Earth Week 2020

Earth Week 2020: April 20-26

Local SMC Events

Extra Credit: To receive extra credit from your professor for these SMC events you must submit a knowledge check. The deadline to submit the knowledge check is Tuesday (4/28) at 11:59 p.m.

You will have to login to your online SMC account to access the knowledge check. (Same login you use for Canvas, your SMC Google account, and most of SMC’s online services).

The user name would be your official SMC email: doe_john@student.smc.edu

Meatless Monday, April 20

Learn about the reasons why it makes a difference and how to easily give it a try. Check out these sites for today's activities:

1. Overview (Vox)
2. Relationship between food and climate change (The Guardian)
3. How a plant-based diet can be good for the environment (The Economist)
4. Monday's knowledge check

Optional but highly recommended. If you've got some free time and access to Netflix, these documentaries are all fantastic primers on the impacts of diet on human health and the environment.:

• The Game Changers
• What the Health
• Cowspiracy
• Forks Over Knives

Transportation Tuesday, April 21

When doing essential activities how can you reduce your emissions?​ Check out these sites for today's activity:

1. Short video
2. Register for either Corsair Commute or Waze Carpool
   Make sure you screenshot your registration to upload it to the knowledge check (the bottom link) to ensure you receive extra credit.
3. Tuesday's knowledge check

Optional but highly recommended. More videos on sustainable transportation:

• Comparing the Emissions of Gas vs. Electric Cars
• Rob Greenfield on Why You Should Bike

Water Wednesday, April  22

Conserve and protect your access to clean water.​

Please check out these sites for today’s activity: 

1. Water footprint
2. The reality of bottled water
3. Wednesday's knowledge check

Optional but highly recommended. Want to learn more about our earthly water? There are some amazing documentaries out there, including: 

• Our Planet
• Chasing Coral
• A Plastic Ocean

Trashy Thursday, April  23

This day’s activity is a workshop on zero-waste!​

Did you know: Santa Monica Colleges recycling program is student operated! A team of 6 students collect and sort all recycling at the main campus.  

By recycling we not only reduce the need to harvest raw natural resources and reduce the amount of energy used to produce packaging but we also create more jobs. Recycling and waste reduction are necessary practices for protecting the health of our planet but living a toward zero waste lifestyle can also help us save money and live better.  

1. Watch recorded session of the Zero Waste Workshop
2. Thursday's knowledge check

Fashion Friday, April  24

How clothes impact the planet and what's SMC doing to promote sustainable fashion. Check out these sites for today’s activity: 

1. Overview
2. Environmental Impact Video
3. Best Practices
4. How to reduce fashion waste and make some money while you stay at home
   How to reduce fashion waste and make some money while you stay at home (part 2)
5. SMC’s contributions to sustainable fashion
6. Friday's knowledge check

Optional but highly recommended. A documentary about the environmental and social costs of fast fashion:

• The True Cost

City Nature Challenge Sat & Sun, April  25-26

Take photos of every bit of nature you can safely see from your home then upload them to a national database. ​The City Nature Challenge is an international effort for volunteers to find and document plants and wildlife in cities across the globe. Knowing what species are in our city and where they are helps us study and protect them. Due to the Coronavirus, please observe from your home and yard. Here are some tips.

Steps for today’s activity:

1. Ready to become a "Citizen Scientist"? Grab your cell phone or camera and follow these steps:
   • Visit iNaturalist.org
   • Download the app from the AppStore or Google Play
   • Sign In
   • Photograph and upload as many images of wild animals and plants as you can​ to the app.
2. Watch Ecology in urban environments
3. Watch short TEDTalk on the importance of biodiversity
4. Saturday and Sunday​​'s knowledge check

National Events

• Earth Day Live is hosting three days of virtual events including teach-ins, concerts, and divestment opportunities.
• 50 Actions for 50 Years encourages us to commit to everyday actions which will help ensure a habitable future.

Earth Week Videos