Editorial: The Truth about Going Green

The United States produces the most carbon emissions out of all the countries in the world. According to Environmental Engineering, we produce 1.5 billion tons of emissions from the use of automobiles. Americans have been asking themselves what steps they need to take in order to reduce their carbon footprint. The fact of the matter is we, as a nation, do not want to re-adjust our daily routine in order to reduce our footprint. Adjusting our routines seems like (and is) a wonderful idea and notion; however, it is quite hard to do. Even though there are many obstacles, there are plenty of ways that we can produce our nation’s carbon footprint and become greener.

Car companies are trying to produce more and more efficient cars. Since the 1960s our nation has been worrying about global warming. We now have cars that run on hydrogen, natural gas, ethanol, and biodiesel. We also have electric powered cars like the Nissan Leaf, the Toyota Prius and the Chevy Volt. There are plenty of ways to cut down our emissions; however, people don’t want to get rid of their old cars and buy a new one. Buying a new, green-efficient car may seem stressful at the time, but in the end, the planet would benefit, which is what our nation claims it wants. Though we could cut down our emissions by buying a new car, we have to take in the fact that the company’s factories burn fossil fuels, and create emissions. The companies could switch from fossil fuels to solar panels, but again, it is a lot more expensive.

Each individual can cut down his/her own carbon footprint by using alternative ways of transportation. People should walk, ride a bike, or car-pool. Car-pooling is a great way of transportation if you live in the city, whereas in the country it is a little bit more difficult.

Aside from cars, people want to cut down the energy use in their homes. This is the place where it is hard to change habits. We want to use less water and conserve energy, but in reality these actions are conscious thoughts and they need to be subconscious. Simple things can reduce the amount of energy a family uses in their homes: stopping the faucet while not using the water, taking shorter showers, and doing the laundry with cold water all can help by cutting down the amount of water we use. We can save energy by shutting off lights while not in the room, or unplugging appliances when they are not in use. It is simpler to cut down energy use in homes.

No matter how Americans do it, we must begin to cut our energy use. We use more energy than any other country, and that is unacceptable. Pick one thing that you can do; whether it be turn off the lights, take shorter showers, or maybe buy a more efficient car. Start with one simple task, and then it will become a subconscious thought for you to branch off into doing other greener tasks.

By: Alex, Justin, and Anthony