It's summer so you're probably spending majority of your time outside. Nobody wants to look outside their window and see a sad looking scene. Dead trees, no birds flying around, cracked up land. Here are simple ways to be friendly to the environment.

1. Use reusable shopping bags

You can find reusable shopping or grocery bags in almost every store you go to. They are normally at the front by the cashiers, so you can easily ask to buy a cheap bag to use instead of the single-use plastic bags. By using reusable bags, you can cut yourself out of the huge issue of non-biodegradable plastic, and the ugly sight of the hundreds of plastic bags clinging on to the trees by the side of the highway.

2. Avoid aerosols

Aerosols are not only toxic to the environment, but to you as well. These cans can actually explode when heated up. So why are we buying potential bombs that harm the environment, when we can easily buy pump sprays or lotions and creams instead?

3. Drink from reusable water bottles.

Everyone has a Nalgene now with all these cool stickers, so why aren't you on the trend too? Reusable water bottles cut plastic waste and are way cuter than a plastic Aquafina bottle. If Nalgenes are too basic for you, buy a S'well bottle instead. They are stainless steal so your drink will stay cold for hours. You can find these at Target along with many other reusable water bottles.

4. Turn off the lights when leaving a room.

What an easy task, but yet we always forget to do it. Turning off lights in empty rooms or when you have your TV on is a good way to conserve energy and electricity.

5. Use public transportation or ride a bike.

Carpooling is a type of conservation of energy. With gas being a fossil fuel, the less use of it will have a less harsh impact on global warming. Biking can not only reduce your carbon footprint but also give you a source of exercise; something everyone of any age needs daily. If you think about driving somewhere, the miles and gas used are all "yours". But, when taking a bus, just like splitting the cost of gas, you are essentially "splitting" the pollutants from that drive.

The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the grass is fresh. The world is beautiful and the weather is great. Lets return the favor and do our part to keep our Earth clean!