Happy Earth Day may not be a greeting heard around campus every April 22, but that doesn’t mean some people on campus aren’t spending Friday thinking about Earth Day.

“Whatever level you focus on, from conservation of species around the world to local community trash cleanups and recycling days, there is an important impact that helps to spread awareness and highlight the importance of environmental health and sustainability for all our benefit,” AP Environmental Science teacher Jamie Berendt said. “Our environment sustains us all provisionally and impacts our physical and mental well-being.”

According to the ECAVO, an organization designed to study, understand, and protect environmental factors, harmful factors continue to cause an issue for the Earth. 

“Communities with a lot of trash lying around affect the appeal of the community, impacting it economically,” Berendt said. “In addition, poor environmental quality impacts the mental well-being of its citizens, too. Many studies have shown that people are happier, and children learn and behave better in healthier environments that are plentiful with vegetation, trees, and wildlife. It helps us as human beings to live better, healthier, and happier lives.”

Trying to involve himself in more environmental conservation efforts, sophomore Phillip Sun believes a direct change starts with the individual.

“We can try to make a larger effort through our daily life, but also by being aware of what we are doing to the environment since our actions have a direct effect,” Sun said. “It is upsetting to see that there are a lot of things that can hurt the environment,”

Although it’s just one day, Earth Day is more than just one day for sophomore Varun Sinha. 

“It’s so important to protect the environment so we can ensure the survival of various ecosystems and then society,” Sinha said. “This is our Earth, so we should do the best we can to protect it.”