Another Earth Day has passed, with special events and celebrations. But Earth Day shouldn’t just be a social media post we make every year.
The day was created in 1970 as a response to pollution and environmental damage humans have contributed to. It was the beginning of the modern environmental movement.
Earth Day is meant to be an opportunity for us, as humans, to show how we can help Mother Earth by doing significant environmental acts such as community cleanups, planting trees, and recycling.
“We are protecting the Earth now for our future generations,” Del Mar student Madi Harlow said of what Earth Day means to her.
“We don’t want to live in a dreadful world.”
But there’s the growing worry that Earth Day is now just a trend — an aesthetic post on Instagram.
I’m not saying Earth Day as an Instagram trend is a bad thing. College students do love a good social media post. But it doesn’t have to stop there.
There are ways to make an impact, even if you start small.
- Get rid of those plastic bottles and exchange them for a reusable water bottle.
- Find out where waste and recycling actually goes in your city.
- You don’t always need the latest and greatest phone or laptop. And when you are ready to switch, donate or recycle your old electronics.
- Ditch the plastic bags and bring reusable totes to the grocery store.
- Stop buying fast fashion; shop at thrift stores or have a clothing swap with friends.
- Carpool, ride a bike, or take the bus.
- Especially with our city’s current water crisis, learn to conserve water. Take shorter showers and don’t leave the faucet running when brushing your teeth.
So don’t forget about the environmental changes you can make just because Earth Day is over. Earth Day isn’t just an aesthetic post on Instagram.
