Issues such as global warming, energy efficiency, overpopulation and environmental issues will be at the forefront today as part of the 39th Earth Day.
“Earth Day is a very good initiative because it brings environmental issues to the public and, in many cases, the events related to Earth Day offer lots of information about small things that everybody can do to improve our living environment,” said Astrid Volder, assistant professor in Horticultural Landscape Ecology.
Texas A&M’s Environmental Sustainability Committee, will be holding events on campus for Earth Day Wednesday.
“We see Earth Day as one additional opportunity that we not only celebrate but inspire awareness and appreciation for the environment, but also educate people on the issues while contributing to our campus’s own environmental impact,” said Amanda Grosgebauer, ESC Chairwoman and senior English major.
More than 40 campus organizations will be participating in the Earth Day events. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. there will be tables from different organizations focusing on issues such as sustainability and energy conservation in Rudder Plaza. Two local bands, Apotheosis and Strawberry Jam, will be performing in the plaza during that time.
The environmental forum from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. will focus on what A&M is doing to positively impact the environment and what students can do to push the University to be more environmentally conscious. Grosgebauer said everyone is welcome and there will be snacks and give-aways from the various organizations.
Grosgebauer said environmental issues unify people because information can be shared and learned about what is going on in the environment.
“We all live in the same environment, use its resources and depend on it,” she said. “For me, it is important for everyone to be more conscious of the recourses they use, whether it’s energy, gas in their car or water running in the sink. Not only will it lower our bills but it will contribute to more conservation efficiency worldwide.”
The Brazos Valley’s Earth Day celebration was rained out over the weekend, and will be rescheduled this summer for some time in June or July.
Mary Strauss, Sustainability Programs coordinator of the city of Bryan, said they will have many exhibitors and visitors on rain water harvesting, alternative vehicles such as hybrid and electric cars, global warming and other environmental issues.
“It is most important for people to realize that they are connected to the environment,” she said. “Their health and quality of life are all part of the environment. When you do something good for the environment you are also doing something good for yourself and your family.”
Strauss said the city of Bryan has also taken steps to better the environment. He said they created the Green Team, which is expanding efforts to be environmentally friendly, and recently bought a hybrid car for the employee vehicle.
Strauss said people can stay updated on environmental events such as the rescheduled Earth Day through the Bryan Web site, http://bryantx.gov. She said they are always open to suggestion and ideas, as well as providing ways to go green.
Earth Day was founded in 1970 by Sen. Gaylord Nelson to inspire awareness about the environment to the general public.
Volder said the world is facing environmental concerns such as global climate change, diminishing fresh water supplies and reduced water quality, air pollution, waste generation and a projected increase in global population.
She said the population is supposed to increase from 6.8 billion people to 8.9 billion people by 2050 and the population is already beyond the carrying capacity of the planet in terms of resource use.
She said that water supply is one of the most serious issues that often goes overlooked. Our fresh water supply is a limited resource, and with the water supply in Phoenix, Ariz., predicted to run out in the next decade, it is important to think about the conservation of this resource.
Volder said these issues have been prominent in European countries for many years, including the country where she grew up, the Netherlands. With many European countries not having the space per person that the U.S. does, many of the issues faced today were just as important 20 years ago.
“The basics of sustainability were a way of life as I grew up,” she said. “A lot of environmental issues that are getting attention were already getting attention there when I grew [up] in the 80s and 90s.”
Volder said that in order to sustain resources everyone can do their part, no matter how small.
“Earth Day is wonderful in that it brings issues of sustainability back into the mainstream media and makes people think about their own habits,” Volder said. “Everyone can contribute to a more sustainable way of living.”
How to helpThings like turning off electronics, insulating homes, reducing water usage, collecting rainwater to irrigate garden plants, using cloth shopping bags, buying food from local producers and using energy efficient vehicles are practices that people can begin to follow when trying to conserve and help the environment.