The School of International Service will take part in the 34th annual celebration of Earth Day today by sponsoring a forum on the environment, according to SIS professor Paul Wapner, who is also an environmental policy analyst.
The student group EcoSense will also participate in the SIS Earth Day events. According to EcoSense Vice President Jerry Crosby, there will be panels and individual speakers from Greenpeace, the Sierra Club and various graduate students.
Crosby said Earth Day "needs to be recognized more. Almost nobody but environmentalists knows about it."
He said students should seek education on the environment and remember that it is the little things that count. Remembering menial things such as turning off lights and water, and moderating air conditioning and heat all help to conserve resources.
"I live in the dorms," Crosby said, "and I see people coming in the bathroom to brush their teeth and leave the water running while they brush."
Many environmentalists fear Americans will let environmental conditions worsen until it is too late. However, Crosby said that does not have to happen.
"It is a visible problem that is easier to solve than the economy," he said. "You can see a problem and fix it."
The federal government also plans to recognize Earth Day. Last year, President Bush highlighted his administration's goal of cutting power plant pollution by 70 percent, and introduce a new national energy policy.
Bush said, "Three decades after the first Earth Day, our air is cleaner, our water is purer, and our lands and natural resources are better protected."
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Mike Leavitt sees Earth Day as "a time to unite" and encouraged Americans to find events in their communities or do something on their own to give back.
The concept of Earth Day was first introduced over 40 years ago. Sen. Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) thought of the concept in the 1960s and the first Earth Day occurred in 1970. The holiday is observed annually by environmental activists, families and children all over the world.
