MCPS Students Protest Climate Change Outside Board Of Ed Building

ROCKVILLE, MD — Students gathered outside Montgomery County's Board of Education office building Friday to demand action on climate change.

MoCo Students on Climate — the youth activist group that organized the rally in Rockville — is calling on Montgomery County Public Schools to adopt a plan to eliminate 80 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2027 and enforce a number of other policies that better address climate change.

The rally follows the Sept. 20 Youth Climate Strike. In an effort to draw greater attention to the global climate crisis, youth from around the world and across the United States staged the strike to demand an end to fossil fuels and reductions in corporate pollution and environmental destruction. Millions of people walked out of their schools, workplaces, and homes in solidarity.

On Friday, students gathered with signs outside the Board of Education office building and demanded that the school system reevaluates its priorities on climate change.

Ready for the rally!!! pic.twitter.com/mvxYbS3iTQ
— MoCo Students on Climate (@moco_climate) September 27, 2019

MoCo Students on Climate also created an online petition, which — as of Sept. 30 — garnered more than 350 signatures.

"The climate crisis is already causing devastating hurricanes, forest fires, flooding, droughts, conflict, deadly disease outbreaks and other catastrophes around the world," read the petition.

The students demands to MCPS are as follows:

1. New MCPS buildings will not contribute to any new greenhouse gas emissions.
2. MCPS will retrofit buildings and report energy use and efficiency of all buildings starting with the lowest energy efficiency.
3. MCPS will immediately apply for the three free electric buses available to it and only contract for electric buses from now on.
4. MCPS will incorporate climate change education that includes the role of industry and government policy, not just lifestyle choices, into elementary, middle and high school curricula.
5. MCPS will establish a student-led joint faculty climate change recommendation group to suggest policies schools can follow to model a low-greenhouse gas lifestyle. It will take its lead from MCPS employees and front-line communities of color affected by the policies.
6. MCPS will establish three excused absences per year for civic action.