Brie Roche Lilliott, staff writer

So long, school days! Hello, summertime. We\’re all feeling it- that anxious excitement that shows itself during the last few weeks of the school year. With only a few days remaining, everyone\’s biggest priority is to get out and forgetabout all these textbooks. But before you leave the school year behind, don\’t forget a few eco-friendly tips for all your old school supplies.

Between handouts, study guides, and notebook paper, we cumulatively use thousands of pounds of paper every year. Many of us are quick to toss it in the trash as soon as it\’s passed back. But please, do a simple favor: take it home and throw it into your recycle bin. Of the hundreds of sheets we destroy each year, the least we could do is ensure that they will be eventually reused, right?

It\’s been a school year tradition since our elementary years to get rid of all pens, pencils, notebooks, and school supplies, and then hit up Staples at the end of summer for a whole new batch. Obviously, this is unnecessary. Try holding onto all those usable pens and folders until next year. Not only are you conserving resources, but you are conserving money as well.

If you absolutely need a new backpack or new supplies, there are countless organizations you can donate your old supplies to. Fountain Valley Kiwanis, for instance, has an annual school supply drive to provide families that are struggling financially. Other places like Salvation Army and similar thrift stores accept used (but still in good condition) backpacks, lunch boxes, and school necessities.

The same goes for class books and other specific bought supplies. Perhaps Steinbeck\’s Grapes of Wrath and Shakespeare\’s Hamlet bring back nothing but bad memories, or  you never want to touch a graphing calculator again. There are certain places that will gladly accept your donations. Many bookstores, such as Camelot Books in Fountain Valley, accept donations and some will give you store credit or cash back.

Just remember Barons, just becuase you\’re done using your school gear doesn\’t mean the gear is useless. Continue to think of new, innovative ways to prevent your supplies from going to waste.

Coachella music festival enacted some new regulations and bonuses for attendees who made the extra effort to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

By Brie Roche Lilliott, staff writer

This past weekend, Indio, California hosted the annual Coachella Music and Arts Festival. Despite the scorching heat, over 25,000 dedicated music fans showed up to the event, as the event was sold out a few days before. Coachella has always made an effort to motivate the audience members to keep it clean, but this year they took it to a whole new level, with countless activities and contests to encourage everyone to go green.

Carpoolchella made its four-year return this year with the help from Global Inheritance. The guidelines were to gather up in carpool groups of four, decorate your car with a sign, paint, etc. saying “carpoolchella”, and come anytime before 2 pm on Sunday. Then, a secret Coachella employee would be scouting around the parking lots and campgrounds to look for the great decorations and giving brief interviews.

The 35 chosen winners recieved an array of prizes available, including VIP wristbands, “side-stage” wristbands, gift vouchers, and golf cart rides. One lucky contestant even had the opportunity to win a VIP entry to Coachella for life. It was an excellent way to get music-goers to conserve and travel in larger groups rather than taking multiple cars.

Another way to the program encouraged carpooling was the Ride Share, which allowed travelers without transportation to find a ride, and others could the chance to offer a ride. This wasn’t just an opportunity to meet fellow music fans, but to reach the four-person requirement for Carpoolchella.

In order to appeal to the DJing fans that attended, Coachella sponsored the Energy FACTory\’s Sweatshop Mixer, in cohorts with Global Inheritance. Contestants had the opportunity to DJ for hundreds of people at Coachella, as long as they had twelve willing friends to help. Those twelve had to use cranks, pulleys, seesaws, and wheels in order to power the turntables and DJ equipment, rather than electricity.

In the ridiculously hot temperatures, water is vital. But rather than spending $2 per bottle, the festival set up a few great ways to get your water for free (or cheaply at least!). First, you can purchase one of their plastic reusable Coachella bottles, and then endless water supply was available for free for the remainder of the weekend. The other option was their 10 for 1 program, in which for every ten plastic bottles you picked up from the ground, you could exchange it for one new bottle of water. Not only did it keep the field clean, but also  promoted recycling.

