Clean water is a privilege not many are fortunate enough to have access to. On May 21st, there was a deadly lead exposure found in the water drunk by thousands of children in Milwaukee public schools. Six schools in the city were closed due to the lead outbreak, leaving 1800 students without direct access to schooling. But how could they even let this happen? It's because there is no team onside in Milwaukee to deal with these issues. The investigation started with a single staff person coming to Milwaukee to help validate a machine, according to Milwaukee Health Commissioner Mike Totoraitis. Even after 1800 students were displaced from an education, only a single person was sent to figure out the root of the problem. It has also come to the attention of other health officials that this school district has over 140 school buildings that have some "varying level of lead paint hazards". The lead water was only the catalyst of numerous other mistakes to come to the surface.
Let's delve into ways that the youth population has taken it upon themselves to solve these pressing issues. One way is the organization known as "Young Voices for Water" which is a non-profit dedicated to tackling water security. They advocate for clean and equitable water access and raise awareness about ways that climate change has impacted the world's access to clean water. Their Clean Streams Campaign has had 10 tons of waste removed, 25+ local streams cleaned, and 800+ student volunteers engaged. Second, the "Water Wise Schools" is an education initiative that has brought knowledge about water literacy into classrooms. This curriculum has been shared with 100+ schools, 10,000+ students, and has led other students to create youth-led water committees/clubs in their own schools. The Clean Water Access Projects works with engineering and local government leaders to implement practical solutions such as "solar-powered boreholes, water filters, and rainwater harvesting system".
The Austin Youth River Watch organization is another example of the youth taking initiative. With initial funding and support from the City of Austin, this organization started teaching students how to collect and track water-quality data. Student participants have after school and even summer programs that focus on engaging their community and environmental education. They test water quality at local rivers and creeks and even have the opportunity to create their own and take part in restoration projects. These include planting native, endangered plants and general trash clean-ups around various state parks. The main source of appeal that comes from this organization is that they guarantee the build up of leadership skills, professional connections, and a chance to advocate for their local ecosystems and communities.
Now, let's delve into an organization that has a rich history behind its origins. The original nonprofit EarthWays came about in 1990 from the same team that put on the St. Louis Earth Day community event. EarthWays was heavily inspired by the success of MERP's (Missouri Energy Resources Project) Energy-Efficient Dollhouse program. Their main draw was wanting to demonstrate modern resource conversation options in the "experiential context of a real building". A 2.5 million dollar upgrade was needed to turn an ordinary building into a demonstration facility that has been open for public tours and classes since 1994. Fun fact, it is also known as a typical field trip location for local elementary and middle schoolers! At the end of 2010, near the end of the facility's leasing period, EarthWays moved to the Commerce Bank Center for Science Education where they still continue to operate today. Some of their practices include informing landowners and landscaping professionals of best practice for storm water management (including on how to best create sustainable designs), providing a green resource answer service, and facilitating funding to help local universities become more sustainable. One of their most famous projects is the Missouri Botanical Garden that uses rainwater collection for irrigation, biological predators instead of harmful chemical pesticides, and collects compost in all public facilities. It is one of the only botanical gardens in the U.S that is close to having zero waste.
Now that you, as the reader, have dived into all of the tenacious individuals' stories to uplift the environment, how can YOU carry on this ideal? Think about this every time you are volunteering, talking with your loved ones, or even just on your drive to work. Every action matters!