What can a 21-year-old college student do about climate change? More than you might expect. A coalition of 20 students associated with Chicago's Sisters of Mercy, traveled to Washington D.C. to appeal to congressional leaders for climate action. Teaming with our partner Catholic Climate Covenant, as well as, the Franciscan Action Network, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, WE ACT for Environmental Justice and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, the group learned about the Clean Energy Plan, and offered moral guidance to a panel discussion on the matter. But the students aren't stopping there!
"Environmental justice is not separated from the faith community or the moral need to act. Everyone deserves a voice no matter what our zip code or income level," Jalonne White-Newsome shared
Returning back to their respective institutions, the students will garner support for campus recycling programs, sustainable cafeteria practices, and ways in which they might facilitate a Blessed Tomorrow.
Hear what one of the students had to say about the #CleanPowerPlan below:
College students bring support for Clean Power Plan to Congress
Dennis Sadowski for Catholic News Service
Getting the food service at St. Xavier University to change from plastic to biodegradable cups doesn't seem like it's a big deal.
But for Guadalupe Avila, a senior at the Sisters of Mercy-sponsored school in Chicago, it showed that she and her fellow members of Students for Social Justice can make a difference when it comes to the earth's environmental future.
Now she's ready to tackle Congress.
Avila, 21, was one of about 20 students from schools affiliated with the Mercy sisters who were spending several days in Washington learning about the final rules under President Barack Obama's Clean Power Plan and the little-known federally administered Green Climate Fund that supports local environmental initiatives.
The students were in the U.S. Capitol Tuesday learning about the Clean Power Plan from representatives of the Catholic Climate Covenant, the Franciscan Action Network, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, WE ACT for Environmental Justice and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.
