For the past 25 years the University of Notre Dame has presented the Hesburgh lecture sponsored by their 200 Alumni clubs.
This year, speaker Laura Carlson, professor of psychology at the University of Notre Dame spoke about using psychology to explore our relationship with the environment and deciding to be green.
“I’m excited about the lecture,” said freshmen Alyssa Mrozek, “I [came] to learn about the environment.”
“The Hesburgh lecture is named after Father Hesburgh, 92, for involving alumni and community members of Notre Dame to other universities,” said Milton V. Munk, president of the Greensburg/Uniontown Notre Dame Alumni Club.
“I’m not a saint or an activist, but you and I can still make a difference,” said Carlson at the beginning of the lecture. “Making a difference starts with five easy changes in your lifestyle.”
Within these steps are paying your bills on the Eco-friendly website Ecobill, having reusable grocery bags and towels, using double-sided printing and drinking tap water.
Carlson mentions that daily actions can save energy.
“Believe it or not, one person can make a difference just by turning off lights when leaving a room. Unplugging your computer when not in use, taking shorter showers, unplugging your phone, turning off the water while brushing your teeth and the thermostat down especially at night, using a reusable mug or water bottle and changing to CFL light bulbs.”
According to a German market research survey, within the last three years the usage of tap water has gone from 56 percent to 68, instead of using bottled water. Using reusable bags has gone from 28 to 33 percent; however, statistics show more people forget to bring in their reusable bags than those who do.
Why should you become greener you ask? Carlson said, “It is simple – recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to run the T.V. for three hours and it’s equivalent to a half a tank of gas.”