On July 21st, a blazing hot, sticky day to be outside, high school students from throughout the Woodlands area came together at Rob Fleming Park to raise awareness for climate change. 

 

Several young and motivated speakers, including Gabrielle Dufrene, David Reyes, Maddie Couling, and Sebastian Vazquez stressed the increasing problem of climate change and how it will affect all inhabitants of the globe in the future. These speakers are all thoroughly involved advocates of climate change awareness in their communities, including their schools, local politics, and nonprofit organizations. Sebastian Vazquez stressed the concerning issue of greenhouse gases that have depleted into our atmosphere. Maddie described the state of danger the Australian Great Barrier Reef is facing and the importance of education as a first step to public awareness of climate change. All the speakers believed that action and protest especially from the young generation is crucial to ensuring a safe, healthy environment for our descendants on Earth. The only way to keep our home is to take care of it.

 

After the speakers, several musicians showed their personality and charisma while in support of climate change consciousness. David Dravidian, a teen pianist, played both the Wii Song and “Imagine” by John Lennon beautifully. A young, talented high school band called West End also played, successfully ramping up the spirits of the audience and making many heads bob in delight. West End included three guitarists, a drummer, and a keyboard player. The keyboard player and main guitarist alternated singing each song, and both performed with strong voices. Songs included several originals and “Should I Stay or Should I go” by the Clash.

 

This event was held the same day as hundreds of youth protested at the National Mall in Washington DC for the Zero Hour Youth Climate March, completely organized and lead by high school youth. The audience at this picnic, just a small portion of this historic national movement, was filled with teens from various high schools in the Woodlands, all with unique, hipster styles. These teens came to support their friends but also to voice their perspectives on combating climate change, and you could hear their determination loud and clear throughout the evening. The Park Picnic for Climate Change was an event that radiated the potential of the young generation in the fight against climate change, and emphasized the power of action.