Students' commitment towards their community. 

As all of you may know, Earth Day will be celebrated worldwide this Sunday. Earth Day should not just one day or one week; it should be every single day, because whether you like it or not, this is our home planet. Therefore, our commitment to it should be constant!

 Last Tuesday, our global class brainstormed about what should we do to celebrate Earth Day. At the moment, I didn’t realize it; but is not just what we should do on Earth day, but what we should do with our current planet where natural resources are gradually becoming scarce.

An article in Times Magazine claims that worldwide crops are soaring. Sadly this is a reality! Last Sunday, I went to the supermarket and bought some fruits, cheese, granolas, yogurts and cornflakes; those few things cost me more than $25. The U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization explained that in 2007, 50 million more people suffered from hunger than in 2006. Amazingly, this occurred at the same time the American fast food franchise widely spread beyond the U.S. borders. Katrina Heron, head of the Slow Food Nation in San Francisco, curiously asked, “How did we got to the place where it is considered elitist to have food that is healthy for you?” Bryan Walsh and Slow Food USA reach to the solution of shifting to a cuisine that is fresh, good, clean and fair, which is mostly organically produced by local farms; as mentioned in previous posts, as an eco-friendly option. According to Times Magazine, the U.S. alone needs at least 40 million farmers to feed the entire country. Slow Movement project is gradually introducing converting more forests into farmlands. Agribusiness is no longer a feasible option since their mission is more for profit that for being eco-friendly.

Once again, I encourage you to think locally! What can we do as a community to survive in this new earth? Humboldt Park in Chicago has already made some changes. In accordance with Slow Food USA, this area is known for its’ beautiful 207-acre park and Puerto Rican community. Ironically, this community is described as one who shares strong ties with cuisine, yet suffer food desert. The mayor Emanuel announced that the city lives under a 40% food desert, mostly due to the lack of access with healthy food and grocery stores. After such alarming reports, science teachers in the local school started a movement that encouraged students to research about food desert, obesity, and grocery stores nearby. After their research, students concluded that the best option is to grow their own vegetables. It took the students two years to raise money and acquire the legal permits to officially open an 800 square foot greenhouse, powered by solar panels and wind turbines, on the roof of their school’s cafeteria. Currently, they have produced 600 lbs. of tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers and herbs. Since the students’ mission was to improve the whole community’s eating habits, most of them became entrepreneurs when they opened a produce market in their neighborhood. With the help of local farmers, they were able to display organic and fresh food for a lower price than supermarkets, proving wrong the theory that fresh food is too expensive. Something that started as an innocent science project became part of their life, their community and their future. If they were able to make a difference in their community, there is no excuse for all of you to do the same.