The first thing I always see people say is plant a garden/trees or recycle, but I don’t have land, and I live in a red state that seems to hate recycling. The closest place to take plastic last I checked was over an hour away by car.
I know anything I do would have a negligible effect, but I’m sick of not doing anything.
Also is there anything I can do about the heat without running the AC? I try to leave the windows open, but they’re all on one side and don’t seem to allow for much airflow that way.
The most effective thing you can do in your situation is collective action. You can’t change your apartment building in any appreciable way. But you can direct your efforts to changing your local politics by organizing with other like-minded people.
The place to start is attending some town/county council meetings and just learning about what the current issues are and who’s involved. It shouldn’t take long to figure out if there are people who want the same things you do. Talk to them, find out if they’re already organized, and what they’re focusing on.
It’s common to feel like you’re the only one that cares. This is not true, but the people lining their pockets at the expense of our environment want you to believe that it is. The last thing they want is for people to work together to stop them.