Young Writers Society

Setting aside a day to celebrate the earth is great, but our planet needs more than a day in April to thrive. Your friendly neighborhood AP Environmental Science student is here to give you some tips on how to make a positive impact on the beautiful, amazing planet we call our home.

• Reduce, reuse and recycle - in that order. We've grown up learning the importance of recycling, but it's actually the first two that work the best. Though recycling has its benefits, it also has its downsides: not everything can be recycled, it costs energy/time/money for recyclables to go through the recycling process, and some more dangerous recyclable objects are sent overseas for underpaid workers to take apart in highly risky conditions. Reusing is good, but things are still created to begin with. That's why reducing works the best.
  
• Get reusable containers for your food. Plastic wrap and aluminum foil contribute extra waste to the environment, and it adds up if you're a student that brings lunch from home every day to work and/or school (like yours truly). Plastic containers are an option, but glass ones are safer.
  
• Get LED light bulbs. You've probably heard this a hundred times already, but do it! It conserves energy.
  
• Grow your own garden. Not only will you be able to feel satisfied when you finally have the food on the table, but you'll also be able to use some sustainable farming practices while you're at it - you can read this if you're thinking of getting down in the dirt.
  
• Start a compost bin. You can throw your food waste in there and eventually use it as fertilizer for your garden, if you follow through with the last tip. You'll have less trash and happy plants!
  
• Check out how safe and environmentally friendly your cosmetics are. The United States has some pretty loose rules when it comes to what can put into sunscreens, makeups and shampoos. While I can't speak for other countries, it doesn't hurt to see what you're putting on your body - you'd be surprised by how many toxins you can find there. This website lets you check out different brands and products to see what they're made of.
  
• Check out the rest of the site I just linked - it has some other important checkers and guides when it comes to the stuff you put on and in your body. You can find the site here. One object of particular interest might be how safe your tap water is. The state of your water affects you and and the ecosystem that it's disposed into.
  
• Fix your leaky pipes and faucets. A leaky faucet can produce a lot of water over time, so it never hurts to make sure your water systems are as efficient as they can be.
  
• Research. If you're ever not sure of something's environmental effects, do some research! There's bound to be plenty of resources at your disposal, and I'll always be happy to impart some words of wisdom if I know anything about the subject.
  
• Make your voice heard! You can do a lot for the earth on your own, but the biggest impact can be made by making changes to the way the world runs. Support politicians and legislation that can help the earth. Usually, corporations are the ones that have the largest impact on the earth - while they may know what's harming the earth, but most won't do anything unless governmental legislation is put into place. Support clean energy, tighter restrictions on what can go into certain products, and anything else you think will help out the planet.

As long as you remember to make environmentally smart decisions, you'll be helping the earth out in no time at all!