The ocean is a boiling acid pool filled with microplastics, hurricanes are ripping up infrastructure left and right, and Donald Trump (still) doesn’t believe in climate change. As we’re swimming in this absolute cesspool of problems, there are still simple actions you can take to support environmental efforts at Concord Academy. Here is a comprehensive guide:
1. BYOWB: Bring Your Own Water Bottle
In case you missed Green Club’s announcement about plastic cup usage, CA uses about 10,000 disposable cups every month. Each time you use a paper cup, a single tear runs down Gretchen Roorbach’s cheek, and 10,000 tears is too many for one person in one month. Even though the disposable cups we have at CA are recyclable, it is far more efficient to reuse your cup than to recycle your cup–so please remember to reach for that water bottle when you feel thirsty.
2. Bins, bins, bins: Just recycle it.
Maintaining the integrity of our recycling remains at the forefront of our environmental efforts at CA. Please remember that every week, I, along with the other Environmental Coheads and a lucky group of students, collect and sort through everything that ends up in the little blue bins you may have seen around school. And trust me, everything ends up in there. So, before you chuck that banana peel into a waste receptacle, be sure to pause and throw it in the compost bin.
3. It’s a bike, it’s a train, it’s a student getting to school using little to no fossil fuel!
Day students: Every week during my advisor meeting, Gretchen complains to me about seeing students who live within a half mile from campus drive in every day. I won’t name names, but I know who you are. If you are able to, please save me from this weekly discourse by walking or biking–you could even scooter if you’re into that. Also, if you live near our beloved Commuter Rail, join in on the fun and take the train to school. Every once in awhile, it’s really late and you get to skip first block.
On another transportation-related note, please be mindful of your vertical traversing of CA’s buildings. Realistically, you have two options:
a) Take the stairs, using the power of your own muscles to ascend and descend
b) Take the elevator, burning fossil fuels to move your body up or down flights
Unless you need to use the elevator, please work those muscles and take the stairs.
4. Let’s Get Together
Finally, there are many opportunities to participate in environmental events throughout the semester.
Be sure to attend Urinetown (Nov. 17-18), CA’s fall mainstage production, which centers on a water shortage. During the intermission, representatives from Green Club will be speaking with audience members about climate change and the global water crisis.
The Environmental Coheads are currently in the process of planning an Earth Week for the week of December 4. In partnership with Ceramics Club, we are selling fabulous, artisanal ceramic bowls that you can use for cereal, ice cream, and anything else you might eat out of a bowl. Dinner Docs will feature an environmentally-themed film, and Green Club will be holding a big blowout meeting, and more….
So stayed tuned to find out even more ways to take care of the Earth and the campus!