Earth Day Summit

Saturday, April 24, 2021 | 10:30am-2:00pm PST

Bay Area Youth Climate Summit's Earth Day event featured workshops, discussions, and a climate action planning session! Our workshops were focused on two themes—policy and action—and included topics ranging from the Green New Deal to food justice to restoring biodiversity. Attendees included high school students from the Bay Area and beyond.

Watch the Recordings

Schedule

10:30am // Opening and Introduction

10:50am // Morning Workshop (Policy-focused, see below for options)*

11:40pm // Discussions

12:10pm // Lunch

12:30pm // Afternoon Workshop (Action-focused, see below for options)*

1:20pm // Climate Action Planning: Lightning Talks and Breakout Rooms with SF Environment

2:00pm // Closing

*Participants will select one workshop for each time slot. All times are in PST.

Workshops

Look below for a full list of the workshops you can choose from, as well as the descriptions and names of the presenters!

Morning Session (Policy)

10:50-11:35 am PST

Cutting Auto-Emissions to Save the Planet

with Dan Becker, Director of the Safe Climate Transport Campaign at the Center for Biological Diversity

Did you know that the transportation sector is the largest contributor to climate change? If the US could cut car emissions, it would be the biggest step anyone has ever made towards combating climate change. In fact, the regulations imposed by the Obama Administration would have prevented 6 Gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions if Trump hadn’t rolled them back. Dan Becker, the director of the Safe Climate Transport Campaign, has been fighting car emissions for over 30 years. In this workshop, he will demonstrate why we need to focus on the auto industry to slow climate change, how he has been fighting auto emissions, and what we can all do as individuals.

Coversations About the Green New Deal

with Natalie Tam (Youth vs. Apocalypse), Oona Clark (BAYCS), Angel Mendoza (BAYCS)

Join us for a panel and discussion led by Youth vs. Apocalypse activist Natalie Tam and BAYCS members Oona Clark and Angel Mendoza on the Green New Deal and how it will help us combat climate change, help people of color, and the economy. We will both be introducing the Green New Deal’s components and holding time for questions and discussion between presenters and attendees.

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Citizens' Climate Lobby

with Karishma Goswami and Kiran Garewal of Citizens' Climate Lobby

Join us to learn about effective political solutions to climate change and how as youth we can make a huge difference in our own futures! You will get a chance to learn about carbon fee and dividend policies and why they are so effective. We will also be leading an interactive workshop where you will learn how to lobby your representatives in Congress and see what it takes to join us on Capitol Hill.

Environmental Ethics & Philosophy

with Dr. Allen Thompson, International Society for Environmental Ethics

In this workshop Dr. Thompson will lead a discussion about how philosophy and the field of environmental ethics approaches the issue of anthropogenic climate change, including an exploration of what it is, why it’s a problem, who is responsible for doing what about it and why.

Afternoon Session (Action)

12:30-1:15 pm PST

Healthy Plate, Healthy Planet

with Robbie Brown, Community Engagement Associate at Acterra

Oftentimes, youth feel discouraged and limited when it comes to finding opportunities to take climate action. In this presentation, we will discuss one of the ways in which youth can get involved and lower their carbon footprint. Everyone can play their part in restoring our earth, by choosing what is on their plate. We will discuss the importance of adopting a plant-forward diet - one that incorporates more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes and less meat and dairy products - as well as the importance of reducing food waste at your home. At the end of the presentation, guests will have a better understanding of the role they can play in combating climate change by adopting dietary practices that are healthier for themselves and the earth.

Reducing Food Waste One Trip at a Time

with Maria Yap, Founder and Executive Director of Peninsula Food Runners

Join us to talk with Maria Yap, the Founder and Executive Director of Peninsula Food Runners, a Bay Area-based organization committed to food waste diversion and reduction. We will discuss the staggering impacts of food waste worldwide, how our current food systems are structured to create such waste, including here in the Bay Area. Furthermore, learn what you can do to help to dismantle food waste and insecurity in your community, seeing the intersections between food and climate change.

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Why the World Needs Another #TrillionTrees

with Lindsey Prowse, 1 Trillion Trees North America at World Economic Forum

There used to be roughly 6 trillion trees on Earth. Today, only half remain. There has never been a more urgent need to protect and revive forests. Youth and future generations will be most impacted by climate change, the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystems – but they also stand to benefit the most from a restoration economy. Join an interactive session to learn why conserving, restoring and growing trees are essential to the health of people and our planet, as well as opportunities to drive youth-led climate action, ecopreneurship and the global #GenerationRestoration movement.

Food Justice at Farmers Markets

with Anisha Rathod, Foodwise Teens Coordinator at CUESA Farmers Markets

Learn more about CUESA's farmers markets in San Francisco and how they play an important role in creating justice in the food system. Explore how farmers markets have supported farmers in keeping their businesses alive during the pandemic, and learn how farmers are navigating the effects of climate change.

Speakers

Meet the presenters of the Earth Day Summit's workshops! Click on each person to learn more.

Maria Yap, Founder and Executive Director of Peninsula Food Runners

Maria’s exposure to food insecurities occurred at a young age when she accompanied her mother on social welfare visits to families in need. In 1978, Maria came to the United States and resided in Tucson, Arizona where she attended the University of Arizona, majoring in Food Service Management and minoring in Nutrition. After volunteering with San Francisco Food Runners for a number of years, she gained insight into the challenges of food surplus and food recovery. Seeing the need for a similar program for the CA Peninsula in 2013, Maria and her spouse Tod Hing developed a web application called Chow Match alongside Peninsula Food Runners. Chow Match streamlines the food recovery process between donors, recipients, and drivers. It also collects data to track the impact.

