On National Arbor Day, Friday, April 27th from 9 am to 1:30 pm, delegates from four small schools in southern Maine, ranging in age from 7-14, congregated in the Jessie Bullens-Crewe Auditorium for this first ever multi-school event. Students, representing nine countries, shared their research on how their selected countries are doing in the fight against global warming. They recognized whether the country signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol, identified what actions the countries have already taken and what efforts they plan to take. They identified the concerns they have and the problems each country has yet to face. Some of the countries are doing amazing things, like creating bio-fuels with little impact on CO2 levels and environmental degradation (Brazil), funding huge winds and hydro-power projects to reduce their dependence on non-renewable fuels (Mozambique, Mexico, and Panama), and pledging to become independent of fossil fuels in as little as fifteen years(Sweden).
A film interview with Nobel Peace Prize candidate Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Inuit activist, started our summit. Ms. Watt-Cloutier has taken political action to bring awareness to the plight of her people due to the accelerated climate changes in the arctic. "It is a human rights issue and we are acting as the canary in the coal mine" "What happens to my people happens to the rest of the world within 15 years or so" she says.
Honoring the Inuit, we all participated in a traditional "blanket toss" group challenge. As a break from sitting, we all headed to the "Dan" to toss, safely and gently, all participants into the air with a unique circular handled device that resembled the skins used to propel Inuit hunters into the air to scout seals on the pack ice.
Back at the summit, groups gathered to write letters to the leaders of the selected countries thanking them for their efforts and making suggestions for other actions.
A banquet with awards for CO2-Free food preparation followed, and the summit ended with tree giving instead of a ceremonial tree planting (Planting of the trees was out due to the heavy downpour at the time of the summit). As we all dispersed, it was unanimous that we all get together again soon for another small school collaboration. -Sari Lindauer, E6 Coordonator
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Thursday, April 5, 2007
First Student Climate Summit Scheduled in Portland
The Expedition Six Students of Breakwater School
In collaboration with several
Small Independent Schools in Southern Maine
Announce their first gathering for a
Student Summit on Climate Change
National Arbor Day, Friday, April 27, 2007
check us out at:breakwatere6.blogspot.com
In the Jessie Bullens-Crewe Building
856 Brighton Avenue, Portland, ME 04102 • 772-8689 Contact Tue-Thur:727-4150
Tentative Schedule:
•Arrive at 9 am
•Set up Country flags as Summit convenes
•View short film on Nobel Peace Prize nominee,
Inuit leader Sheila Watt-Cloutier.
•Introduction
•Short Presentation by Expedition 6 students
•Report from each participating country*
•Break up into small groups to write Resolution and letters to Presidents
•BREAK FOR INTERNATIONAL GAMES then reconvene for sharing
•World Foods Banquet/CO2 credit awards**
•Taking Action- Planting 100 trees (and tree awards)
*A simple report on what the country you chose has done to reduce CO2 & their major energy consumption. **Food you make and bring to the banquet: IF it is raw or made in a solar cooker without CO2, you get credits for free trees!
Interested participants are requested to work in pairs or small groups from their participating schools in preparation for reporting on specific countries, assembling information identified below, bringing foods representative of those countries, and being prepared to take action to help make a difference in our own efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.
Country report should include:
•Making a 18x24” paper flag representing the country
•Identify the country’s major energy sources/consumption
•identify whether the country Ratified the Kyoto Protocol?
•Identify what action the country has taken to reduce CO2 and other
greenhouse gas emissions
•Identify trouble spots for the country; where this country could do better
(positive change for the future)
In Discussion Groups representing 2-3 countries:
• Writing group letters to the countries presidents or leaders thanking them for
their contributions and requesting other specific measures to improve their
tackling of issues concerning climate change.
•Generating ideas for what kids can do now to help their future.
•Making a list of resolutions that the group would like to be added to whole group resolutions when the summit reconvenes before the banquet.
