Earth Day 2015: How Green Can You Be?
By Christopher Beveridge and Dr. Kathleen J. Tate
Christopher is the Secretary for the APUS Save the Earth Club.
Dr. Tate is the Program Director of Teaching at APU, and the Lead Advisor for the APUS Save the Earth Club.
Every day should be Earth Day. However, April 22nd is traditionally the time of year when we focus on environmental issues that matter the most to us, Even if the weather threatens your volunteer efforts on Wednesday or any day during this special week, remember that you can put earth conscious principles into practice on other days year-round. There are 40 things you can do yourself, according to the EPA, to improve the environment. For example, opting out of junk mail, buying refurbished products, and getting your own reusable water bottle. Outside of personal goals for helping the environment, there are higher reaching projects you can lend a hand or voice to.
Let us take a look at some of the issues that currently plague us, as well as how we can become part of the solution and not the problem. Check out the websites below to learn more about the issues and to get ideas on what you can do to take action locally and/or virtually.
- Gulf Oil Spill
- Hydraulic Fracturing
- Global Climate Change
- Ecological Sustainability of Housing
- Environmental Justice
- Urban Deforestation
- Water Withdrawal
- Plant Species Endangerment
- Oil Development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
- GMOs and Cloned Livestock
- Antibiotic Resistance from Cattle Feed Yards
Start spreading general awareness of environmental issues by educating yourself on the world and species around you. Want to take that involvement a step further? Join a group that is developing service-oriented plans to get communities involved with the environment. Students of American Public University can access this community aspect through our student group, the APUS Save the Earth Club. Get started today!
Follow Save the Earth APUS on Twitter and Facebook.