A common response to climate change I’ve seen amongst my peers is to just give up. My response to that is—At the end of the day, whether our world is doomed to collapse or not, why not be able to say you fought when we humans eventually curb the momentum of climate change? Which, I might add, I believe we will. 

So if you’re with me in that belief, you’re probably wondering where to begin. That sentence contains the wrong preposition, however; it shouldn’t be where to begin, but when. 

The practice of being sustainable cannot be isolated to just one part of our lives—we shouldn’t find just one place to start being sustainable. Every single action we do is impacting the environment in some way, and therefore we must be cognisant of what we do, day-to-day.

Thinking about buying that bag of chips at the gas station? Want ChatGPT to generate a goofy image for you? Maybe you threw something away because it’s easiest, instead of giving it to a thrift store or recycling it? Bought a new book just because you’d have to wait a few weeks at the library to read it?

These are things we are all guilty of. They aren’t inherently bad, or evil, but they do have an effect on our environment. 

Being sustainable in our daily lives doesn’t require a complete re-direction of our lives’ activities. It doesn’t mean you have to bike to work every day or never Google something. It can lead to those next steps, but the first step is to simply be cognisant of how your actions impact the world around you.

Do it yourself.

Be cognisant. This is the first step to being sustainable.

~ Seamus Haney

A Tip to Enjoying the World Around Us

As a teenager in 2025, handing over my iPhone wasn’t easy. I hadn’t realized just how addicted I had become to it—it felt like a third limb, constantly attached to me. But as part of my formation as a seminarian in the Catholic Church, I’ve begun a period of intentional detachment. For the next year and a half, I’ll be using my newly purchased Jitterbug Flip2. Designed mainly for the elderly (and now, me), it only allows for calling and texting. No apps. No internet. No distractions.

To be completely honest, the transition was uncomfortable at first. Typing felt clunky, and the absence of social media left me feeling disconnected from the world. But then, two weeks flew by and something shifted. I felt a sense of relief.

Instead of scrolling endlessly on Instagram or falling down Google rabbit holes, I began to fill my time with other, more life-giving activities. I started spending more time outdoors through activities like biking, walking, paddleboarding on a nearby lake, and even planting a flower garden in my backyard. In those quiet moments surrounded by nature, I began to feel more grounded, more present, and more connected—both to myself and to creation.

I’ve come to realize that when we put our phones down, we open ourselves to the world around us. We begin to notice the beauty God has placed in every corner of creation. And when we truly recognize that beauty, we’re naturally compelled to protect it. If we want to make real progress in caring for our common home, we must first fall in love with it.

So this summer, join me in disconnecting a little. Step outside and breathe deeply. Instead of scrolling endlessly, try soaking in the wonder of the world and it might just change the way you see everything.

~ Jack Van Moorleghem

Tell Us Tuesday #1 Feedback

Part 1: DO YOU KNOW?

Let’s cut to the chase—Plastics 1, 2, 3, and 5 are recyclable through Omaha’s recycling system.

Somebody pointed out in the next section (of TUT) that it depends on the city that you recycle in. That is true, and a good point to bring up. Always do your research if you are not sure or if you’re in a new city.

Part 2: LET’S HEAR FROM YOU - Our Favorite Responses

I am extremely grateful for everyone who participated in our first Tell Us Tuesday. Your responses were extraordinarily empowering and it made my day to read all of them.

For a copy of all of the responses, click here.

The Leaflet’s Simple Steps to Sustainability

One of my biggest guilty habits is buying brand new books. Half Price Books (some of the books there are thrifted, but most are new) is a mile away from my house and I can’t stop myself from going there some days to buy a new book for cheap. 

It’s addicting and oftentimes a bad use of my money, but more importantly—it’s a strain on the environment. According to NPR, an estimated 32 million trees are cut down every year to make paper for books (NPR). Theoretically, if everyone made sure only 1 out of every 32 books they read was second-hand, we’d save the world from needing to plant a million trees. 

But where does one obtain second-hand books? A thrift store could be an option, but there is no guarantee they have what you want. The library is another option, but there’s also no guarantee they’d have what you want—wait, there’s a catch.

From my experience, both with the library at my old school (Creighton Prep) and the public library near my house (Millard Branch), the librarians (& the OPL App) are really good at finding a book you need elsewhere if the library doesn’t have it and getting it to you at your library. 

For example, I wanted to read Measure of a Man by Martin Greenfield. I went into the Millard Branch and asked where I could find it. The librarian looked for it on her computer and told me she didn’t have it at this location. But, she added, it was at a different library location and she’d be happy to have it sent to the Millard Branch. I agreed, thanked her, and in two days, picked up the book from my library. 

Although I could talk for ages about many of the library’s fantastic resources and why you should explore them, I wanted to offer this anecdote to encourage you to look first for your book at the library. It is a wonderful resource in and of itself, and you’re helping the environment by doing so. 

This Week’s Waste Management Tip: Your Old School iPad

A frequent topic of conversation amongst my friends and I is what we are going to do with our old school iPads. Many of us have already bought dedicated laptops for our post-secondary plans and our iPads are really starting to slow down. So what should you do with it?

I’d first encourage you to brainstorm ways in which your iPad could aid you in college + beyond. If you own a Mac, your iPad can serve as a second display for your Mac. You could also use it for an alarm clock, keeping your phone away from your bedside table. Another possible use is to use it as a note-taker. GoodNotes offers a one-time subscription for their service (works exactly like Notability) and automatically uploads your notes to the cloud.

As a bonus tip, research what iPadOS 26 can do for you. It can help your iPad function like a Mac—I’m running the beta version right now and it’s pretty sweet. I highly suggest you take a look.

For me, I plan to use my iPad for all of the above use cases. Even more, I’m actually writing this article on my iPad right now because my computer is broken (another reason to keep your iPad—as backup).

If you can’t find a reason to keep your iPad, I’d strongly encourage you to donate it to Cross Electronics Recycling. Daniel Wessling covered this resource in a previous issue of The Leaflet linked here.

The Leaflet’s 2025 Goal: Status

Helpful Links for Your Own Research

1. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

2. Omaha Recycling Guide

3. Calculate Your Carbon Footprint

4. Mongabay Newsletter

5. UNO Green Guide to Omaha

6. The Leaflet’s Shared Resources

Thank you for reading this issue of The Leaflet.

The Leaflet is not affiliated with any organization or school.

Newsletter produced primarily by Seamus Haney with the help of some friends.