Altai State University students launched the second season of the EcoTrace project

Altai State University student Ekaterina Vedishcheva, a participant in the “Your Move” project, is implementing the “Eco-footprint” environmental project. Within its framework, volunteers tell schoolchildren and students of Barnaul, Biysk, Novoaltaisk, Rubtsovsk, and Kamen-on-Ob how everyday actions can reduce the negative impact on the environment.

Volunteers give lectures to children and youth, where they talk about ecology, existing eco-initiatives, and environmental technologies. But lectures give not only theoretical information, they provide tips on how to change your lifestyle, introduce useful environmental practices: how to properly and easily sort garbage, where to dispose of unnecessary clothes, how to reduce electricity and water consumption, etc. In addition, they talk about people and projects that are already changing the environment for the better.

The main topic of the lectures is the “ecological footprint”, which is about human impact on the environment.

“Our eco-footprint is a complex of many parameters. In Russia, more than 60 million tons of household waste are generated per year, that is, each resident of the country “produces” about 400 kilograms of garbage per year. Recycling covers only 7-9% of all waste; the rest is sent to landfills, where it is mixed with soil and remains there for many decades. For example, it takes about 10 years for an iron can to decompose, fragments of brick and concrete require up to 100 years, for polyethylene 200 years are necessary, and for glass up to a thousand years. Without changing people’s habits and behavioral patterns, no standards, prohibitions or laws will help people care about the environment and achieve harmony with nature,” notes Ekaterina Vedishcheva.

In each lecture, project volunteers give specific instructions on how to reduce your environmental footprint. Here are some of them:

• Repair leaking taps in a timely manner. Due to leaks, up to 30 liters of water per day can be lost;
• Wash dishes immediately after eating. Dried food remains require more effort, more detergent and water;
• When driving a car, choose a calm and measured style, as a car burns the most fuel during acceleration. To save on gas, also avoid hard braking;
• When flying, choose airlines with higher occupancy levels and more modern aircraft;
• When doing your shopping, buy only what you need, as excess food will end up in a landfill. A third of the world's food is wasted;
• Give preference to local and seasonal products to reduce the damage caused to the environment by their transportation;
• When going shopping, take a reusable bag with you;
• Remember to turn off the lights where they are not needed;
• Do not leave electrical appliances charging overnight. Electricity is wasted even when the device is not working, but only when it is plugged into the outlet;
• On vacation, be careful when buying souvenirs. Before purchasing goods made from turtle shells, corals, or animal skins, find out whether trade in such things is legal;
• Take all trash with you after outdoor recreation, including on the beach;
• Burning plastic bottles, canisters, juice or milk cartons, and old furniture soaked in pentachlorophenol on a fire in a summer cottage or in the forest contributes to environmental pollution with dioxins, which are terrible poisons that have carcinogenic and toxic properties.

As part of the second season of the project, 11 lectures have already been held at schools, universities and centers of further education.