Sustainability News
John XXIII College
Term 1 has been an extremely busy time for sustainability at John XXIII College. It is always heartening to see the support that is received from students at the College whenever there is an initiative or activity promoting environmental care or protection, and this was again shown this term during the celebration of Earth Hour, the Greenbatch Recycling Program and the School Strike for Climate.
Earth Hour
On Friday 29 March the College took part in the Earth Hour for Schools Day, which took place before the Global Earth Hour on Saturday 30 March. To mark this day the College joined with schools throughout the country in turning off all lights around the College during lunchtime. During this time, students gathered on the Chapel lawn to listen to some live music and were encouraged to register for the Earth Hour Event taking place the next day. Earth Hour asks participants to turn off all lights in their house from 8:30pm-9:30pm standing in solidarity with thousands of others throughout the world against climate change and in support of the environment. During the lunchtime gathering over 50 John XXIII students registered their names to participate in this event!
Greenbatch Recycling Launch
The students of John XXIII College have been awesome in utilising the Greenbatch Recycling bins throughout the College, with many plastic bottles and cans being placed in the four distinctive purple bins and minimal contamination occurring. The students are to be congratulated for their efforts and encouraged to continue using these bins correctly to help the program go from strength to strength.
The College is excited by this partnership with an innovative and socially conscious company such as Greenbatch and wishes to encourage all in the John XXIII College Community to help make it as successful as possible. Families may wish to bring bottles from home to place in these bins and they are certainly welcome to do so.
School Strike for Climate
Several students from the College attended the School Strike for Climate Protest along with over 150,000 students around Australia. Below is reflection on the day from Year 11 student Elizabeth Hughes.
On Friday 15 March, students all over Australia and the world skipped school to protest the world governments’ lack of action regarding climate change. More than 150, 000 students across Australia gathered outside their local parliament, and spoke truth to power - demonstrating without doubt that this generation will not wait for politicians to sit back and enjoy the piles of money made from oil and gas. From destroying our world. In the lead-up to the Federal election, young people are turning up the heat on all political parties for climate action, and right now the Labor Party are paying attention.
In Perth, over five thousand students gathered outside Saint George’s cathedral. The teenage sass was put to good use in hundreds of signs, and passionate speeches by high school students were cheered on. Workers union representatives, pensioners, priests, and politicians joined the students. Despite the growing heat as the day wore on, the protestors marched past the Woodside and other big businesses, before a sit-in at Elizabeth Quay.
Many politicians said that the protesters have been manipulated by their parents and Green politicians. When have teenagers ever listened to adults? Scott Morrison, if you had gone to school we wouldn’t be protesting. Real climate action means stopping Adani’s coal mine, no new coal and gas and a commitment to 100% renewable energy by 2030. With the election around the corner, politicians are listening to their constituents more than ever - and, after Friday’s huge strike, we have their attention. Now, let’s make sure they give us what we need to avoid catastrophic climate change.
