With the passing of Earth Day on April 22, many took to social media to share rustic photographs, snapshots of ex-getaways and quotes about the grandeur of nature. Much like the poets and artists of the Romantic era that heightened the divinity of the Earth’s natural facets or the many other social and artistic movements throughout history, new-age environmentalism advocates for the recognition of nature as an awe-inspiring and sublime complexity. Bygone movements such as Romanticism, however, differ in their heedless omission of conservation of nature, a concept far too inconceivable for its time.
Today, dissimilarly, with over 90 percent of people living in highly-developed countries aware to the threats of climate change, deforestation, pollution and ozone layer depletion, our generation is on a fast-track in learning calamitous dangers of human pursuit. Subsequent to the acquisition of knowledge surrounding looming environmental tragedies, the first step to inducing actual change is to care for the particular movement in mind.
Though posting a status or photograph onto social media celebrating Earth Day might depict a certain admiration for Mother Nature, it becomes merely superficial when it stands alone without real action. In other words, we ought to be fighting for the very planet we so often cherish on social media and throughout our lives.
Earth Day comes annually and so does the creation of approximately 2.5 trillion pounds of garbage. Much of this will end up as ground litter or within landfills and oceans, along with a loss of 15 billion trees. You can make a difference by supporting organizations that plant trees, purchasing reusable bottles and utensils and recycling your paper, cardboard, aluminum and plastic. Do your part to fight global warming by carpooling or using public transportation and by walking or biking to nearby locations where you would normally drive.
You can also buy reusable shopping bags to take with you to the grocery store; only seven percent of the world’s plastic bags are recycled. When inside your home, take shorter showers and be cautious about your indoor heating and cooling systems, using them only when necessary and turning them off when you go out. In terms of buying products, support brands that use less packaging or that produce their products solely from recycled materials. In addition to this, you can donate extra clothing and products to those in need rather than throwing them out.
These are only a few of the sensible things you can be doing in your life, with none requiring much effort. The list only goes on and with enough research you can, too, be an active participant in the fight to preserve and protect our planet. Also, remember to break the habit of thinking your actions don’t make a difference. If all the people who attempt to live eco-friendly lives ceased their efforts, the world would be a collectively worse place.
So the next time you post on social media eulogizing the wonders of nature, be sure to do so with a heavy head on the role humanity has in destroying it and the role we can take in helping it. In addition to this, use your voice to pass along valuable messages about what others can do to get involved. Don’t just be an admirer of nature, be the foundation for a brighter future.
Sophia San Filippo is a sophomore double-majoring in English and women, gender and sexuality studies.