ESLI Youth Blog

2nd Annual SF Youth Unity Eco Fest!

ellen — Sat, 15 May 2010 05:21:04 +0000

Saturday, May 22, 2010 | 12-5pm | Dolores Park, SF

We’ve been working all semester on this event – join us this Saturday, May 22 at Dolores Park in SF!

Featuring hip hop performances, DJ’s, live graffiti art, a resource fair, vendors, the ESLI student project showcase and more!

Real Talk With De’Anthony Jones: Obama and the Environment – His Green Agenda

DeAnthonyDJones — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:47:12 +0000

Hello again everyone!

This is Real Talk With De’Anthony Jones. This week, I will remind everyone of Obama’s environmental policy outline. Below is he President’s outline to combat global warming. Read and enjoy!

FROM THE PRESIDENT OBAMA’S WEBSITE, BARACKOBAMA.COM:

The Current Situation

The country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the 21st century. For too long, politicians in Washington have been beholden to special interests, but no longer. Our new, responsible energy policy recognizes the relationship between energy, the environment, and our economy and leverages American ingenuity to put people back to work, fight global warming, increase our energy independence and keep us safe.

The Solution

Chart a new energy future:

President Obama has a comprehensive plan to chart a new energy future by embracing alternative and renewable energy, ending our addiction to foreign oil, addressing the global climate crisis and creating millions of new jobs that can’t be shipped overseas.

Invest in clean, renewable energy:

To achieve our goal of generating 25 percent of our energy from renewable sources by 2025, we will make unprecedented investments in clean, renewable energy – solar, wind, biofuels, and geothermal power.

Fight climate change:

We will invest in energy efficiency and conservation, two sure-fire ways to decrease deadly pollution and drive down demand. And we will hold special interests accountable as we finally work to address climate change and its potentially catastrophic effects.

Hope you guys liked that… It sounds pretty good..

Here is a link to his outline in full (note: you will have to copy and paste this into your address bar):

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:GJ6I1BWGVqsJ:www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/EnvironmentFactSheet.pdf+obama+environmental+policy&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiEf4iWUnqdB-LhyEu8g_SvlxOCaa-5lSbqcR5Wt_znbXSJ7yi3vFStg2IqSZHSdA2CuKrbJClMkPMreyMfaQYmiEuDsPXVneqe8peW216jUkkOH9XcIROU190wol6JuFiTFMJK&sig=AHIEtbQ8zJyxyXZR1HVviqX3oJR_gQEMlw

That’s all for this week, see you next week!!!

Peace and Love

Back to the Roots

mcasalongue — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 02:50:20 +0000

BTTRventures es una empresa 100% basada en el concepto de sostenibilidad que produce champignones
en la modalidad de agricultura urbana y esta ubicada en Berkeley, CA. Aqui en BTTRventures
(pronunciado en ingles como “bttr”) reciclar las basura no es solamente lo correcto que debemos hacer –
es la unica cosa que podemos hacer. Nosotros creemos que hemos dominado el arte de manejar los
residuos transformando la borra del café (residuo despues de preparar el café) en el sustrato en el cual
sembramos nuestro producto. Despues de la cosecha de los champignones, el sustrato se convierte en un
fertile compost el cual donamos posteriormente a los jardines de las comunidades locales, cerrando de
esta forma el ciclo completo de nuestro proceso.

Real Talk With De’Anthony Jones: The New Quiet Storm – Week of February 22nd, 2010

DeAnthonyDJones — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:27:46 +0000

Week of February 22^nd, 2010

The New Quiet Storm

Alright brothers and sisters from other misters it’s time to make our voices heard loud and clear regarding climate change and how it would affect us in the future. Let’s face it, it is not our fault that the climate is the way it is. The climate change we see now is in result of an accumulation of pollution cause the adults of the past. As Kevin Danaher, Co-Founder of Global Exchange told me “We (adults) caused this problem, it’s your (the youth’s) job to clean it up.” Some of you may be thinking, “how rude” but that’s not the mindset to use because we as youth ourselves pollute the environment. We by the shoes and clothes from the factories that are unregulated and can pollute the environment at will. We buy the video game systems and computers that we keep on standby all day, wasting energy yet giving the government more excuses to promote more “clean coal technology” (hmmm…didn’t know coal can be “clean”). Hey, this is our environment too and we should take charge to make sure its clean!

Talk to you next week!

This week’s quote:

“In my country, we make so much waste, we buy and throw away, buy and throw away, and yet northern countries will not share with the needy. Even when we have more than enough, we are afraid to lose some of our wealth, afraid to share.” – SEVERN SUZUKI

ESLI 2010 TEACHERS CONFERENCE : THANK YOU!

ellen — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:49:33 +0000

We are uploading all of our pictures this week, and will post them soon!

MANY THANKS to all of our participants, to ESLI Staff and Youth Advisory Board and to Mission High School for hosting! Participants went through 2 incredible workshops, we heard from Keynote Speaker Zakiya Harris about her amazing work, the ESLI Youth Advisory Board led an inspiring youth voice panel, and everyone enjoyed tons of delicious food and snacks and company all day. Not to mention, Lincoln High’s Green Academy students led one of the workshops! – a hands-on empowerment workshop where our participants were able to create self-watering containers and worm bins! All of us at ESLI (staff and youth alike) were proud to host the event, and thank you all for coming and sharing with us!

Here are some quotes from our participating educators (as written on their evaluation forms):

“The day was very inspirational and motivating. It reminded me of why I do the work I do.”
“Thanks for the information, inspiration and opportunity to connect with people in this movement.”
“I think this program can organize the service work of the students to affect positive change on society.”
“The conference was excellent. You balanced the inspiring with the practical. Great job ESLI!”

