MORE RESOURCES Program Contact: Priyanka Joseph Resources: Global Environment Toolkit Past Events: Los Angeles Retreat

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT

The environment is perhaps the most pressing issue of our generation—one that affects all global citizens, but increasing falls to our generation to address.  Various terms have been used to describe the wild fluctuations in temperature, the prolonged droughts, severe weather disturbances, and the loss of biodiversity, such as climate change and global warming. 

By whatever name, the facts speak for themselves.For example, “most of the United States has already warmed, in some areas by as much as 4 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, no state in the lower 48 states experienced temperatures below average in 2002. The last three five-year periods are the three warmest on record.”

Climate change is real. Beyond the recession of glaciers, the disruption of animal habitats, and the irrevocable loss of some the world’s natural gems, global climate change also negatively affects global health and development. The increasing incidence of hurricanes, droughts, heat waves and floods have widespread and disastrous impacts upon men, women, and children worldwide, but especially poor and marginalized populations which lead to  higher incidence of diseases, income shocks, destroyed houses and crops.

Although climate change is a global challenge, there are things that we, as students, can do to ameliorate and stop its effects on our campuses, in our local communities, and nationally. As students, we have both a unique and promising opportunity to reduce our carbon emissions, green our campuses, and in the process, ensure the sustainability and integrity of our world’s eco system for our generation, as well as generations to come. In fact, students are often better positioned and effective in countering global climate change than policy makers due to their passion, energy, and the environment in which they work—namely, their universities.

New Video: Largest International Day of Climate Action in history!
Demanding climate justice and a safer world for all countries, all peoples