吃瓜tv

In 2019, a group of 吃瓜tv undergraduates joined a network of young, international activists to聽take on聽one of the biggest聽challenges聽facing the world today 鈥� climate change.聽

First, in the Spring semester, the Joy and Edward聽Frieman聽Environmental Science Center organized a three-day conference 鈥� Translating Science into Climate Action 鈥� which saw students confronting pressing environmental challenges in a series of faculty-led workshops. On the last day, alumna Gina聽Torry聽鈥�98, who works as senior advisor to the Nobel Peace Prize Global聽Programmes, invited any motivated students to keep up the momentum by forming a working sustainability group on campus.聽

Clark Marchese was among them. Clark is a double major in international and comparative politics and environmental studies, with a minor in economics. 鈥淭he environment has always been something of great interest to me,鈥� he explains. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of anxiety around the climate crisis, but it can be reassuring to see that there are people working toward change.鈥� Clark was one of four students who worked with Professor Elena Berg of the聽Frieman聽Center to develop proposals聽for聽how to make the University more sustainable.聽聽

Their efforts聽led to聽Torry聽inviting them聽to take part in the 2019 Oslo Pax. Described as 鈥渁 call to action on peace and climate change,鈥� the two-day event aimed to develop, through subject-specific workshops, a outcomes document to be presented at聽the聽United Nations summit聽on climate change in September.聽The students聽participated in weekly calls with other young climate activists聽in the run up to聽the聽Oslo Pax. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a huge emphasis on youth activism,鈥� explains Clark.聽聽

Each of the four students organized one of nine workshops at the conference;聽Clark鈥檚 workshop focused on climate education and was attended by the Canadian Education Minister. 鈥淢y main takeaway was 鈥榯hink global, act local,鈥欌�� says Clark.聽The students were quick to make use of what they鈥檇 learned at the conference, organizing a climate networking event to discuss sustainability issues on campus.

Later, they also had the chance to attend the COP25聽climate conference聽in Madrid to see the results of their work being put into action. 鈥淚t brought home for me the importance聽of individual action,鈥� explains Clark. 鈥淲hen the future looks so dire, it shifts our focus to what we can聽do now.鈥� Clark intends to continue fighting for sustainability issues during his time at 吃瓜tv 鈥� and聽through聽further study upon graduation.聽The work of Clark and his fellow students is laying the groundwork for long-term changes in campus sustainability 鈥� ready for the next generation of 吃瓜tv students to carry this progress forward.聽