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TEDxFremontEastDistrict held an all-day climate event on October 22nd in Downtown Las Vegas along with a diverse set of speakers, workshops and activities focusing on sustainable fashion, mending clothes, composting, and writing climate-related poetry. The event also featured voter registration on-site and a mock election for youth to emphasize the important of voting.
Topics and ideas that were addressed by speakers included:
- Dr. Melissa Giovanni, College of Southern Nevada, Professor of Environmental Science focused on the importance of having people experience nature. She noted that nature has been off limits to many people, usually for social and economic reasons or due to physical limitations, and how we must make it more accessible to all.
- Ciara Byrne, Founder of Green Our Planet and 2019 Obama Fellow discussed the need to change our current food system. She stressed the importance for local schools to use school gardens and indoor school hydroponic gardens so it would decrease our use of water while increasing the health of students.
- Sarah Park, Youth Climate Activist/Sunrise Vegas Hub Coordinator noted that young voters and youth have shown that climate change is an important issue to them. She addressed the need for a comprehensive public transportation and urged youth to get involved at the local level to address this issue.
- Carmen Gonzalez, Water Specialist and Permaculture Designer, Navajo spoke about rainwater harvesting being a key point in creating resilient communities in the face of climate change. She said indigenous people have been practicing rainwater harvesting techniques that replenish aquifers, bring back springs and build soil, all while reducing flooding and pollution. She explained how others can copy this model to combat climate change.
- Alex Harper, Red Rock Audubon Chair discussed how water shortages and the drought is resulting in migratory birds becoming more depending on our metro area for habitat and water. He said that planting trees that mitigate the heat island effect and that are drought-tolerant, can create a habitat for birds and pollinators.
In total, more than a dozen speakers discussed various climate issues and offered ideas on how attendees can make a difference in the climate crisis.
Cassie Snow, one of the event organizers and Chair of Climate Reality Project Las Vegas said, “The speakers, along with those leading workshops and other activities, aimed to inspire attendees to keep climate justice at the forefront of their lives. We hope to have empowered attendees through the unique perspectives and ideas provided by the speakers on how we can move forward together to ensure a healthier future for all. Our goal is also to showcase how the Las Vegas community is a leader in the fight against climate change. We look forward to sharing the final videos on the official TED YouTube later this year”
For more information, please visit www.tedxfremonteastdistrict.com.
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