SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT AUGUST 15 & 16
On the 15th and 16th of August, several students from the College went to a Summit meeting, hosted by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC; an organization that seeks to prevent further damage to the global ecosystem by combating global warming), the City of Greater Geelong and the Barwon Regional Waste Management Group. The twelve students who went to the Summit (ranging from year seven to year eleven), were all members of the school's Sustainability Leadership group and were just a few of the dozens of students from other schools who went.
Over the course of the two days we were informed in depth about the more acute and less publicized effects of certain environmental disregards, particularly climate change. Throughout this enlightening experience one fact that resounded in our minds was that the permafrost glaciers, that contain large amounts of methane gas, are close to melting. When we reach this point there will be nothing we can do to stop global warming because the methane will absorb the heat and keep getting hotter. With such heavy thoughts, it can become easy to lose sight of how much change one person can really make. The AYCC is one of the main proponents of the various schemes that both major political parties have in place to combat climate change and this organisation is made up completely of volunteers with very little funding. The main point the organisation got across to us (amidst the presentations and workshops), was that it is our generation that has the responsibility. Climate change has never been more threatening, but it has also never been so beatable. It is up to us!
Dylan McCabe 9C
START THE SWTICH PROJECT
The two day Summit, initiated the Sustainability Leader’s involvement in a three month program called “Start the Switch”, designed to take students on a journey of discovery, understanding, inspiration and action.
Together with mentor Tegan Whitten (AYCC), the group undertook the project of ‘de-commissioning’ and transforming a water trough station near the quadrangle, into a dual purpose sustainable living garden bed and drinking station.
On the 15th and 16th of August, several students from the College went to a Summit meeting, hosted by the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC; an organization that seeks to prevent further damage to the global ecosystem by combating global warming), the City of Greater Geelong and the Barwon Regional Waste Management Group. The twelve students who went to the Summit (ranging from year seven to year eleven), were all members of the school's Sustainability Leadership group and were just a few of the dozens of students from other schools who went.
Over the course of the two days we were informed in depth about the more acute and less publicized effects of certain environmental disregards, particularly climate change. Throughout this enlightening experience one fact that resounded in our minds was that the permafrost glaciers, that contain large amounts of methane gas, are close to melting. When we reach this point there will be nothing we can do to stop global warming because the methane will absorb the heat and keep getting hotter. With such heavy thoughts, it can become easy to lose sight of how much change one person can really make. The AYCC is one of the main proponents of the various schemes that both major political parties have in place to combat climate change and this organisation is made up completely of volunteers with very little funding. The main point the organisation got across to us (amidst the presentations and workshops), was that it is our generation that has the responsibility. Climate change has never been more threatening, but it has also never been so beatable. It is up to us!
Dylan McCabe 9C
START THE SWTICH PROJECT
The two day Summit, initiated the Sustainability Leader’s involvement in a three month program called “Start the Switch”, designed to take students on a journey of discovery, understanding, inspiration and action.
Together with mentor Tegan Whitten (AYCC), the group undertook the project of ‘de-commissioning’ and transforming a water trough station near the quadrangle, into a dual purpose sustainable living garden bed and drinking station.