Green Alarm Web Exclusive

Imagine living in a world burned all the way to the Earth’s core. That’s where the world is headed, thanks to climate change. The future of this little blue dot is filled with frequent fires, longer periods of drought, and intense tropical storms. The current world order holds an uncertain future in its hands, and the only way to prevent catastrophe is by taking immediate action. 

Global warming has been a threat to the entirety of life on earth for decades; in fact, its earliest acknowledgment was back in the 1820s when Joseph Fourier, a mathematician and physicist, noted that the planet was much warmer than it should be. Since then, more information has been discovered about the cause and effect. Global warming is caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Although individuals can and should try to reduce their carbon footprints, large corporations contribute much more significantly to the issue. If these corporations start using renewable and eco-friendly resources, global warming would greatly decelerate. 

Trying to spread awareness about global warming can be a struggle due to the lack of attention it gets throughout the media, but Wynn Bruce managed to get the point across by protesting.  On April 22, 2022, also known as Earth day, Bruce went to the US States Supreme Court building by foot, took a seat, and after, lit himself on fire. Not one scream, cry, or movement came from him. Friends of Bruce stated that the reason for this act was because of the climate crisis. He was fed up with the situation not gaining any attention and by lighting himself on fire he was able to get the message to spread. Despite dying for a solution to climate change, there hasn’t been much done to resolve the problem.

On April 6, a NASA scientist, Peter Kalmus, and three other protestors chained themselves to a Californian bank. They believed the scientists of the world were being ignored and needed to bring attention to global warming and Earth’s crisis. By taking part in this protest, they were displaying their support of the Scientific Rebellion created in 2020. After hours of protesting, police arrested the scientists. The news, social media, schools and more need to bring light to this catastrophe as scientists are tired of taking the matter into their own hands. 

To tackle the issue on a smaller level, West has many clubs dedicated to preserving the environment and saving the Earth. One of these clubs is the Green Alarm, led by science teacher Rebecca Kocha. 

Taking small steps is the key to creating a better environment, and the Green Alarm is trying to get students at West to take those steps. 

 “The Green Alarm works to raise awareness of climate change and help inform our students about small and big ways that they can reduce their carbon footprint,” Kocha said.

Education plays a huge role in students' lives, so spreading information about the problems in the world and environment through the school can be a huge benefit.

“I honestly think that there should just be a little bit more education offered to people,” she said. “I think that it should be a bigger part of the school curriculum, informing people about it because I think people are misinformed.”

Having a positive mindset can create a change in the world, so in that case, everyone should try their best.

 “I definitely think it's a mindset thing because I think a lot of people have the mindset that their individual actions are not gonna make a big difference, but if everybody is on the same page that their individual actions can make a difference, it actually really does make an impact,” Kocha said. 

The Green Alarm does little things around the school to help with people’s carbon footprint. One of their most recent actions was selling reusable straws.

 “We sold reusable straws at the cafe, so the cafe is slowly kind of lowering the amount of plastic straws they are giving out,” Kocha said. “We have been doing some planting and growing some plants from wild flowers that are specifically good for pollinators.”

Overall, Kocha and the Green Alarm are helping educate West students on the current state of the planet and what can be done.

Green Alarm also brought Green Week, an annual event to encourage the community to engage in maintaining a more sustainable lifestyle, to Oshkosh West.

Green Week occurs on a different week for each area. This year, it occurred April 19-22.. Schools use this week as an opportunity to participate in events to better the condition of the planet. Green Education Foundation is the non-profit organization that provides resources to schools worldwide to bring awareness to the current climate issues occurring around the world. GEF makes sure to keep kids engaged with their lessons by including activities and contests. This makes students more willing to learn about the planet and participate in Green Week. 

The Green Alarm covered Green Week for West by hosting W-Hour activities. On Tuesday, April 19, there was a vegan food tasting. This promotes eating more vegan dishes in student’s everyday lives as cattle contribute immensely to greenhouse gas emissions. On April 20, there was a trash pick-up. On the next day, they watched and discussed the film 2050. Lastly, on Friday, April 22nd,  they wrapped the week up by planting flowers. Overall, Green Week teaches students to consider the perils of the present in order to preserve the potential of the future.

By Haniya M and Jazmine B

Oshkosh West Index Volume 118 Issue 8

May 23rd, 2022