For my fourth and final project in Hurricane Season, we were required to take action on an issue we feel strongly about in a community we feel we belong to. To ensure that it would correspond with all that we’ve been studying over the course of the term, the issue had to stem from either displacement, environmental injustice, or state violence. For my issue, I chose to focus on global warming and so then decided I wanted to reduce GCE’s carbon footprint by increasing recycling. Since we are a very progressive school in our thinking, I feel we should also be progressive in helping our environment and quite frankly we have not been. This project took a great deal of research, time and energy. It pushed me to limits I have not been pushed to so far this year and although it was incredibly tiring and overwhelming at times, I’m so proud of the progress I’ve made and hope my peers continue to work along side me.
Purpose Statement: The purpose of my overall project and action is a response to climate change, most specifically global warming. This is such a big topic of my generation and something that as time goes on, becomes more and more relevant in my everyday life. Since I knew I couldn’t conquer global warming all on my own, I thought I would start with the individual. My intervention is to reduce my schools (GCE) carbon footprint. That is still quite a large task so I decided I’d begin with recycling because I’ve noticed it’s been a large problem all year. First off, we only have about 3 recycling bins and I honestly don’t know if they’re properly disposed of but even larger problem I’ve noticed is our trash can after lunch. Everyday, we put recyclables and food in one large trash can and throw it into a dumpster, never thinking twice. I thought that needed to be changed. Overall, I hope to make my peers more environmentally aware so that when they do have something that is recyclable, they know that it is, and they take the extra step to recycle it. Although I can’t force the people around me to do a certain action, I can hope that my workshop and refresher of why this is so important and how truly simple it is will stick with them and will be something they carry out now and for as long as they live.
Post-project Reflection: Since the change I’m trying to make is not an immediate one at all and not only in my hands, it’s hard to say what effects it has had. Hopefully, it will result in a more environmentally aware GCE and we will be able to recycle more and successfully. I think what was most rewarding for me was being able to get everything done. This project has felt daunting since the day it was assigned and being able to push through and consistently putting forth my best effort was not always easy but it has paid off in the end. I’m so proud of all the work and research I’ve done and how much I’ve expanded my mind in the process. I can easily say that the most challenging part of this project for me has been how much I’ve had to think through. I would often get to a place in my work where I thought I didn’t have much more coming and was so close to be done and then one of my teachers would remind me there is so much more to fully think through. It was hard for me to come full circle because I always thought I was, until I took a step back. More than anything to keep affecting change on this issue, I want to change my own personal habits, not only in school, but everywhere I go as well. There is a lot I could do personally to reduce my carbon footprint. For example, I could drive much less and we don’t recycle at my house so that is something I plan to change. While still at school, I need to reach out to administration to create a recycling drop-off chart so we can continue to successfully and correctly recycle and not just allow it to fall through the cracks since my assigned project is over.
Please watch my video below!
Recycling at GCE from HM on Vimeo.
Here are some examples of the different types of media I used to get my peers involved!
