By Kyra (15) and Charlie (16), students at Sonoma Academy and editors of the S4CA newsletter
With Earth Day coming up this April 22, many may be feeling the urge to contribute and honor the earth in some way, but struggle to come up with any ideas. This article provides many options and suggestions so you can be prepared to go all out this year. We are celebrating the 51st anniversary of Earth Day, so make it count!
EARTH DAY 2021
Every year, Earth Day has a different theme or area to focus on. The theme for 2021 is “restore our earth.” Here is the official website for Earth Day. It includes tons of helpful information, ways to contribute, as well as many more sustainability tips. Be sure to check it out when you get the chance and learn everything you need to know about how to live an eco-conscious life.
SUSTAINABILITY TIPS
While every day should be “earth day,” it is still helpful to have a global holiday that reminds everyone about the climate crisis we are in. If you were looking for an excuse to start a sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyle, this Sunday April 22 is the perfect opportunity.
Here are some tips you should start practicing everyday:
Recycle: while recycling may seem like a hassle to many, it makes a huge difference as plastic releases greenhouse gases at every stage of its life cycle, from production to transportation to waste disposal. One of the biggest excuses for not recycling is that people don’t know what can or can’t be recycled. Check out this simple guide to never trash recyclable materials again (did you know batteries are recyclable?).
Conserve water: turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth and take shorter showers or invest in a low-flow shower head.
Repurpose: turn an old shirt into a bag, a worn boot into a flower pot, or a milk carton into a bird feeder. Be creative while reducing waste!
Go digital, save paper: super easy but so, so helpful.
There’s a huge selection of ebooks, audiobooks, and online reading that’s available to the public and can act as an alternative to physical books, which requires the death of many trees to print. Over the years, digital books have saved over 15.8 million trees.
Unless absolutely necessary, don’t print out huge packets or contracts and try to transfer your bills into an electronic format.
Support local farmers: shopping at farmer’s markets minimizes waste and pollution as opposed to large-scale farms, that release carbon while transporting crops and may use harmful pesticides. Next time skip the supermarket and go straight for local produce!
Use reusables: another simple one—switch to reusable water bottles, straws, and containers to save the planet, the turtles, and practically all marine life.
Walk or bike: skip the car (which not only pollutes and harms the planet, but also eats up gas and is more expensive) and opt for a greener alternative. As an added bonus, you’ll get to enjoy the sunshine, fresh air, and nature all while reducing your carbon footprint.
Start a garden: get fresh fruits and veggies straight from your backyard, try new yummy recipes, and feel good about helping the planet.
ACTIVISM
If you want to learn more more about how climate change affects us, or hope to get involved in campaigning for a more aware and sustainable society, check out some of the ideas listed below:
Attend a three-day climate summit hosted by earthday.org on April 20, 21 and 22 to gather information about, “climate literacy, environmental justice, and a broad range of youth-led climate-focused issues.” Learn more about this event here.
Stream the Biden Global Climate Summit, “which brings together 17 countries responsible for approximately 80 percent of global emissions and global GDP.” Click here to see an overview of the summit’s themes and a full list of attendees, and here to learn more about how the Biden-Harris administration is tackling climate change.
Join a petition and start looking for more ways to get involved with your community’s fight for climate awareness. Check out this article for petition suggestions.
Access this compiled list to find more actions you can take to combat the global climate crisis.
ACTIVITIES
Even with Covid, there are still many ways you can participate this Earth Day while abiding by all safety precautions.
Cleanup: learn about the Great Global Cleanup, a movement to get more people participating in cleaning up trash and pollution. Participate in a group cleanup, opt for an individual effort, or try plogging (picking up trash while jogging)! Use this resource to find a local cleanup near you and spend the day restoring our planet.
Climate films: why not relax with some popcorn and enjoy a good movie, while simultaneously educating yourself about climate change? Check out this article for some great climate film recommendations.
