2008 Climate Champions

Through a statewide competition, 15 young people who demonstrated a commitment to environmental issues and making a change in their communities were selected as California Climate Champions for 2008.

Name: Adam R.

Age: 17
Grade: 11
School: Westlake High School
Hometown: Westlake Village, CA
Champion since 2008

Working towards solving Climate Change has been a foremost goal of mine ever since middle school. In high school, I decided to move beyond just talking to my friends about Global Warming and take action. Before I entered the Climate Champions Program, I involved myself with many small, sustainable pursuits such as recycling or writing to my congressman. Now, I’ve had the opportunity to make speeches to far larger audiences and take a structured approach to an ambitious project. In my spare time I enjoy composing music on the piano or writing debates for my Junior State of America Club.

Adam’s Project:

Adam’s project, Students for Solar Schools, campaigns for solar panels at Westlake High School and encourages student leaders at other schools to take up a similar challenge. Already, Students for Solar Schools has proved the student desire for panels with a petition, received the green light from the school principle, met with the District’s energy manager, and created a website about the program: http://studentsforsolarschools.com/. In 2009, the project will entail a rigorous fundraising program and a dedicated expansion effort to include more schools and students in the solar movement.

Name: Alexander L.

Age: 17
Grade: 12
School: Golden Sierra High School
Hometown: Pilot Hill, CA
Champion since 2008

Climate change means everything to me. We need to realize that our world is in danger and that, unless we act immediately, we may not survive. I have hope, though. I know that the human race has the ability to change, and that we can reduce our impact. I am a straight “A” student at my high school, where I am an involved member of the Drama department. I want to make a difference in this world, and what better place to start than helping to save the world itself?

Alex’s Project:

Through his involvement in his school’s drama club, Alex plans to write a short play that will be performed at his high school in the spring. This play will help raise awareness of climate change in his community, and he will also look into ways to make the whole experience around the play remind people to take action (through encouraging offsets, personal commitments, etc.)

Name: Aliya W.

Age: 17
Grade: 12
School: Vistamar School
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Champion since 2008

I am the second youngest out of four. I am unique, charismatic, involved, dedicated, and compassionate. I play many sports including Varsity Soccer (3 years), and JV volleyball (2 years), and I have also run track (3 years). I am also an involved member in many clubs including Secretary of NAACP Youth Council, member of the Top Teens of America, and the HOUP (Helping Others Understand Others), Literary, and Ecology club at school. I am the future, which is why climate change matters to me the most, because it will affect me directly when I am older. I want to help slow climate change, not only for me, but for my siblings and all the future adults of the world.

Aliya’s Project:

Aliya has noticed a lack of participation in neighborhood recycling programs where she lives. She hopes that by targeting the students at her school, she can start to spread awareness of the importance of recycling (and reducing and reusing resources) so students can take those messages to their households as well. In the interest of making recycling seem fun and exciting, Aliya will engage the arts department at her school in decorating recycling bins and/or developing artistic signs to explain what can be recycled; she will also publish informational newsletters in her school called “Penguin Pages” that will help to educate students on climate change related issues.

Name: Anna M.

Age: 17
Grade: 12
School: Menlo-Atherton High School
Hometown: Portola Valley, CA
Champion since 2008

Climate change honestly scares me, but what’s worse is society’s ignorance. My love of nature makes me feel responsible for protecting the environment, especially because many people don’t understand the toll their actions take on our planet. Climate change matters to me because we aren’t the only things living here, but our actions are slowly disrupting nature that was intact long before we were. It’s only a matter of time before we use up all of our resources as well, so it is our job to get the word out and inspire everyone to take steps to reduce their carbon footprints. I’m a student body officer at Menlo-Atherton High School where I head the Environmental Committee and play varsity tennis and lacrosse.

Anna’s Project:

Anna is combining her role as student body president and Climate Champion to encourage her school to host “green” events – starting with a “battle of the bands” fundraising event that can hopefully serve as a model for future activities. By taking steps to make all aspects of the event sustainable—including encouraging carpooling to the event, reducing the amount of plastics used and offsetting emissions from electricity used where possible—Anna hopes to demonstrate that all school events can be made environmentally friendly, even events that aren’t specifically focused on environmental awareness.

