With global warming and climate change increasing yearly, many people see energy-saving efforts as a world-changing endeavor.
Scroll asked 46 BYU-Idaho students what their efforts are to save energy. This article is a result of that survey.
Yellowstone Junction between Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Photo credit: Chester Chan
Student perspectives
According to Scroll‘s survey, most BYU-I students don’t fully know how to reduce climate change. However, some students focus on adjusting their lifestyles to make a difference on the issue.
One of the students on campus who cares about climate change is Marisa Bone. She grew up in a family of activists who believed in “doing what’s right no matter the cost.”
Bone loves fashion, but she learned its cost early on.
“I started looking into how fashion affects climate change and learned that the apparel industry is the third largest industry polluter in the world, right behind oil,” Bone said.
This new knowledge has taken her on a path to reduce global warming within the fashion industry. Bone changed her major from apparel design to communication with a public relations emphasis so that she can speak about mass consumerism.
Geyser at Yellowstone National Park during the summer. Photo credit: Lis Dolder Pehrson
Bone has worked with an apparel company called Beni, and the company’s purpose is to encourage secondhand purchases. Its goal is to make two out of five online purchases secondhand by 2025. In her time with the company, Bone focused on building Beni’s media presence and community.
“It was the best job experience I’ve ever had, as I was actively working on what I was passionate about,” Bone said.
What the data says
Climate change survey conducted by Scroll. Photo credit: Lis Dolder Pehrson
The study revealed that on average, BYU-Idaho students frequently turn off lights they are not using — limiting light usage helps reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The Natural Resources Defense Council encourages citizens to turn off lights when they are not being used.
The NRDC also suggests that people wanting to reduce climate change should speak up.
“What’s the single biggest way you can make an impact on global climate change? ‘Talk to your friends and family, and make sure your representatives are making good decisions,’” the NRDC’s website says.
Yet, on average, the majority of BYU-I students don’t contact climate representatives to discuss climate issues.
Bison in Yellowstone. Photo credit: Chester Chan
According to a study by Pew Research, 51% of Americans feel like they are doing enough to help reduce the effects of climate change, while 43% think they are doing too little.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints states that “approaches to the environment must be prudent, realistic, balanced and consistent with the needs of the earth and of current and future generations, rather than pursuing the immediate vindication of personal desires or avowed rights.”
Bone believes that there is something both BYU-I students and faculty can do about the issue. She wants to see BYU-I create a recycling program and teach all students about environmental stewardship.
The Idaho entrance to Yellowstone. Photo credit: Chester Chan
As for students, her advice is simple.
“Reduce, reuse, recycle! Before you buy something, ask if you’ll still use it in three years. If not, why are you buying it? Can it be bought secondhand?”
To find out how you can help reduce climate change, visit the NRDC website.
