Top 10 Reasons to Go Green - Teenagers

1. Going Green is the Cool Thing to do

Everything is going green. The movie stars, the magazines, the movies... even your makeup, ice cream bar and Hollywood favorites are now being kind to the planet. Stars like Jack Johnson donate money from their CDs to environmental causes. Leonardo Dicaprio just made an environmental documentary. Major magazine Vanity Fair just featured university students making their schools green. If there has ever been a trend to pick up, this is it.

2. A Whole Bunch of Funny Shirts at Your Disposal

Green fashion has hit the racks. Our favorite is "FLICK OFF" from flickoff.org, which means flick off your lights, of course. Then there's "Hotter than I should be" from the World Wildlife Fund. There are plenty of clothes companies not only putting out green slogans, but using bamboo or organic cotton to make clothes. Now you can find great clothes and get people thinking at the same time.

3. Make Friends, or More-than-friends. Pick up!

It's hard to find people who you really get along with. Going green can help you pick up hobbies and activities where you'll be able to meet people who share your interests and enthusiasm. These people can provide an awesome network of lifelong friends and you'll have a great time going green with them! And maybe you'll have a spark with someone who belongs to your school's energy saving committee or who volunteers at your local community garden. Now that's cool.

4. Build Your Resume - Show Community Responsibility

In today's world, you're going to need every edge you can get to find the job of your dreams. Belonging to an environmental group in your community or school or participating in local conservation efforts looks great on your resume. Employers will know that you're a person who cares about the community and the planet. "Green collar" jobs are the jobs of the future, and you'll be giving yourself an advantage in this market.

5. Living Sustainably is Living Smart

Most average Europeans consume much less than the average North American. It's not because it's easier for them to be green, but because they've decided to live more intelligently. By getting your cell phone and banking statements electronically, you'll be saving paper and rainforests, plus you won't have all that annoying extra paperwork lying around your room. Try to think of ways that you can reduce your waste and live smarter. The sky is the limit!

6. Set the Best Green Example

These days, there's a lot of bad behavior out there. Bad behavior brings you bad karma. I know you wont listen to this, but you will learn for yourself. You probably see it in your schools and in your groups of friends. But instead of buying into their bad habits, form some great ones of your own! Be a role model in your community and the rewards will come back to you tenfold. You can do this in so many ways, including setting up a waste reduction program in your school, volunteering at your local farmers' market and even just taking your bike to school instead of going in a car. You'll be amazed at how quickly your good habits will start to catch on!

7. Save Money by Being Green

When you're saving up to go to that big concert, you'll need all the help in the money department that you can get. And what's the point of driving to your part-time job when you spend so much money on gas getting there? If you take public transit or your bike you'll be saving a lot of money that you can put towards better and way more fun things.

8. Get Money, Go Eco

You can use environmental volunteering towards getting scholarships or being accepted for special programs and opportunities moving towards college or university. Your school will be impressed if they know that you're contributing to the school or your community in a meaningful way and will give you great reference letters. "I spent the evening volunteering for an environmental group" sounds a lot better than "My dog ate my homework".

9. Feelin' Good and Giving out Positive Vibes

Feeling and looking good depends on what you put into your body and what you do with your body. If you eat good food, you'll feel and look good - it's simple. Eating well is also usually good for the environment - less red meat, less packaging, and more in-season and local foods are good for your health and the environment. It's also super for your health to ditch the computer once in a while and spend the afternoon biking in the park, walk to the movies with friends instead of driving or hike on the weekend with a group of friends.

10. Get Your Parents Off Your Back

You're probably sick and tired of your parents nagging you to do everything. If you take your own initiative to change a lot of your bad, energy-wasting behaviors, maybe you can start nagging them for a change! Encourage them to bring recyclable bags or to cut down on the amount of time they spend in their cars. Pretty soon you'll be the good role model in the house and they'll probably cut you some slack the next time it's your turn to do the dishes. It's win-win! -supergreenme