Column: Going green for Green Week
In April, most would expect temperatures to be in the 60s and 70s, not going from the 30s to the 80s with each day. I know I do not enjoy being bundled up in mid-April, and hearing possibilities of snow or ice makes me cringe.
These drastic temperature changes could be attributed to what we are doing to our environment. Burning fossil fuels creates carbon dioxide that moves up into the atmosphere and causes dramatic fluctuations in temperatures.
All of the storms that have hit recently could be attributed to the warm fronts happening in the south and the cold fronts happening in the north, causing a blunder in the middle.
Global warming does not mean excessively hot temperatures; it means drastic changes in weather as a result of the pollutants being pumped into the atmosphere. Severe storms can also be a result of global warming, and we have definitely been experiencing our share of storms.
It is unfortunate that we have done something like this to our planet, but fortunately there are things we can do to, if not fix the problem, maybe slow the problem down, or make the situation better for future generations.
Eastern is having its first ever Green Week, which started Monday. Our university is one of the greenest universities in Illinois, but Green Week will help spread even more awareness as to what the campus and students can do to help the environment. All students and community members can take place in the dumpster dive, where participants jump into dumpsters and pull out any items that could be recycled. The dumpster dive will take place on Thursday.
Another activity that students and community members can participate in is the tree planting. The annual Earth Day tree will be planted at 1 p.m. Friday on the South Quad. This year an oak tree will be planted.
Outside of Green Week activities, students and faculty can also recycle at many places on campus. Almost any place where there is a trash can, there are multiple different recycling bins. It takes just as much effort to put something in the trash as it does to recycle it. Another way to help is to use vehicles less. Since Eastern is a small campus, walk whenever possible, or ride a bike.
I know I sure do not want the environment to be ruined for future generations because of my mistakes. So, let’s all take the little steps that can help the already growing problem.
Abby Allgire is a senior journalism major. She can be reached at 581-2812
