There is No Planet B

Earth Days 2020 at Salem State: April 13 - 17, 2020

(from Prof. Ryan Fisher, Biology Dept.)

This is a milestone year as we celebrate our 20th festival and globally we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day in 1970. The theme this year is “There is No Planet B.”

In September 2019, leading scientists warned that climate change is happening far sooner and in a more extreme manner than was previously predicted. Our Earth is experiencing average global temperatures 1.1 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial times (before late 1700s), faster melting of our ice caps, faster sea level rise and more frequent extreme weather events. Climate change has resulted in drought and starvation, displacement of human populations, resource conflicts and mass species extinctions.

Over the past year we have seen global youth increasingly voicing their concerns over the inability of national governments to implement concrete policies that will minimize the impacts of our activities (including CO2 emissions and land use) on climate change. Our children’s collective voice has been amplified by many young activists including Greta Thunberg of Sweden who delivered a forceful address to the United Nations Climate Action Summit in New York City in September, 2019. Earth Days 2020 will be a week where the broader Salem State Community can unify to achieve a better understanding of how we can all contribute to keeping the planet healthy.

The Rationale for Earth Days 2020: What Must We Do?

The purpose of Earth Days 2020 is to engage the Salem State Community (faculty, students, administrators, staff, and alumni) and the larger North Shore Community to expand our awareness of the impending situation and help us consider what we can do. We sincerely encourage individual students and student groups to ‘make their voice heard’ by collaborating with each other and their professors in arranging events/activities.

Past activities have included panel discussions, speakers from the world of science and public policy, a competition highlighting student research posters, and environmental films and documentaries.

How can you participate? Reserve the week of April 13- 17, 2020 on your calendar now.

Students

Speak to other students about arranging an event. You may wish to speak with your departmental student group or one of your professors.

These events could include: showing a movie, conducting a clean-up of a local park, beach or bike path, or hosting an ice cream social where you could discuss these issues! Consider joining the organizing Earth Days group to assist in arranging and running activities. Come and join us at the numerous events!

Professors

Have your class host an activity, film, panel or speaker session. Sign your class up to participate in the poster session. Learn more about the poster competition here. Encourage students to participate in the events, either during class time or via extra credit.

About Earth Day

Earth Day is a day to celebrate and raise awareness about our environment. April 22, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of this nationally observed event, and it is the 20th anniversary of festivities at Salem State. To learn more about Earth Day,

Monday April 13, 2020: Earth Days Poster Competition. Veterans Hall, Ellison Campus Center, North Campus. 11:00am - 12:20 p.m. (poster and judge check-in: 10:30 - 11 am, Lobby)

The Earth Day Student Poster Competition is the only judged poster competition on campus. Any class at 200-level or higher is able to submit posters on the Earth Days Week theme. Approximately 100 research posters, submitted by SSU students in many disciplines, will be judged in the morning. Visitors are encouraged to view the posters and speak with the students who created them during the competition phase and until 12:20pm.

Organized by Carol Zoppel (Research & Instruction Librarian), and Marcos Luna (Geography).

See a list of past Friend of the Earth Award recipients (pdf) See past press coverage: 2015, 2011, 2008, 2006