With the month of April comes the start of all things related to spring: rain showers, the blooming of flowers and, of course, Earth Day. 

The efforts in preserving our planet have grown tremendously since the 1970s when the first call for environmental action took place. Since then the fight for keeping earth green has been consistent with young activists and protestors joining together for a healthy environment. College communities such as that of UC Berkeley have played a grand role in keeping local areas clean with the intentions of going waste free. 

On April 22, join in on the fight to keep this planet rotating for the many generations to come with some activities and things to keep in mind. 

Reduce carbon footprint 

More often than not, our own carbon footprint on this planet may seem minimal. However, when you think about it from a recurring scale, the outcomes become expansive. For example, with the growing number of the world’s total population multiplying by the hour of each day, the effects can go from minimal to maximal. With the help of reframing our perspective we can thus see the detriments of our own day to day actions. 

There are numerous ways to limit our impact such as using public transport or carpooling rather than calling an Uber. Your bank account will also thank you, as the cost will be significantly cheaper than going solo. If you do plan to splurge on a cup of coffee (or two) during your study sessions, ask for an actual cup rather than a plastic one — even if they’re compostable. Despite compostable items taking a few months to biodegrade, it’s better to avoid them when you can. In the same way, for those of us with a campus meal plan, avoiding those pesky to-go boxes by dining in is optimal when considering the amount of boxes being used every day. 

Bird and plant identification

A professor of mine recently told me how much she enjoys bird watching for the sake of appreciating their similarities to us humans. This made me think of the ways in which we all can immerse ourselves in nature and all of its glory by simply looking up from our screens. Observing birds and other critters in their natural state can be a great pastime during study breaks too. If all else fails, UC Berkeley’s Cal Falcons website has you covered with their web cameras set up on the Campanile. This campus subculture can seem silly — however, it is a great way to take part in the action. 

Taking on new hobbies such as bird identification can serve as your fun fact. This doesn’t end with just birds, though. Learning more about plants and their identification works just as well. As someone who used to be able to quickly identify flowers as foliage, I can say that it was always a rewarding experience. Give back to earth by learning more about what’s growing below and floating above. 

Reduce, reuse, recycle

A common misconception about environmentalism is that it has to be difficult. While tending to something as important as our planet is crucial for our future, it should also be enjoyable enough to continue the fight every day. If everyone made small changes to their daily lives, the world would be a lot cleaner.

Reducing your footprint by thrift shopping rather than purchasing anew, for example, isn’t that arduous, and has great benefits. Recycling cans and bottles rather than placing them in the trash can is another easy way to give back to Mother Earth. In other words: reduce, reuse and recycle. 

This Earth Day 2022, make Mother Nature happy by taking part in the action.