Every aspect of our lives can be green, it only takes a little bit of planning and a little bit of dedication. We can cook in a solar powered cooker. We can dry our organic clothing outside on lines. We can grow as much of our own food as possible and buy the remainder at farmer’s markets and health food stores. We can ride a bike or carpool as much as humanly possible. We can only buy products that are organically produced or sustainable, renewable or recycled. And now, we can pursue our education in a green manner as well.

One of the easiest and often cheaper methods of pursing an education is online. Not only does online education eliminate the need for travel back and forth to classes, it often eliminates the need for more buildings to be added as class sizes grow beyond current building capacities.

The fewer buildings that are needed, the less costs the college or university must pay, a fact that hopefully will be reflected in tuition for the student. In some cases, online education will reduce the amount of paper that is wasted every year as well.

Many colleges are open to green and eco-suggestions from their students and staff and many have tips and hints posted for everyone from the professors down to follow throughout their day. Whenever you spot something that could be done in a greener way, make sure that you tell somebody and hopefully it will be implemented as soon as possible.

All schools, from the largest university down to preschool programs can do their part to save the planet and be as green as possible. Children as young as four can be taught to reduce, reused and recycle as many items as possible. If they learn these lessons now, it will be second nature by the time they reach adulthood. The more green children we can create, the safer the planet’s future should be.

Working with an employer to make continuing education greener can benefit the planet as well as the employer as well. It is cheaper to send one trainer to a centralized location to give a course than it is to have many employees traveling from different locations for a training. It is shocking how many employers have not caught on to this most basic of concepts.

Finally, if the course that you are interested in is not available as an online or distance learning course, make sure that your travel back and forth to class is as green as possible. Use mass transit whenever you can or carpool. Walk or bike if it is a short distance. Consider buying or borrowing used books rather than brand new (and much more expensive) ones. (Make sure that the used book is not hopelessly out of date first.) Doing your part to keep the planet healthy by pursuing a green education may be more beneficial than you expect- it can put more green in your pocket as well.