Climate Conscious Community

Being aware of the environment is essential for understanding and protecting the land that we have. As part of a research assignment for the May 18th Climate Cafe, we interviewed three environmentally involved people in our community who embody what it means to be climate conscious.

The first person we interviewed was Lori LaFrance, the AP environmental science teacher and supervisor of the Environmental club at Ipswich High School. She has always enjoyed spending time outside. She works to help the environment by having two of her cars be electric which reduces gas emissions, but her main goal is to encourage and inspire her students to help the environment. Her words of advice are, “Every contribution will look different because everyone has different lives but nothing is too small”.

Next, we interviewed Peter Joss-Green who is a student at Clark college and is an environmental major. He believes that it is imperative for the protection and preservation of the environment to get educated and take small actions, like recycling and composting that will overall contribute to conserving energy. Peter is worried that our time is running out and if we do not take action soon “there will be drastic effects”.

Last but certainly not least, we had the pleasure of speaking with Isaiah McKenzie who is a sophomore at Ipswich High school and has recently been elected co-president of the environmental club. Isaiah has grown up walking in the woods and spending time outside which has made him very appreciative and passionate about protecting the environment. As well as volunteering for mass audubon where he educates people about coastal and marine ecology, he also takes an active role in community service geared towards environmental concerns. Isaiah has recently been looking into biodiversity loss specifically in insect populations. This concern has prompted him to educate people in the importance of biodiversity. Isaiah believes that “Being more aware of what we buy and aiming to reduce that (overconsumption), I think that is the best way to help the environment”.

These three inspiring people highlight the fact that you do not need to change your lifestyle to be able to devote yourself fully to the cause; however, there are small things that you can do that can have a significant impact. If you are passionate about something, no act goes unnoticed.