Student-led Environmental Action Team creates carbon cut challenge to reduce carbon emissions in CGS community

By Ben Bockmann ‘21

The Catlin Gabel School (CGS) Environmental Action Team (EAT) created an innovative challenge aimed at reducing carbon emissions, a leading cause of climate change. The project was spearheaded by three CGS ninth graders: Campbell Swaim, Sofia Rutman, and Mahala Lambert.

The EAT is a student-led team which works with school faculty and students to reduce CGS carbon emissions. In the past, the team has been responsible for starting initiatives such as Meatless Mondays and C&C recycling days.

The current project works by having students and faculty set goals to reduce their carbon output. Potential areas which participants are encouraged to focus on include reducing their red meat consumption and using walking, biking, or taking the bus instead of driving. Those who participate will be able to track their progress toward those goals over the course of the coming months. Check out this video, made by the EAT, which helps to explain the project in more detail.

 “We’re hoping to make it more of a competition and include a prize for the class who can reduce their carbon the most,” explained Swaim. Prizes always seems to help generate student interest, and with the relatively low attention that the project has received so far, student interest is critical to its success. 

The project was discussed during C&C, but thus far EAT has not received a large number of responses to the surveys. Although the reason for this lack of response is unclear, hopefully more students will fill out the survey in the future. 

That being said, participation in the project is not the only way to successfully reduce carbon emissions at CGS. 

“We’re hoping that people would take this as an opportunity to set some goals to reduce their carbon footprint,” said Rutman. 

Climate action does not need to be a school-sponsored initiative. Hopefully, the project can help to foster an environment where being responsible towards climate change goes beyond just recycling and turning off lights. 

“Even if people don't participate in the challenge, or don't record their actions, those actions are still worth it to reduce their carbon footprint,” added Lambert.

If you have not already done so, the EAT asks that as many people fill out the forms as possible. The first is the carbon footprint form and the second is the goal-setting form.