In Whole Group: BREAK FOR INTERNATIONAL GAMES 10:30-11 o'clock
•create a master chart of resolutions
•share letters to world leaders.
•Eat & celebrate the variety of cultures and foods of the world represented
•Take action- It’s Arbor Day, what better day to plant CO2 sequestering trees!***
***sequestering from se·ques·ter Pronunciation (s-kwstr)
v. se·ques·tered, se·ques·ter·ing, se·ques·ters
1. To cause to withdraw into seclusion. (the CO2 is withdrawn into trees, growing plants, the Ocean & soil)
2. To remove or set apart; segregate. See Synonyms at isolate.
Choose your countries ASAP and get the ones you want: We tried to include at least two from each continent, or geographical region.
(BWS E6 will take what is left over)
The 15 countries we came up with: If you want one that does not appear on the list, but you know they are doing great things, choose it as a write-in by email to breakwaterschoole6@gmail.com
1. U.S.A. (OK, our government didn’t ratify the Kyoto Protocol but grassroots
folks and entrepreneurs are doing a lot to reduce CO2, so we included us.)
2. Japan-BH2O E6
3. Sweden-The School Around Us
4. France-New Country school
5. Nigeria-E6
6. Mexico-New Country School
7. Venezuela-E6
8. Mozambique-BH2O
9. Australia (OK again, they did not ratify either and are one of the worst contributors to greenhouse gases…but we could appeal to them too…)
10. Brazil-The School Around Us
11. El Salvador-Friends School
12. Malaysia-E6
13. Honduras-Friends School
14. Panama-Friends School of Portland
15. Russia
•In researching you data use Google: example: Turkey and climate change or Kyoto Protocol
We Googled all of the countries above and each had many sites to choose from.
•For what they have done so far try: Sweden and action on climate change
We do not expect to cover all of these countries but hope, with participation from the five schools listed, with two kids per country finding info to report, that we will have at least 10 countries represented. If all goes well, we could have most covered IF you all want to take up the challenge and join us! We think we can get some media attention for our cause IF we get enough participation. AND the banquet could be fantastic. We LOVE cooking and sharing FOOD. Everyone gets to plant trees and take trees back to their school to plant!
Signed:The E6'ers
In collaboration with several
Small Independent Schools in Southern Maine
Announce their first gathering for a
Student Summit on Climate Change
National Arbor Day, Friday, April 27, 2007
check us out at:breakwatere6.blogspot.com
In the Jessie Bullens-Crewe Building
856 Brighton Avenue, Portland, ME 04102 • 772-8689 Contact Tue-Thur:727-4150
Tentative Schedule:
•Arrive at 9 am
•Set up Country flags as Summit convenes
•View short film on Nobel Peace Prize nominee,
Inuit leader Sheila Watt-Cloutier.
•Introduction
•Short Presentation by Expedition 6 students
•Report from each participating country*
•Break up into small groups to write Resolution and letters to Presidents
•BREAK FOR INTERNATIONAL GAMES then reconvene for sharing
•World Foods Banquet/CO2 credit awards**
•Taking Action- Planting 100 trees (and tree awards)
*A simple report on what the country you chose has done to reduce CO2 & their major energy consumption. **Food you make and bring to the banquet: IF it is raw or made in a solar cooker without CO2, you get credits for free trees!
Interested participants are requested to work in pairs or small groups from their participating schools in preparation for reporting on specific countries, assembling information identified below, bringing foods representative of those countries, and being prepared to take action to help make a difference in our own efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.
Country report should include:
•Making a 18x24” paper flag representing the country
•Identify the country’s major energy sources/consumption
•identify whether the country Ratified the Kyoto Protocol?
•Identify what action the country has taken to reduce CO2 and other
greenhouse gas emissions
•Identify trouble spots for the country; where this country could do better
(positive change for the future)
In Discussion Groups representing 2-3 countries:
• Writing group letters to the countries presidents or leaders thanking them for
their contributions and requesting other specific measures to improve their
tackling of issues concerning climate change.
