Many people can agree that protecting our environment is important and that we should make an effort to do so, but many people also have not taken any initiative to live a “greener” lifestyle. Why is this? Why do people say they want to help but end up doing nothing to support the cause? The fact is, many people actually want to be more environmentally conscious, but they give a few reasons (or excuses) for why they are not.

Seton Hill Student, Rebecca Herrle created an infographic on going green.

For some people, they have the idea that living a greener life is too expensive. Some environmentally friendly products are a bit pricey, but for the most part are very affordable. For others, it is a matter of time. They claim that they would recycle or they would do something else to help the environment, but their schedule is just too busy. Some people just are not driven to recycle or participate in ways to conserve energy and our non-renewable resources. They do not see the point of it because they do not understand the impact it can have on our world. We, as students, should make more of an effort to be environmentally friendly in any way we can. We could make a huge impact in our own lives and the lives of others.

Although it may not seem like it to some people, we do have the power and the resources to make some change happen. We could organize programs and events on our campus to promote environmentally friendly living, recycling, and being aware of the effect we have on our environment. Environmentally friendly products are better for our health. Natural foods and other green products like natural soaps, detergents, and clothes are better for us. They do not contain harmful chemicals or additives like most of the products we use do. Additionally, recycling can help to reduce the amount of garbage we put into landfills, and it could prevent it from making its way into animals’ habitats. Many species of animals are endangered today. Sometimes, they will even die from getting tangled up in garbage or consuming it. Also, many animals are losing their homes due to deforestation. Going paperless could help save our forests and save the animals’ habitats. It could also help stop the negative effects of climate change and preserve the resources we have now for our future generations. We are burning through our natural resources quickly, and coal and other types of fuel negatively impact our climate and environment. Alternative energy sources are available, and we should make more of an effort to use them and continue to do research to find new ones.

It is easy to see that there are many benefits to living a green lifestyle. Not only will it positively affect your own health, but also the health of our world. We can all begin by taking just a few small steps. They may not seem like much, but they can end up making a big impact on our world.