Name: Arielle G.

Age: 17
Grade: 12
School: Oak Park High School
Hometown: Oak Park, CA
Champion since 2008

Protecting our environment is something that I am extremely passionate about, and doing what I can to address the issue of climate change is extremely important and rewarding to me. Besides my interest in the environment, I enjoy helping others by participating in the Peer Counseling program at my school and working as a religious school teacher’s aide at my temple. Recently, I have become involved in the California YMCA Youth and Government program. I enjoy playing the guitar and being with friends and family, and I devote a considerable amount of time to AP and Honors classes at school.

Arielle’s Project:

Arielle plans to introduce a poster contest at schools for students to show ways that people can reduce the impact of emissions and help address climate change. She plans to identify businesses that would display the winning posters (possibly identifying themes of the contest related to certain businesses) and would have different categories based on age/grade.

Name: Charlotte P.

Age: 17
Grade: 12
School: Palos Verdes High School
Hometown: Palos Verdes Estates, CA
Champion since 2008

The climate crisis is an important issue not just because of the global impact, but also because a solution will require the entire world to unify for a common cause. To solve this problem, I hope to unite as many people as possible by providing them with an understanding of the issue and what they can do to help. As a reporter for my city’s news station, student member of my district’s Board of Education, and leader of a student research team developing alternative ways to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, I am always looking for ways to make a difference.

Charlotte’s Project:

Through Charlotte’s broadcast journalism internship, she works on a half-hour show that is shown on a local public TV station. She is planning to develop at least one show, and possibly a series of shows, focusing on climate change and detailing how people can take action. She also hopes to find ways to distribute the shows to other TV stations connected with her station.

Name: Devin F.

Age: 18
Grade: 12
School: Miramonte
Hometown: Orinda, CA
Champion since 2008

I think that climate change is the most important issue for my generation, which is why I strive to communicate information and motivate my community and fellow students. I am captain of my school’s cross-country and track teams, play the trombone, and take an active role in my community. As a member of the Food Bank Teen Board, I have worked to help make this organization environmentally friendly. This summer, I lived and worked for 6 weeks in a small, rural community in Honduras, where I gained a new perspective on environmental issues in a foreign language, lifestyle and culture.

Devin’s Project:

Modeling their efforts on the successful program of a nearby high school (Las Lomas), Devin and fellow climate champion Patrick plan to help expand a carpooling program at their school so that more students will ride together. They have noticed that there is friction among student drivers about the presence of carpool parking spaces that aren’t used, so they want to find a way to make students more interested in commuting this way. Their hope is that through their work they can increase awareness of environmentally responsible transportation among high school students.

Name: Isaac P.

Age: 17
Grade: 11
School: Palo Alto High School
Hometown: Palo Alto, CA
Champion since 2008

I am a student at Palo Alto High School and became interested in the environmental crisis through my step mother, a political activist. I believe that we must not only embrace the environment as a social cause but as an economic cause. I’m particularly drawn to the idea that CO2 is not the only problem that needs to be addressed, but also how our culture is unsustainable. I’ve worked on a project addressing this issue, and hope to continue to do so. I also play lacrosse, and am interested in the ways people network and spread information.

Isaac’s Project:

With friends, Isaac is setting up an online community called the “Lorax Alliance” to connect environmental groups at high schools and colleges. This site would advise people on what resources or organizations there are in a particular area and what projects are going on so people can become more involved. The site will also include a challenge or project that people would take action on, such as the ICCommit project, which is run by the Canadian International Climate Champions.

Name: Jordan H.

Age: 19
Grade: First-year University Student
School: Columbia University
Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Champion since 2008

Global climate change matters to me because it is global. The consequences of climate change will affect everyone – rich or poor, animal or plant, every country and every biome. My actions impact the present and future. I do not want the weight of a dying world on my conscience, so I want to do all I can to reverse global climate change before it is too late. At Columbia, I intend to major in Environmental Biology with a concentration in Sustainable Development. I was the co-president of Lick-Wilmerding’s Environmental Club and now a member of Columbia University’s Earth Tutors. I traveled to Bangladesh to study grass-roots environmental movements among NGOs of developing countries. I love blacksmithing, volunteering, acting, bicycling, meeting quirky people and exploring the nooks and crannies of San Francisco and my new home of New York.

