As Monday marks the 53rd anniversary of Earth Day, USC has become part of a concerning trend; a decline in participation of environmental initiatives. In fact, many students weren’t even aware it was Earth Day.
“I feel guilty and kind of stupid that I didn’t know [it was Earth Day],” said Molly Glad, a senior studying health promotion and disease prevention studies. “I feel like with the university being so pro-helping the environment…receiving an email would have been nice to put it out there.”
Historically, USC has been an example of environmental awareness, organizing a multitude of events and initiatives to celebrate Earth Day. From campus clean-ups to educational seminars and awareness campaigns, the university was committed to sustainability efforts.
On the first honorary Earth Day in 1970, USC students strived to spread awareness about environmental causes by placing a gas mask on Tommy Trojan. Students also participated in a car engine burial ceremony on campus to signify the fight against pollution.
These different activities not only encouraged a sense of environmental leadership among students, faculty and staff, but also highlighted USCs commitment to addressing various global issues.
However, recently there has been a decline in the level of enthusiasm and promotion surrounding Earth Day events across campus.
“I think it’s pretty much because of the emotions associated with it. The climate crisis is not something like, ‘Oh, this is the crisis. This is the solution. Let’s solve it.’ It’s actually a poly crisis, which means that it combines with so many different crises,” said Shreya Agrawal, an independent climate journalist and engagement coordinator at the USC Annenberg Center for Climate Journalism and Communications.
“It’s so many different things that go on with this crisis. And there’s so many different solutions … I think that stops people from even paying attention to what’s happening around them,” Agrawal said.
Throughout April, USC has held various sustainability events to discuss burning environmental concerns. USC’s Arts and Climate Festival and a talk between climate activist and actor Jane Fonda and Dean Willow Bay have been part of the university’s attempts to educate students on sustainable practices on campus.
“I think it’s so important for college campuses to put on events that kind of show students that they can make tiny changes … It’s so easy to feel alone. It’s so easy to feel like you can’t do anything like you can’t make a change,” Agrawal said.
For Earth Day, USC presented a “How to be a Sustainable Trojan” talk with the USC Office of Sustainability, an Earth Day painting station and a workshop to celebrate Earth Day with SC Outfitters, a student-run outdoor adventure organization.
Nonetheless, many are left underwhelmed about the campus’s involvement in climate-based projects especially during Earth Day.
“I think having a dedicated day or a month is important, because it can help people kind of re-evaluate how they are in terms of their own carbon footprint in terms of their own sustainability goals, and maybe set intentions for the rest of the year,” said Shannon Michelle Gibson, an associate professor of environmental studies and director of Gibson Climate Justice Lab.
“You know, no matter what you do in this world, no matter what job, what major you have, your gender, your age … your life is in some way dependent on the planet that we live on, so it’s still something that deserves focus and attention.”