitude toward helping the environment be your small stone.
Danielle A. Bohner is a wildlife ecology and conservation senior at UF. You can contact him via opinions@alligator.org.
