By Joonho Rider-Lee (285)

By 2050, Kiribati, a small island in the southern Pacific and home to over 100,000 people, will be completely underwater. Rising sea levels are just one catastrophic consequence of climate change. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, greenhouse gas levels are the highest they have been in recorded history, and by 2030, damage done to the earth will be irreversible.

In response to the rising threat of climate change, the Green New Deal for Schools (GND4S) was started as part of the Sunrise Movement’s national campaign to reshape America’s K-12 public school system in the face of the climate crisis. GND4S aims to achieve sustainable lunches, pathways to green jobs, safe and clean buildings, climate disaster plans, and climate change-focused curriculums. 

The club is actively working to educate Central’s community on the Green New Deal, trying to collect 1,500 signatures for a petition to win The Green New Deal for Philly schools and to speak at monthly public Philadelphia School District meetings. When asked why GND4S is such an important club, Betsy Okrent (284), a cabinet member, said that “with rising temperatures, a growing number of yearly natural disasters, and a looming presidential election, it is more important than ever that our generation take action now, before it is too late.” Although GND4S is a fairly new club made of a small team of students, the members have extensive goals in mind. United under one cause, students have been inspired to bring what they’ve learned back to Central. GND4S is Central’s way of fighting against climate change, one passionate step at a time.