In an event celebrating and recognizing Earth Day, campus organizations advocating environmental issues gathered at Library Walk on April 21 to promote their cause and provide information on various initiatives for conservation. The various organizations in attendance included the UCSD chapters of California Public Interest Research Group, Greenpeace, the Urban Corps of San Diego, Campus Greens and members of the Sierra Club.
Guardian
CalPIRG director Kate Gallagher, one of the head organizers of the Earth Day event, mentioned some key points about what CalPIRG wanted to address this year, which includes the elimination of environmental rollbacks and halting the air pollution from fossil-fuel plants.
CalPIRG organizes this event every year for Earth Day. CalPIRG runs several environmental campaigns, including Earth Day Energy, the recycling campaign and Water Watch, which conducts cleanups at La Jolla Shores beach.
A guest speaker from the Sierra Club attended the event as well. Lynne Baker, an elected officer of the Sierra Club’s executive committee, arrived to present various opportunities available to students while participating in the Sierra Club, including internships.
“”For students, a membership in the Sierra Club gives you a selection of outings in natural locations for you to visit natural places with trained leaders,”” Baker said.
Sierra Club, a national club founded by John Muir, recognizes the important issues of conservation. Baker also asserted the crucial point of interdependence of all environmental issues.
“”You can’t have clean water without open spaces in their natural setting, and you can’t have clean air without transportation. Everything is interdependent,”” Baker said.
She also mentioned the role of college students when it comes to the environment.
“”The most important thing for students to do is just vote,”” she said. “”Be involved while you still have the passion in your idealism.””
Baker also said she believes that policymakers are more likely to act on implementing conservation acts if there are higher voter turnouts.
Also present near Library Walk was Greenpeace, which addressed issues on clean energy and energy efficient buildings. Adjacent to their booth was the large “”rolling sunlight,”” which is a portable vehicle with extensive solar panels capable of powering three energy-efficient homes, according to an informational flyer. Greenpeace supporter Mark Zabala noted the importance of Earth Day.
“”I think Earth Day is important for everyone to be aware of and actively support a clean environment. Its not just recognizing problems, but taking actions to address them,”” Zabala said.
Greenpeace promotes the construction of “”green buildings,”” which are energy efficient and made of materials that are safe for the environment, according to Maureen Cave, a UC Berkeley alumna and member of Greenpeace. Among the initiatives taken is the Clean Energy Green Building Policy, which has been under possible implementation by UC Regents for nine months.
“”The best change we can make is at the UC level. We’re asking [the UC administration] to set the standard and the norm,”” Cave said. “”It is unacceptable if the UC administration doesn’t take initiative to address issues. But they have been pretty helpful.””
In addition to pollution of the air and water, overpopulation is considered a manner of polluting the environment as well. The Population Reduction and Earth Preservation booth passed out informational flyers and free condoms to address overpopulation. Hormoz Parineh, a member of P.R.E.P., said that overpopulation is the root of all environmental problems. People are the ones who pollute and the more people there are, the more chances for humans to pollute. Birth control is an issue when it comes to overpopulation, as explained by P.R.E.P. member Michelle Kalisher.
“”Our problem right now is in the developing countries. Bush has been taking away funding for international birth control,”” Kalisher said.
Although Earth Day is observed only once a year on April 22, Campus Greens member Andrew Parish acknowledged that the issues raised on this day should not be ignored the rest of the year.
“”Every day should be Earth Day,”” Parish said. “”It’s to highlight what we’re supposed to address every day.””
[Ed. Note: Mark Zabala is an employee of the UCSD Guardian.]
