Maybe you’ve heard the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Maybe you’ve joined the movement to invest in reusable canvas bags at the grocery store. Maybe you’ve watched Bill Nye the Science Guy talk about climate change. Chances are, you’ve encountered some type of dialogue about the state of our planet.
During this dialogue, you may have heard individuals referred to as environmentalists, which Merriam-Webster defines as “as a person who works to protect the natural world from pollution and other threats.” But what does it mean to “protect the natural world”? And what does it look like to be an environmentalist on a college campus?
Steer clear of the stigma
According to Alexis Good, sophomore biology major and public relations chair for Green Sharks, an NSU club that focuses on sustainability, the term environmentalist is surrounded by negative stigma.
“Stereotypes go with it. [People think] ‘oh she’s an environmentalist? She’s a hippie,” said Good.
According to Good, Green Sharks works toward starting and promoting sustainable initiatives on campus that will hopefully reach the whole student body.
Kathleen Taylor, sophomore biology major and event coordinator for Green Sharks, said that an environmentalist can be anyone who’s interested in protecting and serving nature.
“It doesn’t have to be a scientist. It can be someone in business who wants to reduce their carbon footprint and be more efficient in what they do,” Taylor said.
Taylor said that Green Sharks played a role in NSU’s signing of the American Campuses Act on Climate Pledge, a White House initiative in which higher education institutions agree to implement sustainable practices on campus.
Realize what’s at stake
If anyone can care about the environment, perhaps the next question is why should they?
“Because you live in this world too,” Emily Harrington, senior environmental science major and president of the Nature Club, said. “It’s like your house.”
Harrington said that students and individuals in general should take part in restorations and cleanup projects just as they would take care of their house.
Amy C. Hirons, associate professor in the Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, conducts research using the diet of marine animals to try and learn about the status of the ocean environment. Some of her research also looks to answer standing questions about marine environments and how they have changed over long periods of time.
According to Hirons, evidence suggests that the earth continually goes through cycles that affect the climate and environment, such as the ice age, but there is also evidence that suggests human actions may be countering the natural cycles of the earth.
“To what degree, we don’t know,” said Hirons.
For that reason, Hirons said it’s important for humans to recognize the impact they may possibly have on the environment.
“Everything that we do as humans is going to have a response [in the environment] and often these responses are unintended,” said Hirons.
Take action
“The day has long passed when you can ignore these sort of problems,” said Paul Baldauf, professor in the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences.
Good said a misconception associated with the term environmentalist is the use of protests. She said protesting is not the only way to take action toward helping the environment. Rather, students can start taking initiatives in their lives that can help aid the environment.
“It always starts with an individual,” said Hirons.
Good and Taylor said that simple ways to start working toward a healthier environment include making decisions to recycle and monitor water usage. Harrington said that individuals can consider carpooling and looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint.
Baldauf and Hirons both said that students should make sure they are informed about the status of the environment and legislature regarding it on national and local levels.
“Florida has a lot of local issues [for citizens to focus on], from the invasive species problem to the restoration of the everglades — the largest ecosystem restoration project in the world to the sea level rise that we are experiencing already,” said Baldauf.
Harrington said that the Nature Club has taken part in an initiative to teach the campus about the importance of planting native flowers in the environment. She said that planting exotic plants, especially what are known as invasive exotics, can strip the soil of nutrients or overpower natural plant life.
Hirons said that students should seek information about the environment in the news and do more research so that they can form an educated opinion.
The first row of results for a Google image search of “environmentalist” included four photos of individuals hugging trees, which likely references the often-derogatory term “tree-hugger.” But the face of environmentalism is changing from that of radical protests and controversy to those of everyday individuals. Environmentalists on a college campus take the time educate themselves about the wellbeing of the earth and take a course of action that will improve it.
