Our
View: Earth Day needs prolonged recognition
While
arriving back to school after a week of leisurely
relaxation and reflection, few of us are anticipating
any more celebrations.
We’ve paid our dues dressing up in fancy clothes, and our pocketbooks are
now hurting from buying cheap candy and uncomfortable shoes. Many of us are relieved
when mundane Monday beckons us back to school, allowing us to return to jeans
and T-shirts. Our empty wallets are a less depressing sight when among our fellow
poor college students.
But, alas, a relatively new holiday, underappreciated by most, awaits us this
weekend. Earth Day may seem trivial in comparison to other springtime holidays,
but its potential significance is in no ways slight.
Cal State Long Beach students should know. The natural beauty that abounds our
campus, especially during the spring, is often overwhelming. The tranquil comfort
of the delicate peach blossoms and the rich green landscape are something to
be appreciated, and at the very least acknowledged.
While natural beauty may be abound in Southern California where sandy beaches,
deserts, clear mountains and feather duster-like palm trees are all a short drive
away, few residents take the time to appreciate the wonders that surround them.
The Earth is a marvelous gift that should be enjoyed. We should relish in all
the Earth has to offer.
Spending any time in nature can evoke the respect for the Earth that is so sorely
lacked today.
Earth Day is not only a day to enjoy the natural beauty around us. It is also
a reminder of the precarious state our world is in. We are constantly emitting
toxins in the air and reducing the amount of resources available for the future
via car pollution and wasteful consumption of natural resources.
Even the husbandry industry is a huge contributor to the declining state our
Earth is in. Animals raised for food produce huge amounts of methane and voraciously
consume quantities of clean water.
A simple gesture or small action, like picking up a piece of trash that didn’t
belong to you or eating vegetarian once a week, can make a difference over time.
These simple things, while seemingly innocuous, accumulate to create serious
change. If everyone pitches in to conserve the Earth, important changes can occur.
In order to save our Earth we must first begin to change our mentality about
conservation of natural resources and other methods of preserving our Earth.
Remaining aware and conscious of our actions is paramount in order to create
the change necessary for preserving our world for generations to come.
Too often thoughtlessness conflicts with our civic obligation as stewards of
the Earth to care for and nurture our precious gift. Many people view the Earth
as something we are entitled to as human beings and that we should be able to
use the Earth however we see fit. This mentality has been extremely detrimental.
Eliminating this egotistical belief that human beings deserve all the Earth has
to offer is the first step in a long process of things that need to be changed
to make the Earth last.
As CSULB students, we are the best candidates for making this kind of change
happen. We are still young enough to not be set in our ways, allowing us to make
the lifestyle changes and, as residents of Southern California, we experience
first hand the severity of thoughtless waste.
Smog is visible almost immediately after a day of heavy traffic and our beaches
are often a reflection of our environmental carelessness.
Earth Day should be a reminder of all the Earth has to offer and by observing
it, even for just a day, it can spark the initial change that will resonate for
years to come.
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