Out of informal survey of 158 students, 92 percent feel environmentally aware
Marlena Chertock
APRIL 22, 2011
Did you turn off the lights in your room or recycle the soda bottle you just finished? Have you been environmentally aware today?
Today is Earth Day and some Elon students are celebrating the day accordingly. Others do not take personal action on this day or any day.
April 22 has been Earth Day for more than 40 years. The day was created to inspire and mobilize people and organizations to put their commitment to environmental protection and sustainability into action. Learn more about the history of the day here.
Out of an informal survey of 158 Elon students, 92 percent said they are environmentally aware, while 8.2 percent said they are not.
More students, 81 percent of those surveyed, believe their Elon education made a difference in their environmental awareness. Some Global Experience classes, one of the core requirements at Elon, are focused on aspects of the environment and there are several kinds of recycling containers around campus.
Some students are concerned about global warming and taking personal action, 68 percent of the students surveyed said they are while 32 percent said they are not.
Students aren’t taking personal action because they don’t know how they can make a difference, they said.
“It won’t change in my lifetime,” senior Dontay Taylor said.
There aren’t a lot of everyday things junior Andy Hurst can do to make a big difference, he said.
Junior Katie Gale carpools with people but doesn’t know what other environmentally sustainable actions to take, she said.
“I feel like I don’t know what to do,” she said. “It’s kind of a daunting task to take on global warming.”
There are actions that students and community members can take. Actions aren’t always big or involving many people. Some are everyday actions people can do.
There were similar actions students take to combat global warming.
On Thursday, April 21 the farmer’s market hosted by the Elon Community Church on Williamson Avenue returned as part of the Earth Week celebrations. The market will continue into the fall.
Many local and organic products are sold at the market, including a variety of protein options, locally produced cheese, eggs, baked goods and honey and handmade crafts.
The market is open every Thursday from 3 to 6:30 p.m. and is located on the corner of Williamson and Haggard avenues.
Earth Week is one way organizations and universities raise awareness of the environment, global warming and actions people can take to help.
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Junior Sophie Nielsen-Kolding talks about environmentally sustainable actions she takes
Junior Katie Gale talks about global warming