Opinion: LTUSD Board supports student-led climate initiative

Former Climate Crew Co-president, Anthony Pedigo, introduced Resolution No. 2020/21-07 in Support of School District Climate Literacy to the LTUSD School Board on September 22, 2020. It was the culmination of a year of passionate student organizing, writing and mobilizing. The resolution passed unanimously.

Many South Tahoe High School (STHS) students were inspired by the international, youth-led movement Fridays for Future last fall. Fridays for the Future is a global climate strike movement that started in August 2018, when 15-year-old Greta Thunberg began a school strike for climate action. STHS students Logan Chapman, Anthony Pedigo, and Evelyn George turned their passion into action and formed the STHS Climate Crew, a group of students dedicated to taking action on climate change. A major achievement of this group is the creation of this resolution, as well as the ongoing development of an electric bus commitment for the coming years.

“Our goal is to bring more attention to the students about how real and serious climate change is as a threat to this planet’s future......I understand that making these additions to these classes' curriculums may take a lot of time and effort during these weird times in our lives, but climate change will continue to get worse no matter what world-wide problem is going on. Climate change won’t stop for Covid,” said Pedigo.

This resolution directs Superintendent and staff work with LTUSD students, teachers, and community members to develop a comprehensive approach to understanding the climate crisis. In the current LTUSD curriculum, climate change is mostly limited to the interpretation of its effects in science classes. The new resolution ensures that students will be informed of the all-encompassing challenge of climate change. This demands climate literacy in civics, history, social studies, and math classes to provide a pragmatic context for the climate crisis. In addition to this, the resolution seeks a greater civic understanding of social and personal responsibility, and will help prepare students for a future heavily altered by climate.

The Resolution states, in part:

Whereas, the winter sports industry generates upwards of $70 billion per year and supplies 694,918 jobs (according to Protect Our Winters), a major factor in the economy of the Tahoe region; and

Whereas, in 1910, Tahoe’s average winter low was about 28 F°. In 2015, the average winter low was above 32 F°. We have seen a 4 F° warming period which puts our average winter low above freezing point; and…

Whereas, because climate change represents a mortal threat to all of human society, it is critical that we equip all students with the knowledge and skills they will need to understand and respond effectively to the climate situation...

Be It Therefore Resolved, that the Lake Tahoe Unified School District Board of Education ensure that all high school students graduate climate literate beginning with the graduating class of 2025....

Be It Further Resolved, that LTUSD Invites community organizations and relies on environmental agencies in order to professionally train teachers and provide learning opportunities for all students.

But the students are not stopping there. This October students from the South Lake Tahoe Sunrise Hub will be special guests on the upcoming Tahoe Climate Change Action Network’s upcoming webinar series “Getting to Net Zero in Tahoe: Taking Local Action.” This web series is for the Tahoe Local who feels ready to do something about climate change, but is unsure how to get started.

Consisting of six webinars, October 5-10, this event will culminate with another international climate action event, TED’s Countdown to a Better Future. https://countdown.ted.com/

To find out more and register, go to TCCAN website, tahoeclimatechangeactionnetwork.org, or reach out to Sara J Letton for more information, sarajletton@gmail.com.

On behalf of South Lake Tahoe’s youth, and on behalf of their great-grandchildren, we thank the LTUSD school district for being on the right side of history.

Sage Alexander, Sunrise Movement, South Lake Tahoe Hub
Sara Letton, Tahoe Climate Change Action Network Event Coordinator