Enjoy nature: picnic, hike, and really appreciate the beauty of the great outdoors. Take care of yourself and mother nature.
eARTh: make climate-related art—check out these ideas for inspiration! Explore your creative side while also spreading awareness about the climate crisis. Join Artists for the Earth, a global campaign that aims to use art to connect people and spread climate-awareness or view the gallery to see some amazing pieces and support these artists.
S4CA Webinar Series
Schools for Climate Action (S4CA) is hosting a new series of webinars! The first and second installments have already happened, but it's not too late to join! If you’re curious about climate action and don’t know where to start, we would love to have you. We are always looking for more passionate young people who want to create change in the midst of this climate crisis. The goal of these upcoming webinars is to further educate about S4CA's mission and to teach students how to pass a resolution, start their own climate action chapter, and get involved in environmental advocacy.
S4CA Webinar #2: Starting a Chapter
During the second webinar of our series, our student leaders discussed how to start a Schools for Climate Action chapter. While presenting to a group of students, they launched our newest program: Chapters. Since many of these students had already participated in a Congressional meeting after passing their resolutions, the students continued to discuss all the ways in which they could bring S4CA’s mission into other projects. This webinar examined how students can participate in local level government, encourage sustainability at their own schools, and continue their relationships with their Congressional Representatives. If you want to learn about all the ways that you can help, please fill out this form!
(stay tuned for the recording of this webinar)
S4CA Webinar #3: Advocacy Training
On April 9th at 5 pm PST, our organization will host our third webinar in this series, covering how to participate in advocacy meetings and meet with members of Congress using NCC’S policy priorities for the first 100 days of the Biden administration. Keep an eye out for the RSVP link and stay tuned for a recap and recording in next months newsletter!
Meet Us: Member Profile
Madigan Traversi
(15, student at Sonoma Academy and member of S4CA)
My name is Madigan Traversi. I'm a sophomore at Sonoma Academy and have been a member of S4CA for a little over a year. I grew up on a property full of oak trees, flowers, acorns, and the most beautiful places to play, spending almost all of my time outside. However, in 2017, I lost that beloved haven when, like many others, my home burned down in the Tubbs fire. The fire came as a reality check to me. I had always been afraid of how climate change might affect the future, but what I didn't realize was that it was already takings its toll. Joining Schools for Climate Action has been so inspiring because I've seen that there are so many young people who are fighting for change every day.
Student Artwork
(artist: Rowena (16), student at Sonoma Academy and member of S4CA)
Would you like to have your climate action art featured in our newsletter? Submit your piece with this form or send us an email at empower@schoolsforclimateaction.org.
Climate News
Check out these articles to stay up to date with this month's climate news: (1) Hawaii flood
(2) Tennessee flood
(3) Biden's new infrastructure plan (exciting and hopeful news as Biden includes a quicker shift to clean energy sources and electric vehicles, modernizing electric grids, and improving infrastructure resilience to worsening natural disasters as some of the goals of his new plan and his way of addressing climate change)
specifically how it addresses climate change ("if signed into law, the plan would rank as one of the largest federal efforts ever to curb the country’s planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions" !!!)
Great Podcast
Check out this highly recommended podcast, How to Save a Planet, to further educate yourself about our climate and how you can contribute!
Newsletter Article Poll
As the newsletter editors, we wanted to make a quick poll for our readers just to get a sense of what topics interest you and what articles you all would like to see in the future. We greatly appreciate your time and will adjust according to feedback!
Upcoming Events
April 9th: S4CA's third installment of its webinar series
Have a good Easter holiday and enjoy your spring break!
Follow us on social media to get our latest updates:
Except where specifically stated, opinions expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Schools for Climate Action.
Schools for Climate Action is a non-partisan, grassroots, youth-adult campaign with a mission to empower schools to speak up for climate action. We advocate for elected officials to to combat the climate crisis in order to protect current and future generations.
