Sure, Earth is great and all; but sometimes, it may be hard to do your part to save it. Maybe you don’t own a recycling bin, or have too much homework to participate in a local stream clean. Despite this, it’s easy to simply not do things, and often that can be extremely environmentally friendly. Here are some things not to do.

• Don’t litter

It doesn’t take much effort to simply put trash in the trash can, and and that can prevent both animals from choking on plastic and the trash from polluting waterways. If the trash ends up in the waterways, it can get stuck in the gills of fish and kill them.

Senior Luz Villanueva, who has participated in both envirothon and AP Environmental Science, believes that “the easiest and best way to be environmentally conscious is to obviously recycle.”

Senior Ekaete Ekpo, who has similarly participated in both AP Environmental Science and envirothon, agrees, saying that a good way to be environmentally conscious is to “Recycle.” She continues that, on the other hand, you shouldn’t “use non-reusable water bottles, throw paper away before it have been used to its full potential, improperly dispose of items like batteries or feminine hygiene products, [or] litter.”

• Similarly, don’t pour anything down the drain

Remember that anything that goes through the drain eventually ends up in a body of water, such as oceans or rivers. As a result, anything poured down there can and will pollute the water and harm the streams.

• Do NOT carve names into trees

I know you’ve seen movies, where the guy romantically carves “L+T” in a heart, making the girl swoon and the audience squeal. However, there is absolutely nothing romantic about killing trees. Trees use their bark to help water travel up and down the tree; as a result, when you cut the bark, it’s impossible for the tree to transfer water through that area, thus slowly killing the tree. A much more eco-friendly way to show your love is through a nice picturesque hike in the woods.

• Use environmentally friendly apps

Apps such as JouleBug make it fun to care about the environment; there, you can compete in environmental challenges with friends, “earn achievements,” and “share how you’re making a difference.” Another app, Ecosia, allows you to use the internet on their system, and, for each search you do, they’ll plant a tree. According to their app description, it uses “at least 80% of its profits from ad revenue to finance tree planting programs around the world.

Ms. Margaret Brosnan, the forestry, salamanders, and butterfly RP teacher, says that she believes that the easiest ways to be environmentally conscious is to “Be aware that everything we do has consequences.” She further specified the best things not to do. ” Don’t waste water. Don’t always eat high on the food chain. Red meat takes a lot of water and energy to get to your plate.  Don’t vote for politicians that think the environmental laws are a waste of time, clean water and air laws should be enforced.”

Luz agrees, saying that “showers that are less than ten minutes are ideal. One can also reduce carbon footprint by buying local foods which are always tastier and by eating less meat.”