•Generating ideas for what kids can do now to help their future.
•Making a list of resolutions that the group would like to be added to whole group resolutions when the summit reconvenes before the banquet.
In Whole Group: BREAK FOR INTERNATIONAL GAMES 10:30-11 o'clock
•create a master chart of resolutions
•share letters to world leaders.
•Eat & celebrate the variety of cultures and foods of the world represented
•Take action- It’s Arbor Day, what better day to plant CO2 sequestering trees!***
***sequestering from se·ques·ter Pronunciation (s-kwstr)
v. se·ques·tered, se·ques·ter·ing, se·ques·ters
1. To cause to withdraw into seclusion. (the CO2 is withdrawn into trees, growing plants, the Ocean & soil)
2. To remove or set apart; segregate. See Synonyms at isolate.
Choose your countries ASAP and get the ones you want: We tried to include at least two from each continent, or geographical region.
(BWS E6 will take what is left over)
The 15 countries we came up with: If you want one that does not appear on the list, but you know they are doing great things, choose it as a write-in by email to breakwaterschoole6@gmail.com
1. U.S.A. (OK, our government didn’t ratify the Kyoto Protocol but grassroots
folks and entrepreneurs are doing a lot to reduce CO2, so we included us.)
2. Japan-BH2O E6
3. Sweden-The School Around Us
4. France-New Country school
5. Nigeria-E6
6. Mexico-New Country School
7. Venezuela-E6
8. Mozambique-BH2O
9. Australia (OK again, they did not ratify either and are one of the worst contributors to greenhouse gases…but we could appeal to them too…)
10. Brazil-The School Around Us
11. El Salvador-Friends School
12. Malaysia-E6
13. Honduras-Friends School
14. Panama-Friends School of Portland
15. Russia
•In researching you data use Google: example: Turkey and climate change or Kyoto Protocol
We Googled all of the countries above and each had many sites to choose from.
•For what they have done so far try: Sweden and action on climate change
We do not expect to cover all of these countries but hope, with participation from the five schools listed, with two kids per country finding info to report, that we will have at least 10 countries represented. If all goes well, we could have most covered IF you all want to take up the challenge and join us! We think we can get some media attention for our cause IF we get enough participation. AND the banquet could be fantastic. We LOVE cooking and sharing FOOD. Everyone gets to plant trees and take trees back to their school to plant!
Signed:The E6'ers
Directions to Breakwater School
From the North or South
Maine Turnpike (95) to Exit 47 (Rand Road). Pass tollbooths then right at light. About 1 mile and then right onto Route 25 (Brighton Avenue). About 1/2 mile just past the second light, Breakwater School and parking will be on the right.
From Downtown Portland
Forest Ave. (Route 302) out of town. Pass the 295 overpass, then left at the second light, just past Oakhurst Dairy. Next light at a BIG 6 way intersection, right on to Brighton Ave. (Route 25 West). About 2 miles and many lights later, past the Hospital and past a Cumberland Farms intersection. Just before the next light, Breakwater School and parking are on the left.
Breakwater School
856 Brighton Ave.
Portland, Maine
772-8689
Sari Lindauer's cell: 239-6705
See you on Friday.
Maine Turnpike (95) to Exit 47 (Rand Road). Pass tollbooths then right at light. About 1 mile and then right onto Route 25 (Brighton Avenue). About 1/2 mile just past the second light, Breakwater School and parking will be on the right.
From Downtown Portland
Forest Ave. (Route 302) out of town. Pass the 295 overpass, then left at the second light, just past Oakhurst Dairy. Next light at a BIG 6 way intersection, right on to Brighton Ave. (Route 25 West). About 2 miles and many lights later, past the Hospital and past a Cumberland Farms intersection. Just before the next light, Breakwater School and parking are on the left.
Breakwater School
856 Brighton Ave.
Portland, Maine
772-8689
Sari Lindauer's cell: 239-6705
See you on Friday.
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