Do you remember what fireflies look like? Do you even remember the last time you saw one? I’m going to take a guess and say you likely haven’t seen one in a long time. Fireflies, like polar bears, penguins, and the numerous other animals out there suffering from climate change are disappearing into the unknown. “But what can I do, I’m just one person.” A common sentiment countless people share without getting involved in any way except negatively with fumes and light pollution.
Despite this, there are groups around us that are seeking and executing solutions; dedicating their lives, time, and energy towards preserving the future and standing on the frontlines. These are the people representing Malden’s fight against climate change.
Youth Climate Summit
On the 18th of April, a Youth Climate Summit was held inside Malden City Hall and was hosted by the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) and the Friends of The Malden River. The doors were open for anyone over twelve years old and below ninety-nine years old. During the event, speeches were held by the Malden River Media Makers before moving onto the workshops.
There were four workshops that attendees could visit to learn about what the community is planning in terms of combating climate change and other issues. The four stations were: AI energy usage, climate communications, climate justice, and climate and urban design. Attendees could pick between a morning or an afternoon workshop.
As for lunch, vegan, pepperoni, or mushroom pizza along with carbonated drinks, with fruits on the sides were served. Attendees were free to roam City Hall during lunch and converse with other attendees. Tyler Walz, a student at Malden Catholic attended the event because “it sounded interesting, and I felt like I needed to support the climate.”
Meanwhile, sophomore Kidus Tsige who is also a member of Malden River Media Maker, shared his story. His parents, whose first language isn’t English and who are immigrants, do not have the same access to learn about the issues regarding climate. This inspired Tsige to pursue a better climate and emphasize certain issues, noting that “heat islands” are “specific places that face the brunt of heat absorption.“ These places absorb so much heat that they become dangerous. Tsige pointed out how heat islands affect Malden, specifically in playgrounds where kids play.
Karen Buck, who works with Friends of The Malden River, believes Malden “needs to get everybody informed and educated.” Buck’s reasoning for pursuing a better climate herself is “you need clean water ways, clean rivers, clean air, all that is for public health.” She also reveals the three phases of the Malden River Media Makers in their quest to battle climate change. The first phase, meeting with professionals to produce videos. The second phase, the warming planet art gallery, where people engaged with climate over art. As for the third phase, it was the Youth Climate Summit to bring everybody together under one roof to learn, explore, and share.
After attendees finished their second workshop, everyone was sent to the Council Chamber of City Hall for one final round of speeches and a raffle. Once the raffle and speeches were finished, the Youth Climate Summit concluded, but not without mentioning another point of interest for those who wanted to be more involved with climate change and their communities: The Green Malden Fair.
The Green Malden Fair
On April 25th, at Pine Banks Park, the Green Malden Fair opened its tables for all those who wished to recycle or communicate with like-minded people about climate change. Lasting from twelve to three in the afternoon, attendees could visit stands from various people in the community, ranging from people who want to be more involved with the community, to those eager to join the fight.
Similarly to the Green Malden Fair, Urban Media Arts, a community media hub located in Malden, are participating in “cool cleaning street projects” as mentioned by Rachel Surette, a member of the Commission on Climate Action and Sustainability. Other organizations involved in fighting against climate are Clean Water Action and Bike To The Sea. Climate Action Organizer for Mystic River Watershed Association, Marissa Zampino, mentioned that MyRWA is “always looking for people to help.”
Organizations like Adopt-A-Drain are also something someone can get involved with. The concept behind Adopt-A-Drain is that residents “adopt” a drain and check on it before and after heavy precipitation. Speakers in the Green Malden fair also mentioned the kinds of things that end up in said drains, noting some of the “weirdly” common things to see inside them are “dog bags” and “water bottles.”
Even right at Malden High School, there’s the Youth Action Collaborative students can get involved in. Junior and member of Youth Action Collaborative, Adrian Aguilar, mentioned his own transition into getting involved in the fight against climate change. At first, Aguilar “was not that interested at all.” It was only after he “kept on going and going” that he “found it interesting, about how we can take measures to protect nature.” His message to the youth, shared among many in the fair, is to “stand up for what’s right. Always.”
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