Presently, Peninsula Food Runners services 319 recipients and over 522 donors and manages over 600 volunteers. Peninsula Food Runners is presently diverting close to 45,253 lbs of food each week from the landfills. This amount converts to over 3,500 Lbs of Co2 from the environment and provides up to 37,769 meals to the surrounding communities.

Natalie Tam, Youth vs. Apocalypse Green New Deal Team Member

Natalie Tam is a San Francisco high school senior, who is a part of her school’s Green Team, and is a member of both the Bay Area Youth Climate Summit and Youth vs. Apocalypse. She loves being outdoors and wants to do her best to protect and advocate for our planet.

Oona Clark, Logistics Lead at the Bay Area Youth Climate Summit

Oona Clark is a 17-year-old Bay Area high school student from Marin County. Since freshman year they have been involved in climate activism, speaking at a town hall for Sunrise Movement on the Green New Deal in the spring of 2019. In June of 2020, they joined the Bay Area Youth Climate Summit and have worked on the many events and projects BAYCS has hosted since then as a member of the Youth Advisory Council, logistics team, and newsletter co-lead.

Anisha Rathod, Foodwise Programs Coordinator at CUESA

Anisha (she/her/hers) coordinates Foodwise Teens, a paid after school internship at 3 San Francisco high schools, at the Center for Urban Education at Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA). Previously Anisha has farmed and taught yoga. Anisha was born and raised in New Jersey and has a bachelor's degree in Ethnic Studies from Brown University. She is passionate about farming, justice, and food.

Dan Becker, Director of the Safe Climate Transport Campaign at Center for Biological Diversity

Dan Becker, Director of the Safe Climate Transport Campaign, works in the Climate Law Institute. Dan began his career at Environmental Action, MassPIRG and Public Citizen’s Congress Watch and fought in Congress for the Clean Air Act, CAFE standards, Superfund and other responsible energy policies. He led the clean-car fight, beginning in 1989, as director of Sierra Club’s Global Warming and Energy Program and then as director of the Safe Climate Campaign. He helped win and defend the Obama Clean Car Standard and has been named one of the world’s 28 “Climate Heroes” by Rolling Stone magazine and Salon.com. Dan is a graduate of Northeastern University Law School and Hamilton College.

Lindsey Prowse, Specialist at 1 Trillion Trees

Lindsey is a strategic communications and project manager with half a decade of experience working on issues related to sustainability, environmental resilience and climate. She coordinated the launch of the US Chapter of the Trillion Trees Platform 1t.org in August 2020 and currently leads US communications and the global youth hub for 1t.org at the World Economic Forum. Prior to joining the Forum, Lindsey built and managed the first Sustainability & Innovation Committee at the French-American Chamber of Commerce. She also spearheaded the first Sustainability Forum in collaboration with the UN Global Compact. Lindsey has served as a communications strategist and writer for organizations including, L’Oreal Paris, OECD, Cambridge University Press, U.S. Department of State, and Southwest Airlines. She holds an MA in Communications from Sciences Po Paris and a BA in International Relations from Southern Methodist University.

Allen Thompson, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Oregon State University

Dr. Allen Thompson works as an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Oregon State University. He serves as the President of the International Association for Environmental Ethics (enviroethics.org), the (incoming) Editor-in-Chief of Environmental Ethics, which is an interdisciplinary journal dedicated to the philosophical aspects of environmental problems, and is the co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Environmental Ethics.

Karishma Goswami, Youth Leader at Citizens' Climate Lobby

Karishma Goswami is currently a junior in high school residing in Saratoga, California. She has been involved in CCL for 2 years and is now a National Youth Action Team leader, founder and leader of the national Youth Blog Writing team, and leads several local teams. As a climate advocate she has focused on youth outreach by presenting at national conferences, summer camps, and high schools, leading successful social media campaigns, publishing Letters to the Editor, and is working on a School Board Resolution. She's also an avid tennis player and loves to spend time with her friends and family.

Kiran Garewal, Member of Citizens' Climate Lobby

Kiran Garewal is a high school senior who has been a member of Citizens’ Climate Lobby for little over two years. In Citizens’ Climate Lobby, he has focused on connecting passionate youth with advocacy opportunities and is currently a leader of the chapter’s youth and outreach action teams. Inspired by the difference policy makes in shaping society and galvanized by the importance of effective policy in addressing climate change, Kiran plans to study public policy starting in Fall 2021. In his free time, Kiran enjoys hiking, playing the piano, and practicing taekwondo.

Robbie Brown, Community Engagement Associate at Acterra

Robbie Brown is the Community Engagement Associate for Acterra, a Bay Area environmental nonprofit focused on climate action and empowering local communities. He has experience and interests in food sustainability, sustainable business practices, and environmental education. At Acterra, he is extensively involved in their Healthy Plate, Healthy Planet program, which focuses on the adoption of plant-forward eating as well as the reduction of food waste. He also oversees Acterra's workplace sustainability programming which promotes climate work within the business community, and Acterra's You(th) Be the Change program, which revolves around the design and implementation of middle school climate-focused curricula.

Previously, Robbie worked with Ecology Action and San Benito County, developing their Green Business Program. He also created a sustainable project for a local community college that involved water conservation and native landscaping. When it comes to education, Robbie has taught various topics ranging from environmental issues to philosophy. Robbie has a B.A. from California State University Long Beach and has completed graduate-level coursework at San Francisco State University, specializing in environmental and animal ethics.