Jordan’s Project:

As freshmen at Columbia University in New York, Jordan and and fellow climate champion Rebecca plan to expand on the current outreach programs based at Columbia, such as Earth Tutors, which educates 5th and 6th graders in the South Bronx about environmental issues. They will also introduce a pen-pal project to connect elementary students in New York with those in California, as well as with students in England. The letters will focus on environmental issues in the students’ communities and will serve as reinforcements for the topics they cover in the Earth Tutors program. In these letters, the students will also identify personal goals and commitments to help the environment.

Name: Leah R.

Age: 17
Grade: 12
School: Marlborough High School
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Champion since 2008

Climate change, an issue that affects every living species on this planet, should matter to everyone. However, there exists a large population of people who do not understand the perilous state our environment is in. Climate change affects me personally, because I believe that every person has the right to know the facts, so I am very passionate about advising others what condition the world is in and how to help save it. My other interests involve JSA (Junior Statesmen of America), dance, and the guitar. I find these extracurricular activities good ways to meet new people and help them get involved as well.

Leah’s Project:

Leah is working with store owners of a local shopping area about how they can be more environmentally friendly, particularly with regard to plastic shopping bags. Beginning with a survey in stores for customer use and then analyzing the survey results to come to a consensus, Leah will speak to store managers or mall management about eliminating disposable bags altogether. She is considering starting this effort out at local vintage stores. She plans to encourage stores to sell reusable bags.

Name: Marvin S.

Age: 18
Grade: First-year University Student
School: University of California at Berkeley
Hometown: San Pablo, CA
Champion since 2008

As a 12th grader from Richmond, California, I participated in activities that focused on improving my community and the environment. Upon learning that global warming contributes to asthma rates in Richmond, I led the way to educate peers about global warming and its long-term effects. Earlier this year, I represented my community at the North America Youth Leadership Project for a Sustainable Future. I was also involved with the Richmond Youth Media Project, which produced “Richmond High Speaks Up”, a monthly television show that address school issues.

Marvin’s Project:

Working together with fellow Climate Champion Rachel, Marvin will reduce energy and product waste in the UC Berkeley residential units and create a culture where everyone in the dorms can be “climate champions”. Specifically, Marvin and Rachel hope to educate their fellow dorm residents about using fewer resources and why that’s good for the climate, as well as actually make it easier for dorm residents to recycle more, turn off electronics and other devices when not in use, and to use reusable water bottles and shopping bags. In order to educate their peers, Marvin and Rachel will develop on-campus campaigns in these areas and hold workshops that they can deliver to fellow on-campus residents to show other students how they can easily reduce waste in these areas. They will also work with various partners to make it easier for on-campus residents to access recycling bins, purchase reusable water bottles and bags, etc. (e.g., offering bags and water bottles at the Bear Market where students can use their CalCards; providing recycle bins for each room in the dorms next to the trash like Stanford does). In the 2010-2011 academic year, Rachel and Marvin hope to be teaching their own DeCal course addressing the same types of issues.

Name: Patrick O.

Age: 17
Grade: 12
School: Miramonte High School
Hometown: Orinda, CA
Champion since 2008

Climate change is very important to me because I believe that we, as inhabitants of Earth, must respect the planet. I agree with Al Gore that saving the planet is a moral issue. It is immoral if we ignore global warming and leave a destroyed world for future generations. My primary interests are filmmaking and soccer. I have been making videos since I was eleven. I am also a big soccer fan and love watching matches on TV. At school, I am the videographer for the varsity soccer games. That job is great because it combines my two passions.

Patrick’s Project:

Modeling their efforts on the successful program of a nearby high school (Las Lomas), Patrick and fellow climate champion Devin plan to help expand a carpooling program at their school so that more students will ride together. They have noticed that there is friction among student drivers about the presence of carpool parking spaces that aren’t used, so they want to find a way to make students more interested in commuting this way. Their hope is that through their work they can increase awareness of environmentally responsible transportation among high school students.

Name: Rachel S.

