“A woman should wear fragrance wherever she expects to be kissed”-Coco Chanel
Laura Reynolds looks at some of the cheapest beauty products available
That said, one student house probably has more bottles to recycle than the rest of the neighbourhood put together, if your house is anything like mine. Also, there's always the somewhat clichéd comeback that little things add up to make a big difference, but even so, it's difficult to really motivate yourself on that.
On the other hand, though, there's still one area where you can't deny what we do matters, and we don't give it as much attention as we should - in politics. If we set the right policies now to help us reduce pollution in the future, then that's a step in the right direction that no-one can ignore, whether you're bothered about the planet's future or not.
First of all, you can write to your local MP. They're there to represent you on the issues you think are important. Even if you're cynical about how much they really do that, what harm can it do to try? A quick email or a letter to voice your concerns about the planet won't take you long, and it'll get to the people who can help change how we run our country.
You could even visit websites like I Count where you can sign petitions that take even less effort, and still count towards getting actively involved.
I Count aims to build up popular pressure on the government to reduce the UK's carbon emissions, and there are regular petitions you can sign to help out. Both I Count and Greenpeace are currently in the process of sending petitions to John Hutton against building new coal power stations, for example, and it'll only take a second of your time to leave your name on it too.
pollution isn't going to stop if we decide to sit on the political fence
Groups like I Count have already had success this year in getting the government to set annual milestones for carbon emissions, among other things, so don't think you won't be doing something useful.
If you don't feel like writing is your strong point - and I obviously won't pass judgment on anyone who feels like they aren't capable of spelling their own name - then maybe voting is your thing. When you vote for anyone, you could make sure you know what their environmental policies are beforehand, and try to take that into consideration when you cast your vote.
I know it's a lot to hope for that a born Conservative would suddenly start voting for the Lib Dems based on their environmental policies, or that a Lib Dem would do the same with the Labour Party, but if there's even the slightest chance that you might consider anyone else, at least look at what they've got to say about the environment.
Isn't preventing pollution just as important as whether or not we legalise marajuana or whether or not ASBOs are anything other than a frequent punch-line? I hesitate to guess at how many people voted on the basis of environmental issues in recent elections, but considering the fact that many people seem barely aware that there was a Green Party candidate in the London elections, it seems unlikely that we’re giving environmental policies our full attention. Or indeed any of it.
Political apathy might be common among students, and among the population in general, but there's so much we could be doing to help the environment by getting more involved. You might decide not to as an act of protest, but somehow, I'm not sure global warming will really take your social apathy into its considerations.
As Desmond Tutu once said, "If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality."
Right now, we need to do something to help the environment, because pollution isn't going to stop if we decide to sit on the political fence. Saying that you don't want to vote for anyone because they don't address the issues you think are important isn't enough.
If we're going to make a difference, those issues have to be brought to the forefront, and it won’t take much of your time to help.
The think is with ecopolitics that the people who really want to make a difference, the Greens, are as you say relatively unknown in most constituencies.
Instead it is the Conservatives with catchy slogans like 'Vote Blue, Go Green - and Save Money' that are cashing in on the population's green tendencies. In particular those you highlight; people who are perhaps unwilling to change the way they live but want their politicians to make the right noises at least.
As a non-Tory this frightens me because it is great election winning material but the Conservatives are yet to set out any real agenda regarding the environment and have shown great hypocrises in their attitude towards big business and the evironment. Although I appreciate David Cameron raising the profile of ecopolitics, I'm certainly not convinced he or his party are best equipped to deal with the job at hand.
The problem with the Greens is that they are perceived as a single issue party, and although the environmental stance of a party should be taken into account, you should take into account the other parties' stance on other issues, similarly you should take into account the Green's stance on other issues, such as the abolition of the monarchy and ban on zoos, all animal research and factory farming.
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