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Written by: Henry Dobozy and Ezekiel Gingerich
Earth day is an event where people around the world spread extra awareness about carbon emissions and our impact on the environment. This year's Earth Day was celebrated on the 22nd of April. Let's dive into a bit of the history of this event.
Earth Day first kicked off in the United states in the 1970s when Senator Gaylord Nelson and Denis Hayes brought the idea to the general public. The spark for this idea was the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill which the senator witnessed. From that moment, Gaylord wanted to use the student anti-war movement to spread awareness about air and water pollution. Dennis Hayes and the senator chose April 22 1970 for the first Earth Day to maximize student participation. As a result of all of this work, people around the world now celebrate Earth Day every year.
Here at KCI, the community prides itself on its respect for the environment, and so the school has decided to participate in this year's Earth Day in many ways. For example, the WRDSB has recently purchased its first electric vehicle (EV). This EV is being used as a service vehicle for Billy Grant, a Building Automation Technician who works for the WRDSB. Additionally, the Commingle Bin program (which allows for all materials to be placed in one bin and then be sorted afterwards) has encouraged recycling in our school and contributed to an overall more environmentally-friendly KCI. Another way our school has promoted Earth Day is by encouraging the student body to participate in their own private ways to help the environment. The school board has suggested that students could organize waste pick ups around their homes, make sure to unplug unused electronics or sort the recycling in their homes,among other things, to help out on a day like Earth Day. KCI plans to continue its commitment to the environment by transitioning into a “green school.”
In conclusion, Earth Day is a storied and important tradition that should be celebrated by everyone. KCI and the WRDSB have contributed in multiple ways to the environmentally friendly spirit of the celebration and have encouraged a greater participation in the day throughout its student body. But, maybe Earth Day isn’t just one day where we pay our respects to the world around us, maybe it’s an opportunity to learn and spread eco-friendly ideas and activities everyday, to speak out against large oil conglomerates who are the worst offenders by fair in the destruction of our natural environment, and by doing this, save the Earth for many Earth Days to come.
Sources:
https://www.earthday.org/history/
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