Every year, I wake up on Earth Day to find a multitude of Instagram stories expressing an individuals’ outward love for our Mother Earth. Don’t get me wrong, it is one of my favorite days of the year. But it’s not enough.
The problem isn’t necessarily with Earth Day. The love is there, but the longevity of the day isn’t. Simply put, recognizing Earth on one day of the year has created a lapse in connection with society.
A continuous rise in social media has worsened this trend. An entire generation of individuals believes they are passionate Earth lovers, simply by recognizing our planet on one day of the year.
In our current state, we need to continuously remain passionate conservationists, or we risk nearing even closer to what scientists refer to as the climate tipping points.
Let’s start with the history of Earth Day. In 1970, Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day. Its original purpose: to put national conservation on the radar of politicians.
Earth Day was created before the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and many other conservation efforts were established.
It was also created before the internet, and many forms of media that we all consume on a daily basis. But the day hasn’t evolved with the media, and the results are detrimental.
After taking a more in-depth look at the lack of longevity associated with Earth Day recognition and efforts, I learned some things. This lapse in connection is due to human psychology, specifically how it has evolved.
According to The Washington Post journalist Chris Mooney, “The problem isn’t the day itself, it’s humans — how they lapse back to old habits and often fail to keep even the most earnest of resolutions.”
The goal of Earth Day— to gain the attention of people on a large scale—is extremely successful. However, following through on these commitments is what will make a difference when it comes to our planet long-term.
In the article “The Problem With Earth Day? Human Psychology,” Mooney discusses something known as compensatory green beliefs.
Essentially, even if someone decides to implement a green habit in their life, they will likely still practice something that counteracts this green commitment.
The fix for this lack of persistence in Earth recognition starts small. We have already started by initiating conversations about Earth resources and conservation, and the media can help with this.
By nudging individuals in a direction to continue green habits using a sense of peer pressure, they are likely to continue a green habit.
For example, if an individual is informed that their resource consumption is disproportionately higher than the other people in their apartment complex, they are likely to focus on conserving their resources more.
By focusing on the spreading of information all year round, we can make Earth Day a day of momentum for conservation and environmental policy, which would only grow with time.
So today, as you click through Instagram stories recognizing our beautiful planet, remember to keep the momentum going.
Schoenemann can be reached at [email protected].
