Earth Day, arriving on April 22nd, is an annual holiday that raises awareness for environmental issues and promotes actions to help save our planet. During this day, individuals usually plant trees, pick up trash, and participate in activities in nature. Stella Dayrell, a student at Grand Ledge High School (GLHS) and the student leader of the Eco Club, talks a bit about the holiday.
“As far as younger kids go, they like to celebrate a holiday, but there’s a deeper meaning behind it. As people learn about this holiday, it kind of motivates them to research more into Earth Day, and this convinces people to want to celebrate it in some way, whether that’s a cleanup or just doing little things to show that you care,” Dayrell said.
In elementary school, teachers usually educate students on this holiday, but as they get older, it’s not talked about as much. Earth Day should be celebrated and learned about more, especially in today’s society, when there are so many issues going on. Dayrell seems to agree with this type of idea.
“I’m taking AP biology right now, and they talk more about how humans affect the environment overall. I believe that other subjects could use that in some way also, to show kids that there’s more to the subject than what you’re taught,” Dayrell said.
In today’s society, humans are struggling with issues that include climate change, air, water, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. Saving the environment is a very crucial key to help our earth stay protected and safe.
“We’ve taken so much from the Earth that we, as humans, have to do something in order to balance it out in some way. I would say to just try to do our part in making things a better place if we can,” Dayrell said.
While for some individuals it seems easy to know how to save the environment. For others, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. For starters, a helpful way to conserve the environment is to recycle items that are plastic. Some examples of this include non-reusable water bottles, plastic bags from the grocery store, and other plastic utensils that may be used. Another example is turning off water, lights, or electronics that are in use to save energy. Ultimately, individuals can help conserve the earth just by cleaning an item up from off the floor, spreading awareness, and reducing products that use emission.
“If you’re washing your face or brushing your teeth, you should turn the sink off. You don’t have to keep it running the whole time, because that will waste water as well. I’d also say composting is good, recycling, using reusable bags at the grocery store instead of getting the plastic ones every time, just little things like that will help the environment,” Dayrell said.
If a student is interested in learning more about the environment and is intrigued to do more for the earth, then they should consider joining the Eco Club. In this organization, students strive to make an impact on the earth and do activities like planting, picking up trash, and more. Dayrell talks a bit more about what they do in this club.
“Mainly, we can collect that we later on recycle, and we’ve been recycling batteries as well. We also do garden beds. In one of the courtyards, we have garden beds set up, and we’re planting more before summer, so that things can grow. We mostly do little crafts, and we try to do things that are more selfless to benefit the environment in some way,” Dayrell said.
In recent years, 97% of the Earth’s land surface has been affected by humans. Because of this, individuals may wonder, is it too late to save the environment, and is there any hope for our earth? Dayrell talks about her opinion on this take.
“I think there’s always hope. If people think there’s no hope, then they aren’t gonna do anything, so I think we should have some help, and even if we are a little too far gone, there’s always something we can improve,” Dayrell said.
