An Eventful Earth Month
Many environmental events and initiatives have been taking place in the Orange County community in celebration of Earth Day! Check out some of the recent events in your community:
Wellness Festival
The Office of Sustainability joined the Wellness & Recreation team for their Wellness Festival Resource Fair on April 1st, hoping to alleviate some the climate anxiety the community may feel by asking students to write down what they do to combat eco related anxiety on a post-it note and displaying these actives for others to see.
Contra Trivia
Contra Trivia on April 17th was a success! Students who correctly answered sustainability trivia questions got a discount on their drink.
Global Climate Protest
On April 19th Volunteers with Fridays for Future Orange County (lead by Johanna Speiser) took the Metrolink train from Orange to L.A. Union Station for a Global Climate Protest in L.A..
Weigh the Waste
On April 22nd at the Randall Dining Commons, the Office of Sustainability held this semester’s Weight the Waste. This time around, we collected 105.47 pounds of food waste during the lunch period! We use our Weigh the Waste events to help make informed decisions on how to reduce food waste in the dining hall and promote awareness of how much food is wasted in a single dining period. If you’re interested in volunteering for our next weigh the waste, you can find the volunteer form in the link tree in our Instagram bio!
Wilkinson Earth Day
On Tuesday, April 23 from 12:30 - 2 p.m. on the Argyros Forum Student Union Stage, Wilkinson Student Advisory & Leadership Council for led an Earth Day Celebration. Supplies were available for you to paint your own succulent pot and celebrate Earth Day!
Sustainability Plan Update
The Chapman Capstone Students provided a Sustainability Plan update presentation at the April 23 Orange City Council meeting. The Sustainability Plan wasn’t agendized, but members of the community could make in person General Public Comments to show support. The students plan on officially presenting to the Orange City Council on May 14.
TEDx Event
On April 21, 2024, the first TEDx event in Laguna Beach took place at the newly revived Rivian South Coast Theater. Thirteen speakers gathered to discuss themes related to the Earth and humanity in recognition of Earth Day. Topics included ocean conservation, design, education, and spirituality. The event aimed to inspire hope, action, and solutions for a better future.
City of Irvine
The City of Irvine has put on events throughout the month of April in celebration of Earth Day, such as a compost giveaway on April 6th and an upcoming Used Oil Filter Exchange on April 26th, all taking place at the Qual Hill Community Center.
Beach Clean Up Opportunity
Join Project3R for beach cleanups at five locations from May 4 to 25! Volunteer and receive all cleanup supplies needed, connect with your community, and make a tangible impact on your environment!
Have questions about this event?
Contact Damion Hickman at 949.916.9888 or
Email at info@project3r.com
Article Picks
The Environmental Protection Agency made groundbreaking regulations regarding six PFAS chemicals, or “forever chemicals” found in household items and in tap water. There are also concerns about potential reversals in the regulations depending on future political environments. As efforts to understand the health effects PFAS cause persist, there is also a search for effective methods to eliminate them, substitute them, and minimize exposure to these chemicals that already exist.
Climate doom and gloom has failed to motivate us and has instead instilled a sense of climate anxiety in many. Recently, activists are turning to hopeful rhetoric to work towards a better future—its being coined as “Impatient Optimism”. Steps are even being taken to shift the narrative for the youth, from producing primarily dystopian futuristic content to include more optimistic depictions of the future.
Online shopping has both environmental pros and cons. While it reduces car trips to stores, it still has a significant carbon footprint due to energy-intensive data centers and packaging waste. Efforts are underway to make it more sustainable, such as using electric vehicles for delivery and reducing packaging. However, the best approach is to buy less and consider factors like bulk purchasing, slow shopping, and secondhand alternatives!
