Reduce, reuse, recycle – it's been said many times, but who's listening?
Friday is Earth Day, and the environmental organization at UB has a lot in store for a campus-wide festival.
In 1970, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day, because of his concerns with the lack of political attention to environmental problems. He created a grassroots demonstration that 20 million people attended.
It attracted crowds from local schools and organizations, and the demonstration's success was marked with a new awareness of the issues society faces.
Not only did Nelson begin a green revolution, he also demonstrated the power of the grassroots movement. The ability of a society to come together as one for something they believe in has led to many more advances around the world.
Dennis Hayes, the coordinator of the first Earth Day in 1970, helped promote it internationally, and by 1990 it was observed in 141 countries. Since then many more organizations have been founded that benefit the earth and focus on environmental initiatives such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act.
The significance of Earth Day is not only for celebrating the environment but also for focusing on the issues at hand.
"No matter who you are, your well-being depends on the Earth's well-being," said Emily Gibson, a junior communication and economics major and student representative for the environmental stewardship committee. "Thus, learning about environmental issues and practical ways to combat them are in the best interest of all individuals and communities. Earth Day is a time to focus on doing just those things."
The theme for Earth Day this year is "A Billion Acts of Green." The goal is to get 1 billion individuals or organizations to register their actions and ideas that influence a better environment. Nearly 96,490,837 acts have been recorded according to the Earth Day Network website.
UB's environmental group also has many activities planned for Earth Week and for Earth Day. One of the events includes a speaker series featuring leaders in sustainability projects from around the area, talking about their projects and careers. On Thursday, UB Improv will host an environmentally themed sketch at noon in the Student Union Flag Room.
For Earth Day, the environmental department has planned an entire day of celebrations and events. From 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the Special Events Field, there will be many exciting activities to participate in. Some events include Blow your Horn for the Environment, Eco-pot making, Mount Trashmore, Earth Pong, Solar Smoothie Cart, and a picnic with True Blue.
"The point is to raise awareness of the sweet environmental locations right on North Campus," Gibson said. "[Earth Day is] a day on which we can discuss problems with our environment, our role in these problems, and most importantly, feasible solutions to these problems."
The increase in Earth Day festivities across the country, and even internationally, has given rise to the many problems society needs to focus on.
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