A Clean Environment Is Essential for Healthy Living: The more you don’t care about our environment, the more it will become polluted with contaminants and toxins that have a harmful impact on our health. Air pollution can cause respiratory diseases and cancer, among other problems and diseases.

Why it’s important that we value nature It underpins our economy, our society, indeed our very existence. Our forests, rivers, oceans and soils provide us with the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we irrigate our crops with. These natural assets are often called the world’s ‘natural capital’.

Protects our Ecosystem Our environment is what houses and helps our ecosystem grow and thrive. Without protecting and taking care of our environment we’re putting so many lives at danger such as animals, plants and crops, and even our own. All of the ecosystems that make up our environment are deeply connected.

The most obvious reason for conservation is to protect wildlife and promote biodiversity. Protecting wildlife and preserving it for future generations also means that the animals we love don’t become a distant memory. And we can maintain a healthy and functional ecosystem.

Some human activities that cause damage (either directly or indirectly) to the environment on a global scale include population growth, overconsumption, overexploitation, pollution, and deforestation, to name but a few.

How You Can Stop Global Warming

1. Speak up!
2. Power your home with renewable energy.
3. Weatherize, weatherize, weatherize.
4. Invest in energy-efficient appliances.
5. Reduce water waste.
6. Actually eat the food you buy—and make less of it meat.
7. Buy better bulbs.
8. Pull the plug(s).

The world is facing incredibly serious natural resource and environmental challenges: Climate change, fresh water depletion, ocean over-fishing, deforestation, air and water pollution, the struggle to feed a planet of billions.

5 Ways Students Can Help Save The Environment

1. Use Reusable Bags. Plastic grocery-type bags that get thrown out end up in lakes and landfills or in other parts of the environment.
2. Recycle. Recycling is such a simple thing to do, but so many people don’t do it.
3. Save Electricity! Use energy-efficient light bulbs instead of regular bulbs.
4. Save Water.
5. Walk or cycle.

Most college campuses are walkable, so reduce your carbon footprint by walking or biking to class instead of driving. Public transportation is also an affordable, environmentally friendly option.

1. Conserve energy in your everyday life.

1. Turn off the lights.
2. Close doors immediately so heat does not escape.
3. Take short showers.
4. Walk or bike if you can (instead of having your parents drive you).
5. Turn off your computer when not in use (don’t leave it on just to keep Facebook or Myspace active).

Some practical tips schools can adopt:

1. Introduce the 3 R’s: reduce waste, reuse resources, and recycle materials.
2. Organise tree planting days at school and tell them why trees are important to the environment.
3. Encourage children to switch off all appliances and lights when not in use.

Students can also fight for this change with these tips: Get involved with climate action groups, either on campus or locally. Consider joining groups like the Sunrise Movement or 350.org. Organize a disinvestment campaign and demand that your college or university takes oil and gas investments out of its endowments.

Getting food from local suppliers, getting some organic waste bins and setting up on-campus donation and swap initiatives are all little ways for university campuses to make a big difference.

Ten Ways to Reduce Waste on Campus

1. Recycle plastic, cans and paper – over 400 sets of bins across campus.
2. Refill your water bottle at 45 stations across campus.
3. Bring your own coffee mug for a discount at all campus cafes.
4. File electronically.
5. Print double sided.
6. Consult the CSU Green Event Guide when planning events.
7. Reuse furniture from Property Control.