No Earth Day celebration for Prince County

No Earth Day celebration for Prince County

S. Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

SUMMERSIDE- Earth Day, which shares a calendar date with Good Friday this year, has no events for the Prince County area on its website.

The day, which is on April 22 every year, is usually filled with events and projects that highlight some of the key issues in the environment, has only a listing for a Charlottetown Earth Day event at the Confederation Court Mall for P.E.I.

Heather Pringle, the Environmental studies teacher at Three Oaks, said there would have been something at the school if it wasn’t closed for Good Friday.

“Perhaps it’s all the election talk these days. The environmental often gets put to the back when suddenly the election comes up other issues seem to preoccupy people’s minds, you know health care, the economy, that type of stuff.”

The recession taking front stage in the election and putting the environment in the back is also hurting the environmental awareness, said Pringle.

“I hate to say it, but until we see the environment as something that’s going to cost us money, then we tend to not going to pay too much attention to it.”

Carl Arnold, the Egmont riding candidate for the Green Party, said it does upset him that there is no Earth Day celebration in Prince County.

“It is a little upsetting, it is also a little upsetting Climate Change has temporarily dropped off the radar.”

Arnold said he believes the issue will come back to the front eventually.

“It would be nice if we could deal with them in a more proactive manner, unfortunately I don’t think that’s going to be the case.”

Arnold said though there isn’t an event people should still reflect on their carbon footprint and the impact they could have.

“Earth Day is a great day, but it doesn’t have to be Earth Day for people to consider their own personal carbon footprint, their energy use. Where possible, make a reduction, maybe it’s as simple as this, on Earth Day maybe try to share a ride with a friend.”