Think Sustainable

“When will our country stop wasting money on global warming and so many other truly “STUPID” things and begin to focus on lower taxes” (Donald Trump, 2014). Even before this diabolical man was our president all he cared about was money. In the words of Kady Herring from Mean Girls “Wrong. He was so wrong.”  I firmly believe everyone has the right to their own opinions and should be able to think for themselves. However, Trump's “opinion” is not a fact. The fact is Earth is in deep trouble because of human actions. You may think, “Wait... Don’t we inhabit this place? Don’t we control it?” Yes! We Do! With that same control we must fix it. Don’t think for one second that you don’t have power, you most certainly do. “If you are walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress” (Barack Obama).

So, what can you do exactly? I’ll give you a list of things that you can start doing right now. Switching to just one of these actions helps. Small progress is still progress, eventually is better than never.

1. Buy a reusable water bottle. Unless you break it or lose it you won’t have to buy another. Start drinking from your water bottle and refill it when you need more. 
2. If you can’t buy a reusable bottle, you can recycle the single use bottles you buy. Recycling is better than dumping them in a landfill.
3. Bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store. The small price to buy your own bags to help save the planet is the least you can do. Really!
4. Purchase or even make your own reusable lunch bags instead of using plastic bags, use reusable containers for sandwiches or salads, and silverware instead of plastic. 
5. Switching to a plant-based diet helps slow down climate change and lowers the amount of gases emitted in the air such as CO2, NH4, and N2O. These powerful greenhouse gases cause the vast majority of climate change. You know those animals you eat produce a lot of methane, right? Or maybe you don't, well you're hearing it now, “The billions of animals who are crammed onto U.S. factory farms each year produce enormous amounts of methane,” and “the meat, egg, and dairy industries account for an astonishing 65 percent of worldwide nitrous-oxide emissions” (PETA). 
6. Stores like Forever21 and H&M release 52 season per year, micro-seasons. Yes, you heard that correctly, 52 lines of clothing so new styles are constantly out for consumers to buy. In case you haven’t heard the term, it’s called fast fashion. Months later we forget about clothes in the back of our closets and either never wear it again, donate it, or throw it away. We need to understand the importance of sustainable fashion. I love to wear cute, modern clothes just like many others but you don’t need new clothes to do so. Almost every week this year I’ve worn this dress and received compliments. Not because it’s trendy, new, or flashy but because it's a classic dress and always cute.

Okay, now that you've heard me say landfill a thousand times, you may ask “But why should I care Sarah? How does a landfill affect me?” Because it's a little more than just one landfill. Currently there are 3,091 active landfills and over 10,000 old municipal landfills, in the US alone. Not only that, The EPA estimates that “landfills are the third-leading cause of methane emissions in the U.S. Nearly a fifth of of methane emissions come from landfills,” which contributes to climate change. So, think again when you use a plastic bag, throw something away, and shop for something you don’t need. No matter who you are, where you live, what you believe, this affects you and that’s why we must work together to make the WORLD great again.