Earth Month at USC
by Kayla Bowens ‘25
April is Earth Month – the one month of the year dedicated to education and awareness around environmental sustainability. With the numerous Earth ecosystems that rely on one another, we need to focus on conservation efforts and cultivating planet-positive habits.
Prior to 1970, the United States allowed rapid environmental deterioration through air pollution, dumping waste, careless water usage, and more harmful practices. This was because the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other conservation laws were not yet implemented to regulate how corporations acted in regard to the planet. In 1969, Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin witnessed a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, which inspired an increase in environmental activism. They named their initiative Earth Day, which then became a globally recognized day for spreading awareness about the importance of protecting the planet.
USC is a participant in Earth Month, which is one of many initiatives for USC’s framework of creating a healthy campus for students. In 2022, President Folt launched Assignment: Earth on campus. “Sustainability has been a top priority since Day One,” she said. “And what I found is that the USC community – especially our students – are leading the way. Our Presidential Working Group gathers inspiring ideas and initiatives from across our campuses and in our local communities. And working together, we find the best path forward for our university and our planet.”
At USC, we have already made progress by offering specifically sorted recycling bins and water refill stations across campus. Due to President Folt’s Assignment: Earth, there are campus-wide goals set through 2028. USC’s participation in Earth Month is applied through five different key visions: Education, Research, Operations, Equity and Inclusion, and Engagement. Protecting the planet is also integral for protecting our own health and safety from cancer causing pollutants and dangerous practices that can put populations at risk. In a time when many of the groundbreaking legislation that spawned Earth Day is at risk, it’s important to be educated and aware about environmental policy nationally and here in LA.
There are many events on campus and around LA that could be found on USC’s sustainability event calendar, as well as educational information on the goals for Assignment: Earth and ways to get involved.
You Can Also Stream the EcoAlarm Podcast
This is a student-led podcast that emphasizes the importance of environmental consciousness by bringing awareness to today's current ecological issues. Guest speakers include activists, students, and engineers who speak about their research and talk about eco-friendly steps to take in your own home.
Let’s take the small steps to lead to bigger change! A few ways to do this include:
Taking shorter showers
Turning off the faucet when washing your face and brushing your teeth
Utilizing reusable water bottles
Turn off lights that aren’t being used
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!
Want more from Trojans 360?
Visit Trojans 360 on Facebook & Twitter to stay up to date with more student content! You can also Ask A Trojan an anonymous question, and we’ll try to answer it in a future post. And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!
Trojans 360 is USC’s official student-run blog. Content created by students, for students