Age: 18
Grade: First-year University Student
School: University of California at Berkeley
Hometown: Scotts Valley, CA
Champion since 2008

My passion for activism and politics drives me to make climate change a constant source of discussion and action. I believe climate change must be addressed quickly and accurately. The social, legislative, and community responses to climate change are part of my inspiration to find pragmatic solutions to our current environmental problems. Throughout high school I explored my interest in activism through student government, the debate club, and volunteering on political campaigns. I have also become more interested in public service through my summers spent at a political summer school and volunteering in Latin America.

Rachel’s Project:

Working together with fellow Climate Champion Marvin, Rachel will reduce energy and product waste in the UC Berkeley residential units and create a culture where everyone in the dorms can be “climate champions”. Specifically, Marvin and Rachel hope to educate their fellow dorm residents about using fewer resources and why that’s good for the climate, as well as actually make it easier for dorm residents to recycle more, turn off electronics and other devices when not in use, and to use reusable water bottles and shopping bags. In order to educate their peers, Marvin and Rachel will develop on-campus campaigns in these areas and hold workshops that they can deliver to fellow on-campus residents to show other students how they can easily reduce waste in these areas. They will also work with various partners to make it easier for on-campus residents to access recycling bins, purchase reusable water bottles and bags, etc. (e.g., offering bags and water bottles at the Bear Market where students can use their CalCards; providing recycle bins for each room in the dorms next to the trash like Stanford does). In the 2010-2011 academic year, Rachel and Marvin hope to be teaching their own DeCal course addressing the same types of issues.

Name: Rebecca C.

Age: 17
Grade: First-year University Student
School: Columbia University
Hometown: Encinitas, CA
Champion since 2008

Climate change is extremely important to me because it affects everyone; environmental consequences are global. My trip to Costa Rica elicited an emotional response to deforestation, intensifying my passion for the environment. I want to save more than simply the trees I can hug in a lifetime—as a Climate Champion, I plan to raise awareness about environmental issues, inspiring others to understand and take action. I believe that our greatest challenge is to change lifestyles and mindsets, and soon. A grassroots movement of individual action can demonstrate to legislators that the environment is a priority, leading to greater change.

Rebecca’s Project:

As freshmen at Columbia University in New York, Rebecca and fellow climate champions Jordan plan to expand on the current outreach programs based at Columbia, such as Earth Tutors, which educates 5th and 6th graders in the South Bronx about environmental issues. They will also introduce a pen-pal project to connect elementary students in New York with those in California, as well as with students in England. The letters will focus on environmental issues in the students’ communities and will serve as reinforcements for the topics they cover in the Earth Tutors program. In these letters, the students will also identify personal goals and commitments to help the environment.

Name: Sophie A.

Age: 17
Grade: 12
School: Rim of the World High School
Hometown: Lake Arrowhead, CA
Champion since 2008

After living 10 years on a Michigan nature preserve, I gained respect for the environment, and knowledge that humans could limit their impact on the planet in a modernizing world. However, Midwestern life also exposed me to the many injustices that the Earth suffers at corporate hands. Near the preserve, hundreds of acres were razed for development, the worst example of clearcutting I’d seen. Years later I realized greater local environmental crimes weren’t even visible: Nearby automotive plants poured carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, disregarding any consequences. As a Climate Champion, I greatly appreciate the chance to promote respect for our planet, and to help reverse these destructive trends I witnessed firsthand.

Sophie’s Project:

In an effort to address barriers to adopting climate-friendly practices in her community, Sophie will write a monthly column in her local newspaper, the Mountain News. This column will provide readers with information on both climate change and environmental issues, and offer suggestions on how they can reduce their impact. The editorial content for this column will include timely themes (e.g., November or December could be about buying green/local, including holiday gifts; a spring column could focus on planting native plants and summer could be about water conservation.) and will also give her the opportunity to express why climate change is an issue of such concern to her and to her generation. Sophie recognizes that Americans would benefit greatly from just a small exposure to information regarding reduction of their carbon footprints. An educated mountain community could recognize their power as voters, consumers, commuters and homeowners and use their influence to push for a more sustainable future.

The California Climate Champions program, sponsored by the California Air Resources Board and the British Council, is one of a number of similar initiatives established in many countries around the world. Learn more about the International Climate Champions Program.