by John Dowd
As Earth day passes, there is an organization in the area that wants to remind people to be mindful of the climate. They hope the community follows the lead of a young group of Hamilton High School students.
According to Peter Reynolds, Chair of the Bitterroot Climate Action Group, the public should keep their eye out for the Hamilton High School Envirothon Team. The team participates in an extracurricular course where they learn to present and critically think on major environmental issues. The team will be giving a mock presentation at the Hamilton High School Library on Thursday, April 18, between 7 and 8:30 p.m. There, they will be given a challenge question regarding alternative energy in the Bitterroot.
According to Reynolds, the team will need to “draw upon their own knowledge,” without the use of the internet, books or resources to discuss, come up with and present an action plan on how they would deal with the issue. The team will be given two hours to come up with their plan addressing a hypothetical scenario designed by the teachers.
Reynolds explained that the students need to study a lot beforehand to prepare themselves for any challenge question asked. Throughout the year, they have had opportunities to meet with scientists and presenters to learn and prepare for the presentation. This will be a test run of what they will experience during the state competition they will be attending later in the year.
The Envirothon changes the theme every year, and this year it particularly coincides with climate. Because of this, the Bitterroot Climate Action Group organization will be donating to the Hamilton High School Evirothon Team to help them travel to their competition. Reynolds has a lot of faith in the group. According to him, they won state two years ago, and then went on to become national champions. He is extremely impressed with the program.
“Hamilton has a strong program,” said Reynolds. He hopes programs like this become more common, not just in the ‘Root, but across the nation.
For Reynolds, it is important to get “young people thinking about their life and how they would address these concerns.” He believes “these issues are complex,” and that thinking about these things when people are young can help them tackle them in their own lifetime.
According to Reynolds, “75% to 85% of people understand that climate change is an issue that needs to be addressed.” He believes everyone needs to work together to sift through all the misinformation, and to look at the real science behind these concerns. According to him, if we all work together, we can come up with effective answers, but first the questions need to be understood to see “what the science is really saying,” said Reynolds.
For him, an important part of that is encouraging young people interested in science careers to look for solutions. Science education is crucial, as Reynolds stated, “Science makes modern life possible.” He also believes the key is in “systemic thinking,” where all the sides of the issue are considered. He gave the example of water in the Bitterroot valley. Consideration for such a seemingly simple resource can be very complex, including elements like snow and rainfall through the year, the effects on the river, the effects on recreation and hunting, keeping access open while limiting negative impacts from mass tourism, the possible effects of climate change, seasonality and even housing, agriculture and much more. He said finding these answers involves “all of us.”
Reynolds described the Bitterroot Climate Action Group as a “non-partisan group that strives to create awareness.” The organization started in 2018, and has grown in influence over the last few years. According to Reynolds, the organization is “just a group of local people concerned with climate change, preparing for it and building resilience to it.” Along with supporting local initiatives like the Hamilton High School Envirothon team, the organization advocates in local and state governments to consider climate in the decisions they make.
They have year-round volunteer opportunities, including an upcoming highway cleanup. The cleanup will take place on May 4, south of Hamilton, on Highway 93. Between 10 a.m. and 12 noon, volunteers will clean up trash along the highway, starting at the Wally Crawford Fishing Access site. Anyone can attend the cleanup and get involved.
For those interested in becoming a member of the group, Reynolds said the best way is through their website, bitterrootcag.org. They can also be found on Facebook and Instagram, where interested parties can track the group’s activities and find more ways to volunteer.