You are Probably Sick of Hearing This but Every Day is Earth Day
Joining clubs like the SEPC is a great way to be a part of a community that will help you become more environmentally conscious.
May 8, 2023
With Earth Day on April 22, this article may seem slightly belated. That is the whole point.
So you made your social media post about loving Mother Earth. You planted your tree and went on your hike. Maybe you even picked up a piece of trash. That is all well and good, but what now?
Many environmentalists dislike the idea of Earth Day because it sort of acts as an excuse to be mindful of the planet for one day only.
When Earth Day was instated in 1970, the idea of having people become aware of environmental issues was a huge victory, but anything would seem like a win when rivers are literally starting on fire.
In 2023 acting against the climate crisis looks a little different.
With more research, more coverage and more widespread acceptance that the climate crisis exists – the bar has been raised on individual action.
Climate doomism (the constant stream of media insisting that we are all doomed) can make it feel like there is nothing that could make a true difference, but look at it this way. The average person usually uses around 110 pounds of plastic a year. If one person stops purchasing plastic products and inspires their ten closest friends to as well that would save 1,100 pounds of plastic from going to landfills. If around three million people stopped using plastic that would save 330 million pounds of plastic from going to the landfill.
Individual actions domino into large-scale change.
SEPC officer Addy Happ shared how she helps the environment every day, “to make every day Earth Day I try to be conscious of what I am consuming and producing. I try to cut down in easy ways like being vegetarian to reducing carbon emissions, and being part of our school’s environmental club. I also just try to be mindful of what I am doing and if it will positively impact the future of our planet.”
Some ideas to help reduce your carbon footprint could be buying secondhand, replacing non-native plants with plants that are native to Iowa and will increase pollination, recycling or avoiding single-use plastics. You could also join The SEPC! There are so many ways to make small changes in everyday routines to help the environment.
Happ described it best, “we often take our planet for granted even though it will be here even when we are not.”
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