A BIT OF BACKGROUND

Originally our Earth Day celebration was going to be a portion of the Annual Research Conference in the Fine Arts building at Inver Hills. Things changed quickly. With campus closing, we were forced to decide whether or not to continue on with the conference. We decided to focus our efforts on a one-day virtual gathering to honor the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

We made this decision because on Earth Day, April 22, 2020, we have two crises: One is the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The other is a slowly building disaster for our climate. Our campus community is working towards bringing awareness and education towards both global issues in several ways. Today is just a small example of what we can do if we work together towards a common, sustainable goal.

We can, will and must solve both challenges. Just like what we have seen in the pandemic interventions, this starts locally. At the community level. Even our IHCC college community can play a big role in participating in sustainable practices and educating our community. The world was not prepared for the novel coronavirus. But we still have time to prepare — in every part of the world — for the climate crisis. We must work together to save Mother Earth.