MEET the Climate Canons – a group of St Norbert College students driving change at school to better the environment.
The Climate Canons, a volunteer group of about 40 students, continue to grow in size and strength – with increasing numbers and goals for 2020.
The sustainability group began in May 2018, after 15 Year 9 students participated in the Australian Youth Climate Change Climate Justice Summit. Over two days, students learnt about climate science, climate impacts and how they can lead solutions in their school and community. They heard from inspiring speakers on the frontline of climate change and from other students who were already enacting on change in their schools. This inspired the students to create their own Sustainability Committee, the Climate Canons. The student-led sustainability committee is a first for St Norbert College and, in just 18 months, the committee has grown to include student members from Year 7 to 10.
Agenda
The Climate Canon’s agenda is about educating and bringing awareness to all staff and students about making positive changes to assist with reducing our impact on energy and waste, the impacts of climate change, and implement positive, achievable changes in the College to reduce our carbon footprint. In 2015 Pope Francis said “May the relationship between man and nature not be driven by greed, to manipulate and exploit, but may the divine harmony between beings and creation be conserved in the logic of respect and care”. The Climate Canons wish to achieve this harmony, one step at a time.
Projects
A number of initiatives have been achieved under the leadership of Miss Pisconeri (Humanities and Social Sciences and Science Teacher) and the Climate Canons appreciate the support of Fr Peter, Mr Harvey, Mr O’Sullivan, the Parent Committee and staff and students for supporting Weather Wednesdays, the implementation of solar panels on the Xanten Performing Arts Theatre, removal of straws from Café 135, biodegradable cups at Breakfast Club, composting of staff room waste and the recycling of coffee pods. With the support of GreenBatch, PET 1 and HDPE 2 plastic is collected around the school and placed into special-purpose bins before being converted into repurposed products. In the space of two weeks, the College removed 270L of plastic that would ordinarily go into landfill.
The Climate Canons will be establishing a vertical garden and veggie garden for Café 135 and the Food, Science and technology classes, with the hope that a worm farm will follow, and would also like to remove all plastic and Styrofoam products from the staffroom and College events. Watch this space!