By Jessica Petrocchi
Elon University bright and sunny on Earth Day.
74% students said they consider themselves environmentally friendly. At least that’s what an informal poll of 113 students around the sunny campus said on Earth Day 2013.
Out of these students, 57 said that their Elon education has made a difference in their environmental awareness. In honor of the holiday, events around campus invite students to remind themselves about the importance of preserving our environment.
At 6 p.m. today in the Numen Lumen Pavilion Meditation Garden there will be an Earth Day Meditation Sitting sponsored by Iron Tree Blooming.
Colonnades Dining Hall will host an Earth Day Local Lunch. Three students polled around campus mentioned eating local foods as a way to help prevent global warming and be environmentally friendly.
“I conserve wherever I can,” student Brian Lovello said, “But using gas is necessary for me to get to work everyday.”
Students try to do their part, but often it is difficult to go out of their way for the environment. And some students are simply not concerned at all.
The most popular action that students are taking is recycling. From the students polled, 50 said they incorporate reducing, reusing and recycling in their lives.
Other students said walking, biking, turning off lights, using less water and carpooling were ways that they helped the environment in their daily lives.
What actions are Elon students taking?
“I’m a business student,” junior Phoebe Kot said, “so I guess I leave it up to other people.
Many students polled around the business school area felt similarly to Kot. At 7:30 in McKinnon Hall, speaking Hunter Lovins will speak on this very issue.
As a sociologist and sustainability expert, Lovins talk with students about how companies and communities are implementing genuine sustainability to create a more prosperous future.
But many do not feel this way. Out of our 113 polled students, 73% said they do consider themselves environmentally aware and 58% said they were concerned about global warming and taking action.
“I do try to take personal action,” freshman Gary Grumbach said, “but I don’t think I should be the only one.”
But with just 58% saying that they are taking action against global warming, Elon University has their work cut out for them.
Reporting by Jessica Petrocchi 