With Earth Day around the corner, people will celebrate the holiday as they always do. Some will plant new trees or attempt to reduce their energy consumption; others will volunteer with clean up crews and pick litter off the sides of the street or along the coast. Earth Day is seemingly the one day of the year where most people will be environmentally conscious, unfortunately, that is not the case for the other 364 days.
The United States still continues to be the world’s second largest emitter of green house gasses, which comes from fossil fuel contributions. Cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Portland, and San Francisco have the worst littering problem in the country, according to the Pew Research Center.
Despite the fact that Earth still struggles with pollution and litter, research shows that Generation Z shows the most concern for the planet’s well-being and influences others to make sustainability-first buying decisions. In a study done by World Economic Forum, the research showed that roughly three-quarters of Gen Zers prefer to buy sustainably rather than to go for brand names and are even influencing other generations such as Millennials and Gen X.
“I do think that our generation definitely is the most sympathetic and active about stopping climate change. I think the millennials kinda do too, but definitely not the boomers. It seems like it’s up to us to clean up the mess other generations have started,” said sophomore Iverson P.
While buying sustainable products are often expensive due to premium raw materials, there are other ways of being environmentally conscious.
Some ways of reducing waste include composting food scraps, buying in bulk to reduce packaging waste, and bringing reusable bags, containers, and utensils whenever you shop or dine out. Eating a plant-based diet can also help reduce carbon footprint and support sustainable agriculture.
“I try to bike more than I drive, and I always use reusable bags whenever I go shopping. I also try not to use too many plastic products, and I know maybe it doesn’t make a huge difference but if I can reduce the litter population by even a little bit, I think it’s still a win,” said freshman Rochelle N.
For several years, Sonoma State University has been a member of Second Nature and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, also known as AASHE.
SSU also participates in the STARS program, also known as the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System. The program is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.
According to the official SSU website, Sonoma State University achieved enough points to garner a Silver rating designation in the spring of 2021 which is valid until 2024. Points can be earned through Academics, Engagement, Operations and Planning & Administration.
Sophomore Eliana K. said that when she was in elementary school, Earth day was a huge deal. “We would spend the majority of the day planting stuff at the school’s community garden and learning about the importance of recycling. Nowadays whenever it’s earth day there’s posts about it on social media and special events in school but it doesn’t seem as celebrated as it once was.”
For students that want to learn more about environmental consciousness, the Sustainability Club is hosting an Earth Day Celebration from noon to 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 20. For more information, contact [email protected]
