A Christian College of the Liberal Arts & Sciences

What Can I Do?

While entire books have been written on this topic, here are a couple top-10 lists of things that you can do now to start caring for God’s creation.  For a larger list of ideas,  find practical ways to start practicing Creation Care - adapted from books by Matthew Sleeth and Emma Sleeth.

Students

  1. Turn your lights and other electronics off when leaving your dorm room.  Even computers in “sleep” mode consume electricity while plugged in.
  2. Use the many recycling bins spread around campus
  3. Don’t waste food in the dining hall.  Only take what you will eat.
  4. Select the cold cycles on campus washing machines, use less detergent, and select shorter drying cycles on dyers (or even better, line dry your clothes in the summer).
  5. Pick up litter around campus.
  6. Take shorter, cooler showers.
  7. Carpool home during breaks (and save on gas money!)
  8. Take one of our many courses related to Creation Care.  For a partial listing please visit our Creation Care Courses page.
  9. Join the HC Environmental Club.
  10. Email creationcare@houghton.edu to express your support for the Creation Care initiatives that Houghton is taking and to offer suggestions for future environmental initiatives.

Everyone

  1. Switch your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs.  They not only use ¼ the energy, but last 5 times longer, and are currently available in the HC campus store for $1 each (while supplies last).
  2. When possible walk to the office, or class.  If you must drive, carpool with others.
  3. Eat less meat.  Meat requires significantly more energy and natural resources than do vegetables or grains.
  4. Avoid disposable dishes, cups, mugs, napkins, etc. 
  5. Take a media Sabbath once a week by not watching television, using your computer, or listening to music for the day.
  6. Buy local.  This not only supports your local economy and promotes greater community interaction, but also results in fewer fossil fuels burned in transporting goods.
  7. Switch to Fair Trade certified coffee, tea, and other products.
  8. Read a book.  Try one of the suggested books on our Resources page.
  9. Switch to wind power.  RGE (our local energy provider) provides the option of getting your energy supply from wind power.  200 kwh per month costs a mere $5 extra.
  10. Take a walk in the outdoors.  There is no better way to care for creation than to get out in it and to praise God for the beauty he has put here.

Drive Green: Professor Paul Young put together a PowerPoint slideshow with useful information on how to save gas, money, and carbon emissions through smarter driving.