'Going green' becomes trendy, cool

Green is the new black. While keeping up with most trends has always seemed stupid, conformist and a waste of money, this is one trend I do not mind following. Public awareness of global warming is at an all-time high and it seems these days everyone is "going green," from schools to businesses to the fashion industry. While it seems almost comical they have had to make global warming "hip" for people to actually start taking more action, I am glad people are starting to make more of a difference now. As many people know, global warming has already started to take effect, resulting in warmer temperatures and more animal species dying out due to the loss of their habitats. More articles in newspapers, magazines and blogs are popping up, devoted to giving numerous ways to reduce our carbon footprints. At stores such as Trader Joe's and Costco, plastic bags are being replaced by totes for customers to take with them whenever they go shopping. Plastic bags pose a major threat to the environment, with 100,000 marine animals being killed a year as a result of eating or being strangled in plastic, according to the Earth Resource Foundation. Schools have also been doing their part to help the environment. More classrooms have bins for recycling. At my high school, there was a program for recycling used ink cartridges. When I applied for financial aid they encouraged us to apply online instead of having to turn in paper applications. Kids and teens are also making fashion statements out of "going green." In the junior department of stores such as J.C. Penney's, I have seen T-shirts with slogans such as "100 percent eco-friendly" and "Turn over a new leaf: recycle." They are cute, trendy and made from 100 percent organic cotton. Still, it is easy to wear a T-shirt and say that you are helping the environment. It is actually going out and taking action that truly makes a difference. To me, it is like wearing a band T-shirt and claiming to be a fan, when all you really know is the one song that is always being played on the radio. However, even the purchase of a new shirt can do its part to help save the world. A portion of the proceeds goes to animal conservation group World Wildlife Fund. Celebrities are jumping onto the bandwagon as well. Actress Rachel McAdams helped create a Web site with tips to help the environment, www.greenissexy.org. Once again, even though it is taking famous people to inspire people to take action, it makes me glad that there are some celebrities out there using what influence they have to make a difference in the world, rather than just causing tabloid-worthy scandals. Although I am guilty of being on my computer almost 24/7, taking 20-minute showers daily and going through way more paper than I should, I try to do what I can to help the environment. I try to carpool as much as I can, and more recently, my boyfriend and I recycle our bottles and cans together. I have to admit, however, that we are also motivated by the cash we get in return. "Going green" goes beyond the motto many of us learned in school: recycle, reduce and reuse. It is knowing that even one person can make a difference and actually taking steps to help combat global warming. Hopefully, this will be a trend that will still be around by the end of next season. Lauren Shiraishi is an opinion editor of The Advocate. Contact her at lshiraishi.advocate@gmail.com.

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