GNS Climate Action In Motion

It was an early morning for the GNS Middle and Senior School students who attended the Climate Action in Motion: ISABC Youth Sustainability Conference. The ferry to the mainland featured an amazing view of the sunrise as we headed towards UBC for the day. This was the second year for some students attending this conference and it was great to see so many more keen students interested in learning more about the environment so we can take action against climate change. 

The conference kicked off with a keynote speaker and a chance to think about what we are currently doing to support sustainability at GNS and to hear how other schools across the province are contributing. Following this session, we all headed to workshops throughout the morning and afternoon, with a collaborative grade group breakout for lunch. We got to learn so much from the different workshop presenters. Some of the workshops that students found interesting were “Whales, research and action!” and “Learning from local plants: technology, medicine, food and fun.”

The conference was a great opportunity to learn more about the environment and what we can do to help the earth. Stella (Grade 7) said, “It was a good opportunity to learn more about climate activism.” After looking deeper into “cleaning of lakes and oceans, non-profit organizations and the operation of food banks,” she thought that the school should  “focus more on recycling because I see a lot of people throwing [recycling] in the wrong bin.”

One of the Grade 8 delegates said “I got to learn about alternative food options and how it works because it takes less water and resources to grow plants than it does to grow and process animals.” What this means is that eating vegetables is more sustainable than eating meat which could help the environment. After talking more, she suggested that the Middle School should start an Earth/Climate club so many other students can learn more about how to take action against climate change.

After attending the conference, we all had great ideas for what the school can do to further help the environment. A group of students got together to share and write down their ideas. Some students suggested we should start using reusable plates and cutlery. Some other students said we should use clean energy by installing solar panels or rooftop gardens. During the trip, some students from the other schools had mentioned that their schools had meatless Mondays so some of the GNS students thought that would be a great idea. There were so many great ideas on how to take action against climate change, with some students keen to take action immediately.

To help implement these ideas, we are currently working to organize an Environment/Earth Club to focus on reducing our carbon footprint and taking action against climate change. We are looking forward to seeing how we can help increase sustainability initiatives and reduce our impact on the environment—stay tuned!