As “going green” tops the list of Good Morning America’s New Years’ Resolutions for 2008, skeptics wonder if many know what this phrase means and whether this boost of environmentalism is merely a fad.

“Our life depends on the environment,” junior Megan Linfoot said. “We all need to pitch in a little because this is where we live.”

Some ways of “going green” include watching water usage, recycling at both home and other places providing facilities, switching to hybrid cars as well as others.

“Buying recyclable products definitely helps the environment,” World History Teacher Lawren Taqui said. “When producers see consumers tend to buy these products, more environmental friendly goods will be on the market.”

However, there are concerns the beneficial affects created may be short lived.

“Some people say they’re ‘going green’ but don’t mean it,” Megan said. “It’s important to make a choice about where they stand concerning the environment; learning about the issue can help them make a solid choice.”

Some hope for a lasting social turn around concerning the environment.

“I hope this isn’t a phase because our choices will impact the future as well as the present,” senior Nicholas Lutringer said. “Because of the amount of pollution, those who don’t have asthma are getting a taste of what it’s like to not be able to breathe.”

Still, there exist those who feel this surge of environmentalism isn’t a phase, but rather a lifestyle instead.

“Deciding what we do for the environment is a very personal decision and shouldn’t be forced,” Ms. Taqui said. “The concept of judging another person’s environmental awareness isn’t ideal, but when businesses say they’re going to do more for the environment, they need to keep their word.”

Regardless of their decision, individuals send messages to the community with their actions.

“Because our resources are limited, we need to care about the world around us,” Ms. Taqui said. “The United States lags behind other countries, needing to make these issues more important to solve the problems. The bigger these problems get, the harder they are to fix in the future.”