students

Student's comments on the Copenhagen Energy Summit

Friday, December 11th
As the Copenhagen conference wrapped up its first week, Mrs. Ryan wrote:

“ Just imagine what life on earth will be like in 30-some years if the climate keeps getting warmer!” I posed this thought to classes of third through sixth grade students as the COP15 got underway. Not knowing what to expect, even after many lessons about energy efficiency and good earth stewardship, I was surprised, shocked, and encouraged by the students responses. “Climate change affects everyone … every living thing all over the world,” said one passionate fourth grader. “What will happen to the penguins?” worried a thoughtful second grader. “I’m ORDERING my family to use less energy, take shorter showers, reduce/reuse/recycle, and telling them to tell three more people, too,” barked a concerned third grader. I realize my students are taking baby steps in an issue that requires leaps and bounds, but their passion about being good earth keepers and getting others to join the band wagon is a start. See what laws these students propose as we design our class Climate Treaty this week.

Monday, December 14th
With Copenhagen conference goers beginning their second week, Mrs. Ryan wrote:

Saddle Brook Middle School talented and gifted students were just engaged in a discussion about COP15. After reviewing the 5w’s and how, this fact immerged from our info quest: humans MUST modify their behavior to make a difference regarding climate change. However, the power of ONE just won’t cut it. We are citizens of the world. The world leaders involved in the complex negotiations in Copenhagen have their work cut out as industrialized nations and developing nations attempt to work together to get a treaty in place before Friday. What will President Obama say on Friday and what is his team contributing before his arrival? What do we want President Obama to know? Politics and social responsibility added zest to our class discussion. Economics is also a contributing factor: will there be more and better green jobs, green materials, etc.? How will this impact American workers and the economy?

Wednesday, December 16th
As protesters and deep divisions between participating nations blocked progress at the climate talks in Copenhagen, Mrs. Ryan reported that students were hard at work conducting their own summit:

The Saddle Brook 18 summit convened in the third grades this week to brainstorm important climate change issues in preparation for designing a treaty that will secure an energy efficient future for ALL eight and nine year olds worldwide. Student teams representing the USA, Denmark, Bolivia and China hammered out the top three issues facing each country and seek to determine what solutions will work best not only for their respective country but globally as well. Negotiations failed at first due to bickering, but each country is now ready to go to the table, state their case, and hope for a treaty before Friday. All eighteen students took a personal pledge to follow the 3R's (reduce, recycle reuse)!

Thursday, December 17th
With only more day to go in Copenhagen, students offered their answers to questions about the conference, energy efficiency and the environment:

Asked what they would like the delegates in Copenhagen to know, students responded:

Kristine, age 13: Well, first I may add that would be a complete honor. After participating in numerous environmental competitions, I have fully educated myself on such a powerful green topic- deforestation. I've discovered that deforestation of the rainforests affects the loss of several medicinal plants that comprise possible cures for such severe diseases. I'd want to let the members of the COP15 become aware of that catastrophe to hopefully give them an idea that would help decrease the amount of trees we're losing. We're not just losing medicinal plants or possible cures, we're losing oxygen, animal species, knowledge from the rainforest shamans, climate change, flooding, and even more. This dynamic subject should be recognized and the COP15 participants should take action- before it's too late.

Jenna, age 13: I would tell the representatives to at least take a quarter of the energy that they typically expend on money management and divert it to resource conservation and renewal.

David, age 12: I would like the people meeting in Denmark to know many things, one being that if we as humans do not do something about climate change now, then we will be in big trouble in the future. It is human nature to discard important problems because of the fact that humans are naturally lazy. There, I said it. We are. There is no doubt about it. What you representatives are doing is very important for our future. You are going against human nature and fighting back. If everyone followed your footsteps, there would be no environmental problems in the world now. As in the “Inconvenient Truth” movie, Al Gore spoke of rapidly increasing temperatures in the world. The most fascinating thing was the chart showing temperature rise. I don’t know about you, but the fact that Al Gore climbed on a scissor lift and raised himself high enough to show you a measurement that was way off the presenting screen is overwhelming. Not only that, that movie was produced in the year of 2006! I think that those numbers he presented probably have increased. We need to take a step forward and stop looking on to what we can’t do, but upon what we can do to save the environment. We shall act now or there’ll be no later!

Ximena, age 12: If I would be able to speak to people in Denmark about climate change, I would say that humans cause this harsh change to the environment when we don't realize it. The everyday things we do to survive are slowly killing off part of this planet. Some of the things we do aren’t for survival! We do it for money or jobs, especially in our current economy.

Artjola - Age 12: I would like them to know that so many countries took part in this because it is a major issue. The effect of global warming on the Earth is not good. Soon, it could even eat the Earth away. There are so many simple things that we as a planet can do to help, all we need now is to actually begin taking action. Finding a solution to this crisis is critical. I would also like them to know that many people are thankful for what they are doing.

Alexandra, age 12: I would want people to know that climate change affects more than just a change in weather; it refers to seasonal changes over a long period of time. Climate changes can affect how animals, plants, and humans live.

Asked what they would say if they could speak directly to the delegates in Copenhagen, students wrote:

Alexandra, age 12: I would tell them that all around the world and in our state, because people now know that climate change has a serious impact on life.

