As an environmental activist, Cathedral Catholic High School student and Environmental Club Co-President Katie Vandeventer ‘17 never imagined CCHS would make so much progress in the environmental sector during her time at CCHS.

“During my time at CCHS, we have progressively become more eco-friendly,” Vandeventer said.

During the last four years, the CCHS community has implemented environmentally beneficial systems to promote the concept of a greener campus, including adding water filtration systems around campus to encourage the use of reusable water bottles, going solar as a way to gain a renewable energy source, installing eco-friendly light bulbs to reduce the school’s power usage, and instituting weekly recycling collections.

Yet, more needs to be done.

“We really need to continue making our campus more environmentally conscious,” CCHS student Sarah Wagner ‘18 said.

Toward this end, students were reminded how important environmental initiatives are in preserving the earth’s health this past Earth Day. Conservation efforts should be ongoing, and instead of setting aside one day to reflect on the earth’s natural beauty, people should treat everyday like it is Earth Day, Vandeventer said.

“Earth Day reminds us how fragile the earth is and that we need to treat it with respect,” Vandeventer said. “Minimizing pollution is a task we should all take on.”

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the earth’s average temperature has increased 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880. While this increase seems small, it brings monumental consequences resulting from human sources, including littering and air pollution.

Hana McEvilly ‘18, a member of the CCHS varsity surf team, believes environmental changes deserve recognition.

“You can see it anywhere you look,” McEvilly said. “Ocean levels have been on the rise and it’s noticeable. As a surfer, I can see small differences in how the ocean and beach look different today than what they used to.”

The melting of land-based ice and thermal expansion are two major contributors to rising sea levels. If all of the polar ice caps melted and sea levels rose 230 feet, the ocean would cover all coastal cities, wreaking havoc on lower positioned cities such as Amsterdam, Miami, and San Diego, according to NASA.

“San Diego, being a coastal town, is at risk of decimation,” McEvilly said. “This gives us perspective on the whole concept of climate change.”

The conservation of the planet is not as hard as it may seem. Organizations like ECOLife Foundation and I Love a Clean San Diego are at work around San Diego to make the city greener.

“I think it is incredibly important to be aware of what is going on in our planet,” CCHS English teacher Mrs. Brittany Cairns said. “I do think that our campus has done a good job in making the community more Eco friendly.”