Project Officer, Greeners Action
Global Warming is really a problem now. It's changed from something you read about in textbooks to a phenomenon you feel and see around you. And partly because of what I study, people around me and I have quite a strong awareness of the problem.
I have really started to use less energy. It's really easy to do and you're sure to have lots of opportunity to cut. The first step is to always remember turning out the lights when I leave a room. I've also got into the habit of using the air-con only at night. As students we use computers heavily but I do switch it off now when not in use.
Since we do not have a lot of income and with so much grant/loan debt on our back, we do watch our expenses. Most of our emission is from daily transport and home electricity use, I think. Students who live in halls (I don't) have to pay utility bills for the amount of water and electricity they use, as far as I know. On that note, however, I've heard that sometimes it drives people to turn up the air-con in common areas really high so that they don't have to switch it on in their room!
I don't think it's fair. A lot of us are actively reducing our carbon footprint by reducing waste in our daily life. Take me as an example I am quite interested in the issue of food waste. I've taken to asking specifically for smaller portion of rice or less meat when I eat out, in order to reduce waste. I admit, however, that some of my friends will not hesitate to take taxis whenever it makes sense financially. Few think about the environmental implications.
You mean like for buying clothes and stuff like that?
I think this is really to do with whether you are a responsible consumer or not. I think that it is acceptable for people to buy things if they really need them, and if they put their purchase to good use-I mean really use them up. If it's a shirt you wear it till it's worn out. If it's a game console you really have fun with it till it's dead, and don't just throw it away when a new model come along. I don't believe that it is viable to ask the society to get rid of these things. So as long as you put your consumption to good use, be responsible for it and its disposal, recycle whenever possible, then I think it's ok. Coming back to your earlier question, I want to say that young people are not really the kind of wasters people tend to think. As students we do not have that much to spend. You cannot compare our consumption profile with high-flyers in their 30s. If they are doing well at their job, they tend to spend more and perhaps create more waste because they don't have to worry about money. They think it's their well-earned luxury to be able to spend without thinking twice.
I think that as students it's easier for us to start making changes in our lives when we are convinced of the cause. You feel empowered from learning that you control the solutions. When we are able to see and feel climate change around us and feel the threat of losing our winter, for example, we get the message. I think it is useful to convey how climate change can bring about disastrous effects to many many places in the world. Showing us compelling images and a clear message will help convince them into action. More shows like "Inconvenient Truth" will be good!
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