The 2024-2025 cohort engaged throughout the District of Columbia, working on grassroots environmental campaigns to effect change. Below, you will find some descriptions of some of their projects!
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Beyond Gas
The Issue
Using gas in our homes seems like a normal part of our everyday lives; however, I have learned that it causes significant problems that most people are unaware of. Gas hurts your health; it causes respiratory problems, like asthma and even lung cancer. Gas appliances in homes also adds to the greenhouse effect, which contributes to climate change.
Who We Are
Marlie on left (10th grade) and Susie on right (9th grade), testing a gas stove for dangerous NO2 levels.
Our Impact
For the last 6 months we have focused on gas in homes, specifically Nitrogen Dioxide. We learned to test for NO2 in homes with a gas detector, then we went out to collect data by testing stoves in our neighborhoods. During each testing session we informed the homeowners or renters about the negative impact gas has and ways for them to limit their exposure and what they can do to move forward while helping the environment. After collecting data and putting together research we created a presentation and presented to a number of communities, such as the youth climate summit in Maryland.
We informed and influenced many lives. Many people told us that they changed their habits because of what we did, and they would start looking into electric appliances or other ways to assist with our cause.
Lessons Learned
This was an amazing opportunity to help the planet and encourage others to do the same. The presentations gave us confidence to speak to others when it comes to a topic that we are passionate about and that could have controversy. We will continue to work with Beyond Gas to amplify our message by spreading awareness to more communities. The fight for the environment is still going on so no matter what the next steps are we will do our parts.
Bottle Bill
The Issue
Our city is littered with bottles and cans that pollute our neighborhoods, parks, and waterways. Many of us have worked to clean up this litter. But we want to help prevent this pollution in the first place, so we created a social media campaign to advocate to bring a Bottle Bill to D.C.. Learn more at 3RC for DC.
Who We Are
Presenting on our campaign, from left to right: Georgia (grade 11), Katherine (grade 11), Michaela (grade 11), Sola (grade 11).
Our Impact
Brainstorming ideas, from left to right: Georgia (grade 11),, Michaela (grade 11), Katherine (grade 11), Sola (grade 11).
We worked with the Sierra Club D.C. Chapter’s Zero Waste Committee to learn about beverage container pollution in D.C. and why a Bottle Bill is an effective solution. Next, we got training on how to build a social media campaign and worked with social media professionals to create a campaign showing D.C. why we need a Bottle Bill in our city. So, do you know that plastic pollution releases microplastics that harm wildlife and humans. Or that states with Bottle Bills recycle way more than states without one? Or that D.C. burns plastic plastic waste, releasing toxins into the air we breathe? Or that plastic is made from fossil fuels, so manufacturing new plastic increases greenhouse gases and worsens climate change? If you’ve been following our work on the Sierra Club DC Chapter on Instagram, you do!
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Lessons Learned
We are looking forward to testifying in support of the Bottle Bill. We hope the D.C. Council holds these hearings soon!