Solutions

Though cliché, there remains value and truth in saying Earth Day is every day and its inhabitants must strive each day to keep it clean. No matter how big or how small, actions matter if one gives them their all. 

Although uniquely beautiful and wonderfully diverse, the world cannot afford to think differently about the dangers Earth faces due to environmental issues. Various excuses have risen to delay much-needed change and divisions have polarized many people. 

“One prevalent excuse people use is grouping sustainability with a certain political party and rooting against it,” said Gamez.

Furthermore, an exaggeration of labels, such as the infamous use of “treehugger” only proves how divided the world continues to become in what should be a cohesive effort to save it. 

Though the word “regret” stems from German roots, all parts of the world will fall to regret if neither unity nor action, whether small or big, is promoted. However, given the condition that Earth is in, large action is most helpful.

Robbins states, “We can be really effective at changing the way we use resources through legislation. It has to happen through our government. One of the things we can do is to make a concerted effort to contact our elected officials who seem to be bent on burning oil and drilling for more of it when it would be much more advantageous to turn to an alternative source.”

Renewable energy is present in various methods, Schimp elaborated. “Solar, wind, geothermal, technically nuclear energy – but it has pros and cons – wave and tidal sources.”

It is vital to keep in mind that simple actions can have effects and that those effects are not unique to themselves. Either directly or indirectly, one environmental problem is responsible for another, the latter of which may not always be related to the environment, but to other forms of life.

In the end, being environmentally friendly is not just for ourselves and for our future, it is for others as well. As stewards of the earth, everyone is called to take responsibility and care of the environment, just as someone would take care of his or her own individual home.

Robbins says, “I remember hearing someone ask, ‘What can I do to make the world better?’ And I said, ‘You have to look within. You have to improve yourself.’ And if we could all do that, if we could all care about others as much as we care about ourselves, then we wouldn’t be able to act in a way that’s disrespectful to others and towards our shared home.”

As one of its core missions, Xavier strives on teaching its students about these very same values that lead to caring for others. Xavier fosters an atmosphere where education is fulfilled not only academically, but also morally, stressing the importance of service for love and respect for each other through teaching imperative values for the good of the world. 

Robbins said, “The Earth is a shared resource that we all rely on for the essentials of living; clean water, clean air and healthy food are things that we all need in order to have a good life. We also need them to contribute back to society. If we’re sick, breathing air that is not optimal, we can’t think well and we can’t work well, and our quality of life is reduced. And so, we do it for each other.”

It’s up to us to help others, despite any and all factors that make us different. Dr. Seuss brilliantly says, “To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world…. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.) KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!”