As Leonardo DiCaprio said during his Oscar’s acceptance speech, “climate change is real,” and “it is happening right now.”
As a society, it is our moral duty to give back to the earth for all that it provides.
I’m in agreement with DiCaprio when he says, “it is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating.”
San Diego State does its part to give back to the environment by holding an annual series of events and initiatives called GreenFest.
It was created and is hosted by SDSU’s Associated Students and the Enviro-Business Society to encourage, celebrate and advocate for sustainability, Aztec Pride and diversity and to support the mission of SDSU, according to the Greenfest website.
“The GreenFest Executive Committee (GFEC), shall program GreenFest, a combination of sustainabile, social, cultural, recreational, and educational events within the campus community that encourage, advocate for, and celebrate sustainability, diversity, and Aztec Pride,” according to the mission statement on the website.
In hopes of bettering our community and our environment, the GreenFest website offers a variety of ideas to help residents and students be more aware of their environmental impact.
For starters, commuting to school via skateboard, bike or simply by walking completely eliminates the amount of pollutant gases that get emitted and reduces the damage to the ozone.
Another fast alternative to walking or biking is taking the trolley or bus.
Mass transit has been proven to help reduce air pollutants since it decreases the amount of vehicles on the road – and saves you the trouble of having to find parking.
Secondly, GreenFest supports “Meatless Mondays”.
Eating a vegetarian meal once a week can reduce water consumption by up to 50 percent per person.
According to The Choose Veg website, “by going vegetarian, we can reduce the impact of climate change, rainforest destruction, and pollution, while saving water and other precious resources”.
The site also mentions that “raising animals for food produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all of the cars, planes and other forms of transportation combined.” Just some food for thought next time you go out and order that hamburger.
Lastly, it’s advised to be more environmentally friendly at home by conserving energy, recycling and using reusable bags for your grocery-store trips.
By routinely including the tips mentioned above, as well as attending the GreenFest events, our community will benefit.
“It is our duty as millennials to take care of our earth because we want survival for future generations,” Kayla Brown, environmental science junior said.
Conserving and protecting our natural resources, being aware of your decisions and the effects they may have on the planet, buying local food from farmer markets and turning off running water when not in use are simple tasks that make a big difference, she said.
We should all be grateful for the resources our earth provides for us and should show our appreciation by giving back to it.
As DiCaprio said, “let us not take this planet for granted,” and let us make a difference.
For more information about Greenfest or how to become involved, visit the website at as.sdsu.edu/greenfest or follow them on Twitter @ SDSUgreenfest.
Greenfest started on April 17 and will end this Friday, April 22 with an Earth Day campus community clean-up.
