Parsippany Hills High School Students Lead the Way in Climate Action with 'Simply Green' Initiative - Parsippany Focus
Parsippany Hills High School Students Lead the Way in Climate Action with ‘Simply Green’ Initiative | Parsippany Focus
PARSIPPANY — Two Parsippany Hills High School students are among the 24th annual Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards winners.
The students Anika Arora and Divya Arora began their environmental work with a grassroots “Meatless Mondays” campaign in 2020 to raise awareness of the adverse effects of meat consumption on our climate.
With the support of the Parsippany Green Team (PGT), they presented their research at the town library, to the environmental advisory committee (PEAC), school principals, the Board of Education, and the Town Council.
They hosted tables and presented at town green fairs in 2022 and 2023 to educate the community on reducing their carbon footprint. In the summer of 2023, Anika and Divya conducted a “Climate Sciences Workshop” in town.
They built a guide for elementary students and educated them on the causes and effects of climate change using fun science experiments, arts, and games. During these past 3 years, Anika and Divya have taken on several other environmental initiatives. They participated in drain audits, and cleanups in town and outside and hosted an art fundraiser.
They have attended the Columbia Climate School Eco-Ambassador programs and are certified in climate change leadership. Anika and Divya founded “Simply Green” ( simply-green.org), dedicated to rallying youth to reverse climate change. They can be followed @_simply.green_
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”