April is Earth Month

Since 1970, April 22 has been celebrated around the world as Earth Day. This year’s “Planet vs Plastic” theme is also accompanied by a rallying call to decrease plastics by 60% by 2040. Penn Staters have answered this call by coming together during April across the commonwealth at multiple Earth month events, that focus on tackling issues of both sustainability and environmental justice to decrease the many disparities in the impact of environmental issues on low-income, rural and BIPOC communities in the United States. In addition, the Sustainability Institute at Penn State has been partnering all year long with students, faculty, staff, and the community on initiatives linked to the Penn State Strategic Plan priority of stewarding our planet’s resources, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Sustainability Institute supports the sustainability movement at Penn State by guiding and bolstering sustainability efforts, and partnering with students, staff, faculty, and local residents to collectively build resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities on all Penn State campuses and across the world.

What we can do:

• Research and act on the many ways we can positively impact the environment at an individual level, and use the 2024 Earth Day toolkits to make a difference.
• Familiarize ourselves with inequities and disparities in environmental impact, especially on health, and become part of the solution.
• Familiarize ourselves with possibilities of using equitable development and environmental justice concepts in our communities.
• Partner with the Penn State Sustainability Institute and participate in their events and efforts.