It is undeniable that the environment is a major concern as of late. As environmental issues have increased in number and severity that have also picked up mainstream media coverage and are taking prominence in government. People are realizing we are almost out of time to change our ways or our planet will be past the point of no return. Amidst all this doom and gloom though there is still hope. We are at a major tipping point, in the words of environmental activist Greta Thunberg, “We are failing, but have not yet failed.” If we give our all when making these changes we can still save our beloved planet. At this point, people know we have to change but the question that many people are asking themselves is: What can I do to help?

Turn off the lights. Do you leave the hall light on even when you’re in your room with the door closed? Do you leave the back room light on even when you’re in the kitchen? Do you have all your lights on even when it’s a beautiful sunny day outside? If you said yes to any of those don’t beat yourself up, I’ve done all of those things myself. The good news is you are able to make a impact by simply flipping a switch!

Cut down plastic use and reuse the plastic you have to use. It’s nearly impossible in today’s world to not have a piece of plastic in sight. Even in the middle of a pristine forest or the deepest parts of the ocean plastic is far from a rare occurrence. Plastic packaging and single use plastics are some of the biggest threats to our planet. I want you to try to think of one item you buy from the store that isn’t wrapped in or have something to do with plastic...pretty hard huh? Plastic is a very strong and cheap way to keep the things we buy safe and clean until we unwrap them, but it’s decomposition rate is astronomical (some can take up to 1000 years). By investing in reusable grocery bags, reusable snack bags, and by reusing plastic water bottles from the store at least 3 times we can so greatly reduce the amount of plastic waste produced.

Make your vote count! One of the most forgotten ways to make an environmental impact is in politics. Before going to the booth, check up on candidate's stance on environmental matters! While impacts need to be made on the part of civilians this global change won’t happen without the support of our world leaders.

             While many of these may seem like obvious and simple things to do, they are so very overlooked and are often an afterthought. If everyone truly throws themselves into these simple tasks we can be a catalyst for global change.