Earth Day took place on April 22, and students at the University of Maryland proved that they take sustainability seriously. Many clubs and organizations took part in EarthFest and other activities that promote a healthy environment.
McKeldin Mall was filled with booths and activities hosted by environmentally-focused student organizations. Students could browse the booths and participate in fun activities such as a pop-up thrift shop, succulent giveaways, bounce houses, water bottle decorating and more.
Shopping at thrift stores, sustainable brands or second-hand stores is a great way to practice sustainability. Toxic wastewater from clothing factories often ends up in oceans and 57% of all discarded clothing ends up in landfills.
By shopping second-hand, you can find unique pieces that would have otherwise ended up in a dump. At this student-run thrift shop students could take up to five pieces for free.
Staying hydrated is also incredibly important, especially as we enter into summer. A reusable water bottle is a must for busy college students.. Americans purchase 50 million plastic water bottles each year. The Resident Hall Association hosted a water bottle decorating booth to encourage students to steer clear of plastic bottles.
UMD’s campus dining halls also showed their earth appreciation by participating in a “Veg Out.” On April 21, all campus dining halls were completely vegetarian. Livestock production accounts for 16.5% of global greenhouse gas production. Reducing your meat consumption throughout the year is a great way to live a sustainable lifestyle.
While Earth Day is a fun day to celebrate and protect nature’s beauty, it is important that we continue to build and maintain sustainable habits for the other 364 days of the year.
“At home my family composts our food scraps through a company called Black Earth. It’s super easy and it feels good to not let food go to complete waste,” said freshman journalism major Lia Gorbach.
“I am a part of the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega. We often volunteer on different environmental community service projects. This year our chapter planted 200 plants for Earth Day,” said freshman criminology and psychology major Hannah Scopp.
Professor Joanna Goger of the Environmental Science and Policy Department says that one of the easiest sustainable resolutions a college student could make is to walk as often as possible.
As college students, Terps can take advantage of the walkable community the campus provides! Another simple resolution is picking up litter whenever you notice it. Keeping campus clean is beneficial to the environment and students and faculty.
It can be easy to get stuck in a negative mindset when it comes to the future of our environment. Sometimes it seems like every day something happens that threatens the health of our planet and it’s easy to feel like we’re doomed. It is important to maintain hope and recognize all the positive changes that our generation can make possible. Professor Goger said that one thing that keeps her hopeful is seeing UMD students’ passion and activism for protecting our planet.