Sunday, April 29, 2012

Spring Cleaning






As the school year is coming to an end, college students often find themselves with a lot of items they need to get rid of.  Whether they are moving away permanently, for the summer, or simply want to do some spring cleaning, getting rid of items can be a hassle.  From couches to mini fridges to extra pens and binders, these are all items that can be reused and do not need to be thrown away and sit in landfills.  One option is to sell things on ebay or craigslist, however those can be a hassle and time consuming.  Another option is to use a network called Freecycle. 

The Freecycle Network is a grassroots nonprofit movement to encourage people to give things away and prevent them from ending up in landfills.  Membership is free and all you do is go to freecycle.org, sign up, find your community, and join your local efforts.  When you have something or a bundle of items to get rid of, list your items and if members in your community want them, they will contact you for pick up.  This is an easy and convenient method of cleaning out your dorm, house, or apartment.  The Freecycle Network can also work the other way when you may need an item that someone in your community is getting rid of.

By using the Freecycle Network, you will reduce the amount of resources extracted to produce new things as well as reduce the amount of pollution created during the production and transportation of those items.  Other people can benefit from what is in essence, your garbage.  You will also save money, since all items are free.  And who doesn’t love free stuff?  Visit freecycle.org to find out more information and sign up!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

A New Way to Park



In today’s modern society, car usage is vital for many people to go about their daily lives.  Unless you walk, ride a bike, or have access to public transportation, you are most likely to drive a car to get around.  With rising gas prices, people are looking for ways to reduce their gas consumption.  

One way you could do this is to pull all the way forward into a parking space.  This EGOlogical tip is very simple and will help reduce the amount of carbon emitted from your car as well as save you money.  If there is no parking block in the way, go ahead and pull into the spot in front of it.  That way when you are ready to leave, you will just have to pull forward and be on your way instead of having to go in reverse, back up, maybe idle a little because you have to wait for a pedestrian to pass by, and then put your car in drive and drive away. 

All those steps may seem small, but they add up to wasting gas and emitting more carbon into the atmosphere than you would be if you took the step to simply pull into the space in front it of.  Now I know not ALL parking lots have spaces that would allow you to practice this tip, but if you ever are in a parking lot that does, keep this EGOlogical tip in mind.