Time and time again, I have noticed a lack of awareness among students at Diablo Valley College when it comes to the environment. I see it happening nearly every day I set a foot on the campus. Even those who claim that they advocate fo the environment throw their empty soda cans into a landfill bin rather than a recycling bin. Clearly, if they are advocating for the environment, they should put in slightly more effort and walk to the nearest recycling bin. The problem I notice is that many students either db’t care about the issue or just don’t know enough about it to make small changes within their lives.

Why is it that so many ignore a prevalent issue happening right before their eyes? In fact, about every minute, one billion plastic bottles are purchased and two millions of plastic bags are used. Whether or not the majority of this is directly correlated with large corporations, it is undeniable that none who reads this has, at one time or another, made such a purchase. Purchasing a reusable bag or water bottle is such an effortless task in comparison to having buy disposable ones over and over.

I am not writing this to try to lecture students on the dangers of killing out planet or belittle those who are unaware. I am writing this because I hope to, in some part, get a message out there stating that every single DVC student plays a role in affecting the environment. I strongly urge others to take a moment to take note of how their actions mat affect our ecosystems. It may seem common to hear countless annoying and relentless people grill others about “saving the planet” that many of us may have forgotten to truly listen.