Today is Earth Day and some student organizations are focusing on giving back to the community.

Justine Cramsey, senior sociology major and student coordinator for the Commuter and Non-Traditional Student Services, said she moved a monthly showing of the documentary Planet Earth series to coincide with Earth Day. She said she switched the date of the last episode to the day after Earth Day to show the participants another view of the planet.

“This brings attention to the Earth, and it shows different sides of the planet that you don’t really see,” Cramsey said.

The Vegetarian Education Group is screening the film “Peaceable Kingdom,” a documentary that expresses concern about health and environmental problems that deals with factory farming.

VEG president Adrian Seeley said she hopes the event helps participants learn about the negative impact people have on the environment, the positive effects of choosing a plant-based diet and the future of the planet.

“We can greatly reduce and even reverse the negative effects that our species has had for all others on this planet merely by altering our diet,” Seeley said. “Every time that we opt for a plant-based diet instead of a meat dish, we are reducing the environmental degradation caused by animal agriculture.”

The fraternity Phi Kappa Theta, 910 Hillcrest Drive, is doing its part to save the earth and also saving a little money since installing solar panels to its house, which will heat their water.

John Tyminski, property manager of Tym Properties in Northbrook, said the fraternity placed 10 panels on the roof in a location where the sun can reach them. The system has been operating for three weeks.

“They’re making it more energy efficient, and they’re getting a lot of successful results,” Tyminski said.

The panels heat two water tanks in the basement, which allows for the hot water to run through the house, he said. The panels need two to three hours of sunlight to heat the water.

Tyminski said the solar panels are just in time for Earth Day.

“Any little thing you do helps out in the long run,” Tyminski said.