A Green Community

A lot has been happening in Black Bark Village! After our elections, we received a letter from the Carson Environmental Natural Gas Company. They wanted to bring money and jobs to our community by putting in a natural gas pipeline and terminal on our coast. In order to decide whether or not to allow for the pipeline and terminal, we learned about fossil fuels and renewable energy, weighing the pros and cons of different energy sources. We are also learning about climate change and global warming. We have been reading books, examining photographs and watching videos.

We watched videos made by youth--one about global warming (Climate change according to a kid) and the other made by PPS students from the Sunnyside Environmental Middle School about liquified natural gas (Just another dirty fossil fuel). We also learned about the protests at Standing Rock opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline and the youth that inspired that movement like the Indigenous Youth Council and Takota Iron Eyes. The community voted to say no to the pipeline and terminal. Instead the City Council has plans for renewable energy projects for Black Bark Village.

The focus on youth activism and youth voice is to help students feel empowered to lend their own voice to the challenge of climate change. Our exploration of these topics is aligned with a climate justice resolution passed by the PPS Board in the spring of 2016 which recognizes the importance of teaching about climate change K-12. Our discussions have been enthusiastic and full of questions they are trying to answer. I hope they are bringing some of these conversations home and exploring these issues with you.