The Center for Research on Innovations and Social Transformations (CRITS), based in the School of Social Innovation at St. Paul University, held their second annual symposium, entitled “Building A New World in the Shell of the Old to Face Climate Crisis: Between Transition, Resilience and Resistance”, from November 12-14, 2020. Their goal was to contribute to collective reflection on social and ecological transition strategies, by bringing together practitioners, researchers, academics, activists and community organizers for dialogue and knowledge sharing in order to stimulate exchanges around the issues, challenges, obstacles and possible victories of citizen initiatives and collective mobilizations.
The kids in my Upstanders Academy and I presented at this symposium on Saturday, November 14 at 1:00 pm. Our presentation was entitled “Youth Initiatives Forum | Actions We Can Take To Save Our Planet”. For our presentation, each of the amazing kids in my Upstanders Academy talked about an issue that is important to them and their recommended actions for saving the planet. The topics included: climate change, our food system, deforestation, plastic pollution, textile waste, water pollution, endangered animals and energy.
Here is a list of the articles we read and videos we watched in preparation for this presentation, in case you want to do some further reading on any of the topics the kids discussed at the Symposium.
CLIMATE CHANGE
What Is Climate Change? – NASA Climate Kids
How Climate Change Is Fueling Extreme Weather – Earth Justice
Why are glaciers and sea ice melting? – World Wildlife Fund
10 Images Show What Coastal Cities Will Look Like After Sea Levels Rise – Taylor Hill, TakePart
Top 10 things you can do about climate change – David Suzuki Foundation
OUR FOOD SYSTEM
Is the Livestock Industry Destroying the Planet? – Alastair Bland, Smithsonian Magazine
Fight climate change by preventing food waste – World Wildlife Fund
Can your diet save the planet? – Samantha Cassetty, NBC News, Better by TODAY
DEFORESTATION
What Is Deforestation? Definition, Causes, Consequences, Solutions – youmatter
Just for Kids: What’s Climate Change? And What Can I Do? – Allyson Shaw, The Climate Reality Project
Palm oil – deforestation for everyday products – Rainforest Rescue
What Does “Rainforest Alliance Certified” Mean? – Rainforest Alliance
Certified sustainable palm oil – Green Palm Sustainability
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
We Are Flushing Our Forests Down The Toilet! – Skunk Ohm, Intelligent Living
PLASTIC POLLUTION
The world’s plastic pollution crisis explained – Laura Parker, National Geographic
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch – The Ocean Cleanup
Crochet Water Balloon Review: Kid Tested! – Crafters Autonomous
Crochet Water Balloon – Right Handed Tutorial – Left in Knots
TEXTILE WASTE
Textile Waste Reduction – City of Richmond Hill
The Environmental Crisis Caused by Textile Waste – Shelby Bell, Roadrunner
Here’s where your donated clothing really ends up – Paul Jay, CBC News
WATER POLLUTION
Water Pollution: Everything You Need to Know – Melissa Denchak, Natural Resources Defense Council
Hazardous Waste – Pollution Issues
Hazardous Waste – Ottawa Riverkeeper
6 Reasons to Skip the Salt this Winter – Ottawa Riverkeeper
Zooming in on the Five Types of Microplastics – Lake Ontario Waterkeeper
Eco-friendly Salt Alternatives for Melting Ice and Snow – Nikki Fotheringham, GreenMoxie
‘Wake up call’: Distressing secret behind your favourite jeans – Brooke Rolfe, Yahoo News Australia
Microplastics – Ottawa Riverkeeper
ENDANGERED ANIMALS
Endangered Species – Kids Discover
Protecting wildlife for a healthy planet – World Wildlife Fund
Longer melt season a game changer for Arctic mammals – NASA, Global Climate Change
As sea ice melts, some say walruses need better protection – CBC News
The Forest Stewardship Council
ENERGY
Renewable Energy Made Easy – Generation Genius
This incredible fact should get you psyched about solar power – Rebecca Harrington, Business Insider
Energy and Pollution: Where Do We Pollute the Most? – Mary Wales, Nature’s Path
16 inventions getting us off fossil fuels and into renewable energy – Jade Tungul, Business Insider
50 Tips to Cut Your Electric Bill in Half – HomeSelfe
HOPE
9 Reasons to Have Climate Hope in 2020 – The Climate Reality Project
How Generation Z is leading the climate movement – Nick Engelfried, Waging Nonviolence