by Roxanne Zazzaro, Head of Upper School
On a chilly and windy February 8th, the
Environmental Systems and Society class, a senior elective taught by
Janet Villas, were visitors to the Greenpeace ship, "Arctic Sunrise".
Invited and hosted by Katie Flynn Jambeck ‘90, Deputy Director of Action
Team Group US for Greenpeace, the class boarded the ship to learn
about the most recent environmental campaign adopted by Greenpeace.
One
of three Greenpeace ships, the Arctic Sunrise is traveling the east
coast of the US on a coal campaign. This latest campaign
is Greenpeace's attempt to push for renewable energy. By docking in
New York, Greenpeace organizers had hoped to garner support for the
organization and this latest campaign.
When Janet first received
the invitation for the class, she “jumped at the chance to show them
‘true’ radical environmentalist.” Janet further explained that one of
her goals for taking the students on this field trip was to have them
experience environmental activism in progress. “This trip actually
complemented the classes midterm projects and recent class work on air
pollution.” She added, “In many ways I wanted to shock the students out
of their complacency and show that that quiet, small environmental
activism of recycling a can isn’t enough.”
Katie spoke to the
students about the activism sponsored nationally and internationally by
Greenpeace and how her volunteerism while a student at BFS led to her
career. More so, Katie shared that Quakers founded Greenpeace during
the Vietnam War and its activism, which is more visible than other
activist groups, has grown over these last 40 plus years. According to
Katie, "Greenpeace is image driven with the hopes that its work can
excite, inspire and engage others.”
Janet was happy that Katie
was able to explain her involvement in Greenpeace and the activism
conducted by the organization. “Often seniors experience outrage, but
feel powerless,” Janet shared, “To show them that there are radical
environmental organizations that take protests to extremes often rattles
their ideas. Even more so, that teachers and alums agree with these
protests can be shocking. Nonetheless, it opens their minds to the
possibility of taking action, not just talking about it.”