The world has never been warmer. 

Just this year, Liberty High School has seen some of the weirdest weather ever, from sports cancellations to an air quality index in the 300’s it comes as no surprise that many students and staff are asking themselves what they can do. 

“It’s very important to think about what waste we produce,” Liberty biology teacher Erin Stephens said. 

According to a World Wildlife Fund report published in 2019, schools waste about 530,000 tons of food per year. 

When uneaten food is thrown into the garbage, it ends up in landfills. This causes a release of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, which acts as an insulator for the Earth, which in turn causes an array of environmental problems.

However, climate change can be dramatically helped through the use of proper waste bins, 

“Right now there is an apathy towards our lunch rooms. It’s more about the convenience of whatever receptacle we are closest to, and that is what we throw our waste in,” Liberty Principal Andrew Brownson said. 

Using proper receptacles could both reduce food waste and help our local environment. Also by using compost Liberty could help the environment. 

 “If the student community was willing to take the time to put things in the right container, that would be an easy first step,”  Brownson said. 

Another culprit in climate change is reckless and impromptu purchases. 

“There is pressure to fit in and to have the ‘latest and greatest’, but sometimes we go out and buy something because it is cool right now, and it ends up in a landfill six months later,” Stephens said. “That is something  we have to reflect on.” 

Fast fashion has always been around. In the 80’s and 90’s, it was stores like the GAP and Abercrombie and Fitch– now it is stores like Shein and H&M. When more people want styles that are new and “on trend”, stores and companies are forced to keep up with this demand. 

“Just because you want something, that doesn’t mean that you should go on Amazon and buy it,” Stephens said. “Think about it first, see if you want it tomorrow or in a week. Avoid buying things that are junk and are not meaningful to you.”

The Liberty High School Green Team meets once a month in room 5219. Their goal is to conserve and protect natural resources around the school and develop solutions to environmental problems that impact the community.