The Earth, our home

Since the 1970s, the need to care for the Earth has been recognized, as awareness of environmental preservation began to grow in the United States. As a result, UNESCO declared April 22nd as International Earth Day. Twenty-two countries, including Colombia, join in this celebration.

In that regard, “we invite the entire university community—students, faculty, and staff—to contribute to caring for the planet through every action. Our goal through the Environmental Management System (EMS) is to achieve a positive environmental and social impact that allows us to live in harmony with nature,” said Engineer Sandra Milena León García, Coordinator of the Environmental Management System.

It is worth noting that today the SGA will hold a discussion with local waste collection operators: Urbaser in Facatativá and Soacha, Serambiental in Girardot, Emserfusa in Fusagasugá and Emservilla in Ubaté, in which the unification at the national level of the color code of waste classification will be carried out, and how it is being implemented in the municipalities where the extensions and sections of the UCundinamarca are located.

Furthermore, the Environmental Management System (SGA) of the University of Cundinamarca will explain how this change in the university's environmental management is being implemented, with the acquisition and installation of recycling points and waste containers. This includes increasing the number of containers and updating the color-coding system. Another important topic to be addressed will be waste management during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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For its part, the Ubaté Branch and the Environmental Management System invite you to the commemoration of Earth Day on April 22nd at 4:00 pm with special guests on the radio program "Ubaté Branch for Life," with the aim of remembering the importance of our planet and raising awareness about its care.

Listen to it on UCundinamarca radio

It is worth noting that UCundinamarca, in its commitment to the care and protection of the environment, through the Modern Digital Educational Model - MEDIT and the Environmental Management System - SGA, joins the search for strategies within the Institutional Environmental Management Plan - PIGA and its environmental programs.

Among the actions taken are: Agreements with recycling associations (Zipaquirá), reforestation days in the La Esperanza Agro-environmental Unit, talks and workshops for the proper use of waste, installation of water-saving handwashing stations (Girardot), dissemination of strategies for water conservation, among others.

“Mother Earth is clearly asking us to act. The oceans are filling with plastic and becoming more acidic. Extreme heat, wildfires and floods, as well as a record-breaking Atlantic hurricane season, have affected millions of people. Now we face Covid-19, a global health pandemic with a strong link to the health of our ecosystem,” said the United Nations.

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To commemorate this important day, several media outlets are joining in with content such as the following:

CNN Español presents a list of 5 programs and documentaries to watch Earth Day

Also, an article about 10 stories to follow to understand the current state of the planet

The newspaper El Tiempo also invites you to a forum to commemorate this day and discuss the current situation and the sustainable initiatives in Colombia