By Maren Ingram, Staff Writer

For most, trying to reduce your carbon footprint is just a “trend.” In reality, it’s something we should actually be concerned about. 

Teens all over America have been sucked into the stereotype of trendy tree-hugger, and certainly we can all blame the popular social media outlets such as TikTok, VSCO and Instagram.

As irritating as it may be, the hundreds of girls you see reposting stuff on their Instagram stories every day may be making a difference simply by spreading the word. The more people who begin to realize this is an actual problem, the more we’re going to get done as a society.

I’d say this eco-friendly trend spread quickly over the summer, and once it was time to head back to school, everyone carried their Hydro Flasks along with binders and Chromebooks back to class. But what’s so bad about that? 

I believe it’s a good thing. Looking around school and seeing so many people with reusable water bottles, I can’t help but think how much the Earth is benefiting from the reduction of plastic water bottle use – even if it’s just from our school population. 

But it’s not just the Hydro Flask trend that’s really taken off.

Everywhere you look, on every social media platform out there, there’s something every day about the ice caps melting and saving the turtles. 

When I tap through my Instagram stories, at least every third post is a repost of something climate change-related, whether it be a Greta Thunberg speech, a photo of climate rally signs or a graphic of the trash polluting our oceans. 

I have to admit, I have reposted a thing or two myself, but only because I think it’s important to spread the word about something as life-threatening as climate change, especially when it’s one of the few things we are able to do. 

Nowadays, climate change is almost irreparable. Twenty years ago, you could actually make a difference by riding your bike to school or turning the water off while brushing your teeth to save water.

These actions do help, but what really needs to be done – reducing the number of cars on the road in overpopulated areas like India and China and reversing greenhouse gas emissions – just isn’t feasible for the everyday person. 

So repost that picture of the ice caps melting. Get inspired by a Thunberg speech. Buy a reusable water bottle. Do anything you can, because we’re going to need it.

Sophomore Maren Ingram can be reached at 22ingramma01@daretolearn.org.