By Rich Iacuzio
CCC Journalism Program
BLACKWOOD – Earth Day, one of the lesser known holidays around the globe, will be celebrated on the Blackwood campus of Camden County College on April 19, 2012.
The Environmental Club will be hosting the celebration throughout the day. With all the activities planned for the event, the group hopes to pass along a message to students. That message consists of awareness and education about the Earth.
Michael Traficante, a former Environmental Club member, took part in Earth Day as a club member last year. As to what to expect at the Earth Day celebration this year, Traficante said, “It’s a wonderful day where we can have fun and raise awareness of our Earth’s well-being.”
He believes Earth Day, especially this year, can be a great time for people to come together and find ways to keep the planet in great condition. “We want people to know that keeping Earth healthy is our number one goal, and we want them to act on it as well,” he said. “The reason for Earth Day 2012 at CCC is to educate the students about the Earth.”
Traficante said people could create a better environment by taking one step at a time. “It will take some time, but if we continue to educate people and raise their awareness on Earth Day, I believe we will begin to see results,” he said.
He added people face consequences if they do not take care of the Earth. “Global warming can become a reality if we don’t cut down the pollution levels,” he said. He believes if nothing is done to take care of the world, it will become a “major problem.”
While he knows the consequences will be great if people do nothing to save the planet, he believes people will do the right thing. “Days like Earth Day have the power to educate others on saving our planet,” he said. If people take action to take care of the Earth, he said, they will see the “beautiful piece of art it truly is.”
Parks, like the one shown in this picture, are full of trash. Earth Day at CCC 2012 hopes to educate students to use trash cans and recycle bins to avoid situations like this, shown in Sicklerville Park. By Rich Iacuzio, CCC Journalism Program