Climate change is all your fault. 

At least, that’s what ‘Big Oil’ wants you to think.

If everyone were to minimize their individual “carbon footprint” (the total amount of greenhouse gases an individual has contributed to producing) and their environmental impact, then we’ll stop climate change. This too is what Big Oil wants you to think.

In truth, these claims hold some veracity. It’s true that we all hold some level of responsibility for climate change, no matter when you were born, or what car you drive. If you’ve ever breathed, you’re a contributor to climate change. We each have a carbon footprint.

But isn’t it strange that the idea of a carbon footprint was popularized by British Petroleum, an oil company? In 2004, the company released its Carbon Footprint Calculator, in order to show that your normal daily life is largely responsible for “heating the globe” (If you click the hyperlink above, the page is no longer available. I’m sure they’re just having technical difficulties). 

Their plan was two-fold. They wanted to shovel the blame to someone else, and they wanted to isolate efforts against climate change. If they keep us focused on what we’re doing wrong, they position the blame somewhere else and they keep us occupied figuring out how we can reduce our individual impact. They know that there is no way that we can effectively fight climate change by worrying about individual efforts alone. We have to work together.

We, at The Leaflet, are working to do just that. Starting tomorrow, we will be releasing a series titled “Wrapped in Hope”, highlighting efforts all across Omaha from various high schools and grade schools against climate change. Our goal with this series is to bring light to their efforts, and by doing this, strengthen communication between schools so that each individual effort is no longer isolated. This series will come out once a day over the next six days. We hope you enjoy.

~ Seamus Haney

This article was guided by The New York Times and The Guardian.

BP Logo Provided by British Petroleum

The Costco Phobio Program

Ever since the invention of the computer, our lives have sped up drastically. Technology has led us to sophisticate our calendars to the absolute maximum. Not only have our lives sped up, but so has the demand to recycle these technologies. Roughly 5.52 billion people logged on to the internet in the month of October (DataReportal). Even if every two people shared a computer, there are still 2.26 billion computers in the world. Like all things, these computers don’t last forever. Eventually, we’ll have to do away with our outdated machines. So, what do we do with an old computer when we no longer have any use for it?

Costco’s Phobio Program answers that question—and more. Not only does this program offer to recycle your overworked, dilapidated, often lethargically slow device, but they also offer to pay you for it. Even with outdated devices, many components can be stripped down and reused again. Metals, plastics, silicone, are all found abundantly in these devices. It takes a significant amount of energy to harvest and manufacture these materials. It makes much more sense financially for these companies to take advantage of the materials in these existing products—thus why they offer to pay you for them.

The program is fairly straightforward. Using the link below, get a quote for your device, download and print a printing label Costco provides, and send the device along its way. Phobio will inspect your device for its worth, and provide you with a Costco Shop Card loaded with the trade-in value. 

[Costco Phobio Program]

Even if your device doesn’t have any trade-in value, this program is a great way to ensure your device does go to some good. At the very least, the components are being recycled and potentially reused.

This holiday season, consider selling your old electronics to this program or donate them to a similar program to recycle your electronics. Companies such as Call2Recycle, Earth911, and Greener Gadgets all offer donation programs suggested by the EPA. You are not compensated for the value of your device through these programs, but the process can often be simpler. And you are still given the peace of mind knowing that these precious materials are being reused and recycled—which is something I personally find incomparable to money.

~ Seamus Haney

Two Instagram Pages Worth Following

Too often, despite loads of homework, I find myself scrolling through Instagram to consume oftentimes pointless information about things I care very little about. Information that doesn’t improve my life, doesn’t help anyone out, and only serves as a distraction from my endless to-do list.

But what if I could get something out of it?

Following last issue, a friend of mine, Ryan Quinn sent me an Instagram post that may have solved this “dilemma” for me. The post is a collaboration between the accounts ecowithrada and wastefreeplanet. I’d like to highlight the work that both of these accounts do in this article.

1. ecowithrada - This account shares short instructional videos on how to make various things such as candles, bath bombs, festive wreaths, and Christmas ornaments (among many other things). They also share posts about positive climate news, simple tips for practicing sustainability, and general information about caring for the environment.

2. Waste Free Planet - This account focuses more on general tips for practicing sustainability, positive climate news, and general feel-good videos about the environment.

Both of these accounts are very much worth checking out. They offer some very good tips and shed light on the many positive things that are happening for environmental progress.

~ Seamus Haney

We will resume our analysis of plant-based meat in the New Year. We wanted to take these final few days of the year to provide you with positive news—animal cruelty, in our opinion, does not fall under this umbrella.

The Leaflet’s Simple Steps to Sustainability

Over the course of the next two weeks, amidst holiday celebrations, be mindful of what you do away with. Educate yourself about what can be recycled or reused.

Don’t assume something can or cannot be recycled. Take these next few weeks as a tremendous opportunity to learn more about recycling and how your decisions make an impact to the process as a whole. We’ll provide you with a short summary of what can and cannot be recycled in relation to the holiday season in the next section.

This Week’s Recycling Tip: Holiday Festivities

With the advent of this holiday season, there are so many uncertanties. We all get caught up in different things—our minds preoccupied. Things such as what dinner to prepare, who will provide which gifts to whom, and how many times your baby cousin will ask you to play “Monsters” are potentially unknown at this point in time.

One thing that will not be uncertain this year is what to do with all the extra “stuff” you may end up with.

We, at The Leaflet, have put together a short slideshow of common items seen around the holiday season that people (including myself) may not know how to dispose of properly.

Share this tool with anyone you see fit. A cheat sheet is included in the final slide of the slideshow, and is the prevailing image to this article.

You May Also Like:

1. Keep Omaha Beautiful’s Holiday Recycling Tips - This is an extension to our guide above.

2. As Teenagers, They Protested Trump’s Climate Policy. Now What? - The New York Times

Helpful Links for Your Own Research

1. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

2. Omaha Recycling Guide

3. Calculate Your Carbon Footprint

Thank you for reading this issue of The Leaflet.

The Leaflet is not affiliated with any organization or school.

The Leaflet is produced by Seamus Haney