Ximena, age 12: Most likely, I would say to cut down the excess gas emissions from industries. We should invest in new research that will help us in the long run with our economy. There are more important things to worry about and spend a reasonable amount of currency on things like cures for diseases, saving energy, reducing waste and global warming. People would be more thankful for adding ten years to their life rather than shortening their life seven years. The damage that is being done to Earth is too much for us to handle but; if we make the right decisions, we may reduce that for us and for our future generations.

Artjola - Age 12: If I was at the COP15 this year, I would have a lot of things to say. I would say that the smallest things can make the biggest difference in our lives. It’s important for us as a globe to start taking part in the fight against global warming. I would also say that maybe there should be laws to make this all easier for everyone. The law must be followed, so if one is enforced, people can follow what the law says to help save our planet. Little everyday things can help, so trying to promote those little things can also help. One more thing I would also like to state is that many celebrities and important people have already started promoting going green.

Asked what it means to be “energy efficient,” students responded:

Jenna, age 13: To be "energy efficient" means to be wise when it comes to your consumption of energy. Being an energy efficient person means that you take precautions to help conserve our Earth’s limited resources. “Energy efficiency” can be as simple as shutting off a light when you leave a room to replacing the whole house with Energy Star Efficient light bulbs. There are many ways that you alone can be an energy efficient person and help save the environment! You can carpool to work or school with a friend and unplug appliances that are not frequently used. Energy efficiency has immense benefits on our environment. With all of these easy ways to help the Earth, how could you refuse?

Ximena, age 12: In my opinion, "energy efficient" means to be wise in the amount of energy being used. It means thinking twice about what we do. Electronics and appliances are used in a conservative way and not abusing what we can do with them. These are the things everyone would want to be doing.

Alexandra, age 12: Energy efficient is basically term of “going green.” It is using less energy and also using it wisely. Some examples are shutting off the lights when you go out of that room or even driving a hybrid car.

Artjola - Age 12: To be “energy efficient” is to change or move matter. But there is a catch, you must change or move matter with the least amount of energy possible. To me, being “energy efficient” is not using more energy than necessary. Energy efficiency saves Earth’s resources and helps the environment. These effects of energy efficiency make it one of the most important things a person can do.

Asked what ideas they could share with their family and school to make them more energy efficient every day, students offered:

Alexandra, age 12: Some things that I can tell my friends to do are shut off lights, carpool, shut water off when you are brushing your teeth, and to take baths instead of showers.

Artjola - Age 12: There are many ideas I can give to my family and school to be more energy efficient every day. I can tell them to turn off the lights whenever they aren’t in a room. Sometimes, driving by my school when it’s dark, I still see lights in some of the classrooms which I know for sure nobody’s in. In conjunction, use natural light whenever possible. Open your blinds and/or curtains and let some sunlight in! There aren’t really that many good excuses for using lamps and other lights during the day. Another thing a home or school can do is unplug appliances when they are not being used. Something as simple as unplugging a toaster or a cell phone charger can save a lot of energy. Lastly, any place can use energy efficient light bulbs. A few days ago, I entered an auditorium and didn’t remember it being so bright. A little girl told me they were using “energy efficient” light bulbs. There is no excuse not to use them.

Ximena, age 12: Instead of throwing things in the trash we could be recycling, especially with small children. If they learn the importance of recycling and if they get a role model to show that, they would want to do it, too. Some simple things can be done that we do every day! Turning off the water when you're brushing your teeth. Turning off the television when you are not in the room! Families can use fluorescent light bulbs in their homes. In the Christmas season, families should use LED Christmas lights to save more energy and timers. Insulation and the lowering of thermostats can save energy as well. Fans should definitely be used instead of air conditioning because air conditioning adds to pollution and wasting energy.

If they could ask world leaders any question about the environment, students said:

Taleen, age 14: I would ask how they were planning to amend the problem of deforestation in our rainforests. It is an increasing problem that is being neglected. I and my team mates have corresponded with Kevin Lustig, from the World Resources Institute in Washington D.C., about our concern about the destruction of the world’s rainforests. If deforestation of the rainforest keeps occurring, then they could be gone in 50 years! I was happy when I read today that this is the ONE item the world leaders appear to agree upon.

Artjola - Age 12: If the global warming problem caught up to us, how long would we, as a human race, have to fix this problem?

Alexandra, age 12: I would ask, “Could you save fossil fuels by limiting how much you give every state or country?”

Asked if they could implement one law to change how Americans use energy, students wrote:

Alexandra, age 12: It would be to have to carpool on the weekends so we save gas, time, and create less pollution.

Ximena, age 12: My law would be to lower the thermostat a couple degrees and to not have air conditioning. Many would disagree and some might agree. What most people don't know is that by lowering the temperature on the thermostat a couple of degrees, a lot of energy would be conserved. Air conditioning is a bad habit that we all have to break sometime. In the Northeast region, we have about three months of summer which means we don't have to be using air conditioning all the time. Many people don't realize that there are alternatives for keeping cool. I say why waste money, energy and add pollution to the air for our own selfish reasons?

Artjola - Age 12: If I could implement one law, it would be national. I think I would make it to be so that every household can only own up to two cars. I think this could benefit the environment a lot. Although some families may need more than two cars, they must learn the new way of traveling, carpool.