MONDAY APRIL 17 – CLEAN ENERGY DAY
Why is clean energy important to you?
Because clean energy is the only choice – it is undeniable that our culture needs energy to run, but the ways we are acquiring energy are extremely outdated and don’t speak to the potential of our communities and country. Hopefully we can come together and prioritize just how critical it is to be sustainable. We can look to other countries that are already producing more renewable energy than they need, we have plenty of land and resources to come to feasible solutions. – Amber Baden-Lopes
Clean energy is important to me because it’s such a necessary resource — energy powers the modern world, and at the rate we’re burning fossil fuels, we’re causing irreparable damage to our environment as we know it. We have the necessary knowledge and the technology to switch to clean sources like solar, wind, geothermal, or biofuels. It’s up to us to push our representatives and lawmakers to utilize these newer resources!
– Sarah Blome
TUESDAY APRIL 18 – COMMUNITY DAY
What does community have to do with Earth Week?
Community is important because we are all impacted by the state of the
environment. We all breathe the same air and drink the same water. We
have the ability to positively impact the direction our environment is
headed, but we need to come together and connect to make change
happen. Community connection is a beautiful thing that can make all
the difference. We must be mindful of our actions for ourselves, our
children, and our world. – Alyssa Carpenter
Community has everything to do with Earth Week. To me, Earth Week is about loving the planet that we inhabit and trying to preserve the beauty that it brings to people’s lives. Earth Week is a way for people to come together on a subject that matters to everyone. The Earth constantly brings people together, whether it is saying hello to someone you pass while hiking, or meeting your neighbor while gardening, or feeling connected to a community when you go to a farmer’s market to support local food producers. As a community, everyone can be involved in keeping the planet safe and beautiful.
– Courtney Walker
WEDNESDAY APRIL 19 – FOOD AND HEALTH DAY
How can we build a sustainable food future?
When I envision a sustainable food future, I see people drastically reducing their meat, fish, and dairy consumption. Instead, the average diet will consist of plants, mushrooms, and bugs. Bug are, in fact, the most sustainable food source mostly due to their small carbon emissions and their reduced water, energy, and land inputs. Over 2 billion people worldwide already consume bugs every day but unfortunately there is a stigma against eating bugs in America. Come break this stigma and eat bugs with me at the Environmental Coalition’s Bug Eating Workshop on 4/19/2017. – Justin Haber
THURSDAY APRIL 20 – NATURE AND CONSERVATION DAY
Tell us a story about your favorite memory in nature.
My favorite memory in nature was hiking through West Virginia last May during the Mountain Valley Pipeline resistance road trip. We embarked on a beautiful journey through the hills and hollers of Appalachia, gazing around at the greenery. Monroe County was especially pristine, with its clean, fresh water and awesome vistas. I would hate to see such gorgeous nature destroyed by the pipeline. – JP Gallagher
FRIDAY APRIL 21 – SOCIAL JUSTICE DAY
Describe the intersection between environmentalism and social justice.
Environmental Coalition at Virginia Tech 