O Summer, Where Art Thou?

The summer is fast approaching, and everywhere college students are worrying about finals and are getting ready to start working at summer jobs. Life for college students changes dramatically during the summer months. Our brains are given a chance to mellow out and our wallets are able to slowly fill up with cash.

Though our wallets might bulge initially, rising gas prices are sure to thin budgets and curb travel plans to far away places. Where o where is that elusive Green Revolution hiding? On the West Coast? Progressive California has seen a massive increase in Green technology, in architecture, transportation and other aspects of daily life. Though you might not be ready to buy a hybrid car, there are measures you can take to help protect the environment and save you money.

My first suggestion is, RIDE A BIKE. Riding a bike is good exercise and it is obviously much cheaper than having to pay for gas. Anyone who can, owes it to themselves to ride a bike whenever possible.

My second suggestion is, SAVE ENERGY IN YOUR HOUSE. Recently I've noticed how often lights are left on at my house, overnight and all day long sometimes. Make sure to always turn lights off whenever you leave the room. As our entire nation moves towards a more sustainable way of living, simple things like energy saving light bulbs and reading a book instead of watching T.V. will make a huge difference in the amount of energy we consume.

My third suggestion is, TALK ABOUT IT. Start a conversation about Greening your community. Start thinking about ways to create a cheap sustainable lifestyle for yourself. Solar panels? Alternative fuels? Green roofs? It is really important to think progressively about this topic. Lots of people already understand this, so get ready to join the movement as it sweeps across the United Sates.

Just this weekend, Chicago hosted a Green Festival at Navy Pier, which showcased 350 local and national green businesses that are helping to make our future more GREEN. Mayor Daily was in attendance and delivered some remarks about his city's environmental successes. You can read more about the event here.

Go green this summer!

Selah,

- Kevin Lepore