As Kermit the Frog has told us for over half a century, it isn’t easy being green. Beginning in 1962, a globalized awareness has spread amongst liberals and non-liberals alike, after the words of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring introduced many to the declining health of the earth.
We call it environmentalism.
Maybe it wasn’t easy being green, but lately being green has been a fad that sparks a sense of hope and possibility for the future. And being environmentally friendly is steadily becoming easier and easier.
I remember when I was little and I used to complain about growing up in Bethesda. The same old neighborhood, the same old school, the same old everything. Little did I know that as soon as I hit Metro-ing age, I would begin to experience something unparalleled in most other parts of the country. Living so close to D.C., the world is at our fingertips and we are able to participate in the front line of the people’s war against global warming.
“Because we’re so close to D.C.,” said junior Elise Rudt, “we have the advantage of easy transport to so many things. We have so much access to the political action.”
Access to D.C. also gives us access to grassroots campaigning. This spring, over 10,000 young people from across the country will gather in Washington, D.C. for an event called Power Shift 2011. Power Shift calls to all environmental activists who are ready to lead future generations to greener solutions and a healthier planet. Students have the opportunity to attend seminars and lectures focused on their specific environmental interests. They will also attend a concert and get the chance to hear speakers such as EPA’s administrator, Linda P. Jackson and Environmentalist, Al Gore.
“Powershift is a huge lobbying effort made every two years,” said Rudt, a member of MCSEA (Montgomery County Student Environmental Activists). “People come from all over the country to sit outside Congress’ door and holler.”
As members of MCSEA, a group of student environmental activists from WJ and Churchill, Elise and I will be sure to attend.
“I take part in MCSEA because I think it’s a noble effort and we have the potential to make a difference,” said Rudt. “We’re a really fun collaborative group that works towards making a cleaner environment, from a more political standpoint.”
We meet twice a week, Thursdays during lunch and Sunday afternoons, to discuss plans of action. Currently, we are focused on getting members and recruiting students for Power Shift; however, we hope to begin lobbying the Maryland Congress to pass the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act, a plan to build a wind turbine off the shore of Ocean City. As MCSEA currently consists of WJ and Churchill students, we also are working on extending the group to other schools in the county.
MCSEA is just one example of how students can become involved and take advantage of environmentalism in Bethesda, and we encourage every single student to take action and get involved. We only have one earth and we are all completely capable of taking initiative and raising awareness.
CLICK HERE for more information or visit the MCSEA Facebook group.