Lesson 6.4: What Can You Do?

Student organizations allow learning leadership skills, which are suitable for employment and activism. If
the school has a campus sustainability office, that is also a place to gain experience and learn about locally
influenced practices and standards. There should be in regular contact with elected representatives. Despite
the importance of money in politics, policymakers do record and respond to voters' opinions.

In addition to building environmental literacy, the following are important steps individuals can take (Table
6.2).

Table 6.2. Actions to influence environmental policy

1. Contact your elected representatives regularly and tell them what you think about policy matters.
2. Vote.
3. Encourage others to vote.
4. Join civic organizations to multiply the power of your voice.
5. Practice leadership locally—join student governance groups or community groups, attend city council
meetings, organize activities in your neighborhood.
6. Apply your education: Become an environmental scientist, journalist, artist, engineer, or other
practitioners.
7. Find creative ways to build sustainability into any job you do: Encourage recycling, smart energy
conservation, and other practices.
8. Practice conservation at home: Drive less, walk more, avoid disposable goods, air-dry your clothes, eat
a little less meat, avoid watering your lawn, buy efficient appliances.
9. Stay informed: Read the paper, listen to the news, and not just the weather and murder reports.
10. Go outside and learn about your local environment.

Global, federal, and state lawmakers are essential in environmental policy. However, these entities are all
composed of individuals who have decided to commit their energy, education, or careers to causes they
find valuable. Whatever the skills and interests, that can participate in policy formation and help in
protecting our shared environment. Interacting with the ideas of environmental science requires educators,
policymakers, artists, and writers. Lawyers and other specialists are also needed to develop and improve
environmental laws and regulations. Engineers are needed to develop technologies and products to clean
up pollution and prevent production in the first place. Economists and social scientists are needed to
evaluate the costs of pollution and resource depletion and develop equitable and appropriate solutions for
different parts of the world. Also, businesses will be looking for a new class of environmentally literate and
responsible leaders who can help improve their products and services' green credentials.

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Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-02
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and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No. ITEEM 20-001
 Colleges and universities are powerful catalysts for change
Because universities' fundamental purpose is to collaborate in exploring new ideas, students, and faculty in
schools worldwide are working to develop strategies for more sustainable living and restoring
environmental quality.

Campus sustainability planning is also a method, and students can engage and gain experience. Explore
what kind of plan the university has. If one exists, it may need updating. If none exists, then perhaps one
can help start writing one. Many institutions also have greenhouse gas reduction plans. Working on one can
teach a great deal about both technology and policymaking.

If a student is apprehensive about a career in environmental law, policy, journalism, or other fields related,
getting involved in student groups is an excellent way to build knowledge and experience. Many of today's
environmental and political leaders gained experience in policy, leadership, and organizing by working
with student groups. These activities can be as informative, and life-changing as the courses are taken
because they can give the experience of being in charge and making decisions.

How much is enough?

A final step individual can take to think carefully about consumption. Technology has made consumer
goods and services so cheap and readily available that it is hard to grasp the impacts of our consumption
patterns. However, we do know that we in the industrialized world use vastly disproportionate amounts of
resources, and we know that everyone in the world cannot consume at our level. Can we consume less and
still be happy? It is partly a philosophical question. Some people say no. Others say we can become happier
by consuming less.

A century ago, economist and social critic Thorstein Veblen wrote The Theory of the Leisure Class, where
he coined the term conspicuous consumption. He used the term to describe things we buy to impress others,
things we do not want. Veblen’s ideas are more relevant today than ever. Some social critics call this
accelerated consumerism affluenza. They work frantically at an unfulfilling job, to buy things they do not
need, so they can save time to work even longer hours.

Choosing to consume less can be an easy way to reduce your global environmental footprint and save
money—Cook simple foods with friends instead of eating prepared foods. Produce a garden. Employ less
time shopping and more time talking and having fun with family and friends. Although individual choices
may make a small effect, collectively, they have global consequences.

Page 2 of 97
Vision: A globally competitive university for science, technology, and environmental conservation.
Mission: Development of a highly competitive human resource, cutting-edge scientific knowledge TP-IMD-02
V0 07-15-2020
and innovative technologies for sustainable communities and environment.
No. ITEEM 20-001