On April 22 this year, people from all over celebrated Earth Day. Earth Day is a celebration that occurs each year to raise awareness for environmental protection and to show a unified appreciation for our shared planet. Although it is important to show love to our planet each Earth Day, it is even more important to continue this every day of the year.
The safety of our planet has been threatened increasingly over the years. This is due to the current climate crisis. Global warming and many other factors have been caused for concern for many of Earth inhabitants. Although it seems there is no stopping what we have started, there is hope to slow down the inevitable process.
Most college students find it difficult to contribute to a sustainable and environmentally conscious lifestyle. A lot of students care deeply about their environment as we have grown up alongside a climate crisis, however sometimes living a totally environmentally friendly lifestyle can be expensive and time consuming. This way of living is often not realistic for college students as well as other lower income individuals with busy schedules.
Though it may not be easy to live entirely for the environment, there are many simple ways that we can show our planet some love and care daily. This includes recycling, picking up litter, preserving water, reusing or repurposing items, shopping sustainably, eating sustainably, and so much more. A little can go a long way. Just by simply switching from plastic to paper or reusable grocery bags you can make a difference.
On Earth Day, you may have seen many individuals or participated in posting photos of nature online or resources to learn more about environmental issues. Though this is important and effective it is so important to ask yourself what you are doing for Earth on other days.
Now that the weather is finally warming up and the snow is melting, you may begin to see a lot more trash revealing itself from under the snow and dirt piles. If you see something that does not belong like trash, take it upon yourself to pick it up and recycle it if possible.
The coulee on campus is especially prone to being filled with trash this time of year. So, if you want to make a difference keep an eye out for information about various organizations who get together for the goal of keeping campus clean. Keeping our campus and town clean is important because it helps it look and feel like a nice place to be, but it is also important for our environment and Earth.
The small actions you take to be more environmentally conscious every day, not just the days you are told to, can make all the difference to ensuring our planet remains resilient.
Nora Lee is a Dakota Student Section Editor. She can be reached at [email protected].
