Recently, the world had a reason to pat itself on the back. Findings show that the 32 billion tons of C02 we put into the atmosphere in 2014 is unchanged from 2013’s statistics.
This is good news, considering that C02 stays in the atmosphere for about 1,000 years. Previously, it was thought that this would only happen during an economic downturn. However, sustainability efforts and general efforts to reduce our carbon footprint seem to be working. In the future, drivers can look forward to higher, more fuel-efficient standards set by the EPA and the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. Regulations will aim to have a 54 mpg standard for cars, trucks and SUVs by 2025.
Efficiency is a major topic in today’s world, especially with droughts occurring in California. When America does succeed in reducing energy consumption, it makes us wonder why we waited so long to conserve our resources as a nation at this level. Public fountains in the luxurious Palm Springs, Calif., have only recently been shut down due to conservation standards set by the Desert Water Agency, even though California has experienced consistent droughts for the past few years.
As a commuter, it is frustrating to see that a whole 10 years will pass before the mileage doubles for the average vehicle. By that time, the average price of a gallon of gas will easily have doubled and will make any cost-saving merit to commuters negligible. These efforts are worth the wait in mitigating long term damage to the environment.
One conservation effort that Troy Hammond, president of North Central College, has been vocal about is reducing paper consumption, or even going completely paperless. To go truly paperless as a student might mean experiencing unhealthy amounts of screen time, which could result in overexposure to radiation that can come from using the computer. Additionally, professors may be slowed down in their grading and feedback if they are only able to use a computer.
Perhaps North Central doesn’t have to go entirely paperless to further combat these issues, but at least the world as a whole has something to show for itself after over a decade of debate on climate change.
