One college essay I wrote for Tufts University had asked the question below and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to exhibit my best traits while showing the college how much I desired environmental change and an opportunity to study it there. The essay goes a little more in-depth into what I have done to go green in the past and what I plan to do about it in the future.

Kermit the Frog famously lamented it's not easy being green. Do you agree?

Unfortunately, I would have to agree with my famous fuzzy frog friend, but I am also working to amend that. Going green to save the Earth has grown to exponential importance, and I am one that plans on taking that dire need for raised environmental awareness and turning it into an opportunity for change. That is why I have decided to major in Environmental Engineering, as it is a direct way for me to accomplish this green initiative in the workforce.

As a member of my high school’s Earth Club, I understand exactly what it means to have difficulties in being green. We have faced a number of challenges, many involving a lack of sufficient funds to act on our plans. This is not to say that we were unsuccessful, as we did build multiple compost boxes for the disposal of biodegradable waste, win grant money for our green ideas, and even switch our school from Styrofoam to reusable plastic lunch trays. It may not be easy, especially for a group of students without any money, but saving the environment is well worth the fight, and I am more than ready to step into the ring and help the cause.

One idea I had for specifically helping the Tufts community go green was sparked on my visit to your university a while ago. I noticed that paper flyers, advertising all sorts of campus events, were ubiquitous at Tufts. Clearly, this isn’t the most eco-friendly way to get information out, so I was thinking of possible alternatives and the idea of electronic advertisement screens placed throughout the campus really stuck with me. Placed behind heavy-duty plastic to prevent destruction, these screens could be connected to a main operation panel from which the advertisements could be run. For a nominal fee, anyone that wants to spread information about campus events could have their flyer scanned and shown on these screens throughout the day. This idea is so environmentally conscious because it not only saves paper but also prevents littering. Sure, it may be a small change, but it is a potential solution to the nearly endless list of environmental problems that I plan to work toward solving.