On Wednesday, January 14, the Community Service Subcommittee and the Food and Farm Subcommittee on the Sustainability Council hosted an exploration called Confronting the Climate Crisis to raise awareness about global warming. During the event, students watched a series of documentaries to inspire them to take action. The exploration featured documentaries from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and National Geographic, elaborating on the irreversible damage humans have caused on Earth. Following the watch party, students asked questions and discussed their opinions and takeaways from each clip.
Madisen Kim ’27 elaborated on the behind-the-scenes process of planning the event. “The main goal for the event was to encourage students to understand the causes of global warming,” she explained. For instance, after watching a clip on the detrimental effects of global warming and the burning of fossil fuels in the North Pole, students discussed how high carbon emissions from AI, which requires massive amounts of water and energy to function, impact ecosystems across the world. “Issues like the melting of ice in the North Pole, which we cannot see and thus distance ourselves from, are important to confront so that we can make practical changes to protect endangered polar bear and seal populations,” she added.
Ainsley Walters ’27 advocated for avoiding ordering food often and encouraged students to remain diligent about recycling and composting responsibly. “We hoped to improve the culture around sustainability by coming together in discussion and coming up with specific actions that everyone can take to improve sustainability on campus and beyond,” Walters remarked. Every aspect of the exploration prioritised sustainable habits, from bringing ice cream from Tsai instead to ordering to using reusable bowls and spoons. She described, “We had to actually implement what we preached through our food choices.”
The event inspired students to increase their awareness on global warming and discover how many small changes in day to day actions, such as remembering to turn the lights off after leaving a room, can significantly improve the environment. Aadhya Agarwal ’29 reflected, “Watching a video about polar bears and understanding how climate change is influencing their habitat and survival has made me much more aware about my role in the environment!” Overall, the Confronting the Climate Crisis event facilitated open discussion with students to inspire them to care about the environment and make meaningful change with achievable actions.
