Earth Day—Educating Ourselves through Lessons in History and Current Events

As Earth Day approaches us, I can just see the flood of Google searches of “what to do on Earth Day” and the influx of articles telling you 5 small changes you can make. And that isn’t a bad thing. In our current climate (no pun intended), we know now more than ever that every individual can make a difference. We’ve started buying less plastic, reusing not just recycling, using less water, eating less meat, cycling to work etc. The list goes on. But something we often forget to do is inform ourselves just why we’re doing this. We could leave it at “it’s for the environment” but if we fail to understand the problem then staying uninformed is what let’s you think, “sure, it’s just one plastic bottle.” This Earth Day, on top of doing, let’s educate ourselves through lessons in history and current news. Know why you’re doing something and you’ll stay that much more committed.

You may recognize the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as soon as you see it’s cute panda logo, but it’s there for a good reason. WWF’s primary focus is wildlife, but they also offer tips on their website about what you can do for the environment as well as extensively showcasing the work they are doing. What’s equally amazing is the brief on each of the animals they help – from the iconic African elephant to the lesser known Yangtze Finless Porpoise. All facts and figures are given including what species they are, the number remaining, and their status as critically endangered animals.

 If you’re looking for a wider discussion of the environment that ties in conservation and change in the political sphere then Vox might be more suited to you. Vox’s writers deal with topics ranging from explaining the Green New Deal to opinion pieces on why we need electric airplanes, not cars. Articles on Vox ask the questions we’ve never asked and in a way that seeks to educate readers, not confuse.

If you like your information literally said into your ear then podcasts are for you. So many of us don’t really know why fast-fashion is bad or how our everyday products are damaging the environment. “Costing the Earth” from BBC gives you answers to those questions as well as hears stories from those making a difference. Another is NPR’s “Environmental Podcast” that will keep you up to date on the latest news on the “environment, climate change, pollution, and endangered species.”

Nowadays with Netflix and Hulu, the public no longer has to wander across an already-started documentary while flicking through the channels. Now we can gain knowledge on demand. If you need a shock to the system to take action, then try watching Al Gore’s famous documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth” detailing “how humans have messed up the planet” or let “The True Cost” take you through the perils of the fashion industry. Both can be found on Netflix.

Knowledge is power. Celebrate Earth day with education!

FROM THE EDITOR
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