Every year as April rolls along, I can’t help but think of Captain Planet.

When I was a child, I used to frequently watch the show “Captain Planet and the Planeteers.”  The cartoon series is about five individuals, dubbed the Planeteers. With magic rings, the characters are tasked to defend the Earth from disasters that threaten the planet and help educate mankind to keep more disasters from happening.

When the Planeteers can’t stop the disaster on their own, they can use the five rings to summon the ultimate hero of the environment, Captain Planet.

The show was created to influence kids to start thinking about the environment. It’s up to us to make sure that planet Earth is safe from mankind’s pollution and waste.

Beginning in 1970, the United States has celebrated Earth Day on April 22. The holiday’s purpose is to educate the public about environmental issues. Today, the holiday is commonly celebrated for a week and events are centered on green awareness.

One day of environmental awareness is good, and a week is even better. But it would be best to raise awareness of issues concerning the environment all year long. Issues include climate change, alternatives to fossil fuels, “greener” living and many more.

It’s about time we celebrate Earth Day not just once, but every day of the year.

By giving the Earth just one day to celebrate, it’s as if we are only paying attention to the importance of the environment one day of the year. Making sure the planet is healthy is something we should be striving to ensure and celebrate for more than just a day or week.

It’s critical for college students to become involved because we are the future.

The reason Earth Day was held on April 22 was to include as many college students as possible to hear about environmental issues and help transform their attitudes. In doing so, the support of many college students across the nation helped bring attention to environmental issues on the very first Earth Day.

Celebrating Earth for an entire week is essential for the idea of Earth Day because it engages many college students with the idea of living a lifestyle that is better suited for the health of the environment. And dedicating a whole week will give Mother Earth a special time of the year.

For example, the University has several events taking place this week in honor of Mother Earth.

Events include activities in which students can learn how to create environmental friendly supplies, seminars focused on how to promote sustainability, and speeches from individuals promoting a more ecological lifestyle. 

It’s great that we have a week full of special activities focused on the environment, but we should be conscious of these topics throughout the year.

Recently, six University residence halls took part in a three-week competition called the Eco-Olympics. The point of the contest was to help conserve water and energy use on campus and teach good living habits. Instead of just having this as a three-week competition, University housing should have had this plan implemented from the beginning of the school year. 

As much as I am picking on the University to expand the awareness of Earth Day year around, I must admit that this school would make Captain Planet proud.

When I started my freshman year. I was unaware that the University was one of the greenest campuses in the nation. The University’s sustainability initiatives have been named one of the best in the country. This year, the University has been on the Princeton’s Review Green Honor Roll for the second year in a row, making it “one of only 22 colleges to earn a perfect score of 99 and the only Big Ten school to make this list.”  

The University serves as a prime example of an organization practicing and constantly raising awareness of the environment.

While reminiscing about the show, I now realize Captain Planet looked ridiculous, especially with that grass-green mullet. However, the message of the show is clear and still relevant today: The power to save the planet is ours.

I’m pretty sure Captain Planet said that in every episode, but he was totally right. The power to ensure the sustainability of Earth is truly up to us. Our actions (or lack thereof) will dictate the future of the planet. 

What I also enjoyed about the show was that the five Planeteers were from all over the globe. For example, one person was from North America, another from Asia, etc. This symbolizes that the power to be eco-friendly is in all of us across the world, and not just us college students in Illinois.

Unfortunately for us, we don’t have a Captain Planet to rely on when disasters or pollutions get out of hand. It’s up to us to be the Planeteers — minus the magic rings.

Being conscientious about the well-being of the environment all year long could really make us feel like we are part of something bigger. We can take the passion and education that occurs on Earth Day, and make sure it is heard all the time.

Thaddeus is a senior in LAS. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @Thaddingham.