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ESLI Teachers Conference RESOURCE CD – for DOWNLOAD!
Our participants left with a lot of great tools, knowledge and resources, including our Teachers Conference Resource CD – which has materials from each workshop, as well as a comprehensive community partners’ resource links page! For any particpants who may have left without one some how, or for anyone who would like to download the contents of the CD – here are links to each document, courtesy of ESLI!

Right click and choose “SAVE AS” to download each file.

Bay Area Community Resource List & Links! [.doc]
Hands-On Workshop Materials
Environmental Justice: Reinheriting the Earth Workshop Materials

The Galileo Academy High School ESLI team (Baby Rai included) at ESLI’s 2010 Teachers Conference, with ESLI staff Ei Ei Khin and Kristia Castrillo.
More pictures to come!

THE DREAM REBORN STORY CONTEST : WIN $1000!

ellen — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:31:13 +0000

CALLING YOUNG ARTISTS WHO CARE ABOUT THEIR ENVIRONMENT & THEIR COMMUNITY!

The Dream Reborn Story Contest, sponsored by Green For All, is looking for inspiring examples of how the green economy is creating opportunity for prosperity and advancement in your community – submit a video, song, poem or original artwork for a chance to win $1000, $500 or $250! See below and click HERE for more info on Green for All’s page.

CONTEST OVERVIEW

The contest features three types of content:

Video (short documentary or music video-5 minutes or less)
Audio (without video – can be a song or spoken word)
Original Artwork (painting, mural, photo etc.)

GUIDELINES

The content of submissions must be related to green-collar jobs and/or the green economy and not to the support of or opposition to any candidate for public office or any political party
Content must be submitted between1/18/10-2/08/10.
The grand prize submission will win $1,000 and a professionally shot video of their story, 2nd place will win $500, and 3rd place will win $250.
The top three prizes will be decided by an online vote to be held between 2/08/10 and 2/15/10.

Markese Bryant (aka Doo Dat) knows firsthand the effects of pollution and poverty in his community. Now he’s building the movement for an inclusive green economy through campus organizing and community education. Check out Markese’s music video, The Dream Reborn (My President is Green). Watch his personal story, share this page with friends, take action and submit your own art to The Dream Reborn Story Contest for a chance to win $1,000!

SF’s GREEN LAUNCHPAD

ellen — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:55:56 +0000

For high school graduates, age 18-24: get paid to jumpstart a green career!

via Grind for the Green

ESLI Youth Delegation Report-Back!

sophie — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:34:20 +0000

Community, educators, supporters, donors, family and friends!

You are invited to join us next Weds, 1/13, for a special presentation by the ESLI Youth Delegation to the UN Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen! Delegates Gier Hernandez (Burton High School) and Lupita Troncoso (Abraham Lincoln High School) traveled to Copenhagen this past December as young leaders and activists who met with others from around the world to urge our leaders to take action on climate change. In their report-back they will showcase and discuss what happened on this incredible, eye-opening trip and what lessons were learned. A question and answer session will follow. We are excited to share our experience with our supporters and our community!

Please RSVP if you can make it to ellen@eslisf.org. This event is open to the public, and we are accepting $5-25 sliding scale donations to cover the remaining costs of our trip. Students with ID are free, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

Thank you and see you then!

The ESLI Youth Delegation
Gier Hernandez, Lupita Troncoso and Ellen Choy (Youth Engagement Coordinator, ESLI)

ESLI Youth Delegation Report-Back!
The UN Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen from Our Perspective

Presentation by:
Gier Hernandez (Burton HS, C/O 2010) and Lupita Troncoso (A. Lincoln HS, C/O 2011)

WEDS, January 13, 2010
6pm-7pm
at The Women’s Building (SF)
3543 18th Street (3.5 blocks from 16^th Mission BART)

$5-25 sliding scale donation
Free w/ Student ID
PLEASE SUPPORT!

ESLI Copenhagen Youth Delegation featured on American Urban Radio!

ellen — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:08:04 +0000

Check out Lupita Troncoso and Gier Hernandez, featured on American Urban Radio (including the Bev Smith Show and others), a feature that aired on urban radio shows nationally! While in Copenhagen, we caught up with Kari Fulton (EJCC, ChecktheWeather and Brower Youth Award winner), who invited Lupita and Gier to interview with her for a special edition of American Urban Radio featuring voices from people of color from the US that were in Copenhagen. Other leaders that were featured in the clip are representatives of the Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative, The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, and ChecktheWeather.net!

Check out the clip here:

Also, stay tuned for more media interviews featuring ESLI’s Youth Delegation coming soon!

Christiania: “You are leaving the European Union”

giernandez — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:47:04 +0000

December 20th, Sunday, we went to the part of town called Christiania. Christiania is a special place for two reason. First, its probably the only part in town in which no pictures can be taken and second It is not part of the European Union. This very small section of Copenhagen is found around 1 to 2 kilometer away from downtown Copenhagen in an island called Christianshavn (please do not ask me how to pronounce it). The most interesting thing is that the Christiania Community is separated from the European Union, they are not govern by the laws of Denmark nor the laws of Copenhagen, they don’t even pay taxes. Years ago, anarchists took over the small community and resided there ever since, until today.

Just this Sunday we visited Chistiania. We wondered a around a little bit. Poster of “No Drugs, No Guns and No Violence” is everywhere along with a big picture of “No Photography.” They do not like photographs since they do not want to exploit their little town, there are some shady stuff happening in the community too. It is truly interesting on how they completely separated themselves with the Danish Government. And since they are not govern by any government, most of their streets and structures are not well maintain, roads are really slipperyand police don’t go there with the exception of the periodical raids. But still people come back to this small community to escape and to be free of government.