Coachella\’s various conservation promotions were not only admirable, but effective. Countless groups of people filled trash bags, wagons, and baskets with plastic bottles to recycle. I saw at least 50 cars with colorful “carpoolchella” designs decorating their windows. Their conservatione fforts improve each year, and with thousands of fans doing their part, Coachella festival is just another helpful contributor to the Green cause.

Over the last few years, the rise in popularity of the Green trend has also created more vegan and vegetarian converts. However, many people are unaware of the effects eliminating meat can have on our environment. Even if you don\’t choose to become vegetarian, there are other eating techniques you can adopt to support the Green cause.

So, what are some reasons someone would want to remove hamburgers, steaks, and fried chicken from their diet?

To begin with, many animals are killed for their meat in inhumane and cruel ways. Meat producers often slaughter animals in the most simple way possible, which can be long, painful, and unendurable.

Also, meat created from this process is extremely unhealthy for you. Cows, chickens, pigs, and other animals are fed chemicals and steroids to fatten them up. Some medical studies attribute diseases, disproportional body growth, and abnormal learning development to these chemicals.

Most importantly, if we continue eating meat at this rate, there won\’t be any animals left to produce in the future. On average, 660,000 animals are killed for meat per hour, and our population already severely outnumbers that of the animals.

But for those of you who just can\’t live without your In N\’ Out or chicken tacos, the key is not about elimination, but moderation and selection.

Many supermarkets and restaurants offer organically grown meat products. Although their prices tend to be a bit higher, these brands (Greener Choices) assure that the animal you\’re eating was treated humanely and not fed with any harmful materials. Some markets, like Mother\’s, Trader Joe\’s, and Whole Foods, have only organically grown meat and produce.

Try limiting your meat intake each week. If you eat meat daily, try cutting down to three or four times a week. Although it may not seem like much of a difference, those little changes lead to a huge difference. Substitute meat for veggie burgers, faux meat, or tofu. If prepared right, all of them can be great replacements. Check out Cyber Parent for recipes!

Other than altering your eating habits, you can take it to the next level and work to change harmful animal treatment. Organizations like Viva! let you donate or give you tips to stand up for the rights of abused and inhumanely treated animals.

I\’m not trying to convert you to the vegetarian party. I’m  just asking you to think twice before chowing down your double-double and practice limitation.

Not even one week until the  highly dreaded and equally anticipated holiday of the year- Valentines Day. Men across the country fear it. Women across the nation adore it. But this year, make the holiday mean more. Adopt some innovative green techniques into the way you show your love.

Now these suggestions are only for Valentine\’s Day- you can use them for any date,ut what greater day for experiment than February 14?

Let\’s begin with the date itself. For a nice romantic dinner, the opportunities are endless. Try a nearby restaurant you both love, preferably small and family-run or organic place. Not only will this reduce your gas expenses, but these restaurants are also more likely to use locally grown, or all-natural foods.

Unique and unusual dates are always a great experience as well. If a meal is what you\’re after, cook dinner at home. You\’re guaranteed a meal you both love, less money on a bill and gas, and a comfortable environment as well. Or, if a nice dinner isn\’t your thing, why not try a free outdoors activity, like biking, or going to the beach a thrift store, or for a picnic? All of these are great ways to share a mutual hobby as well as to take   your part to save mother earth.

Despite common belief, homemade gifts can be just as great, if not better than store bought gifts. Not only will they send the personal, caring message to your significant other, but they are one-of-a-kind and designed just by you. For the artsy, creative types, write a song, paint a picture, or decorate a frame. Baked  treats, homemade cards, and homegrown flowers are all cheap and efficient ways to show your guy or gal your feelings for them and our planet.

The ideas don\’t end there. Take your own unique spin on ideas to show people you care. Try double dating to cut down on expenses. Make your own gift, suitable for what your loved one is interested in. Give back to our planet and one another by volunteering together.

Of course, no matter what you decide to do for Valentine\’s Day this year, it\’s most important to show your love and care for the people around you. And if you can do that while simultaneously demonstrating your respect and appreciation for our earth, resources, and fellow peers, then all the better.