Tell MCPS: Do Your Part to End Climate Change

Superintendent Jack Smith and the Montgomery County Board of Education

Climate change, which is our planet warming because of human pollution, is destroying our planet and our way of life. Greenhouses gases, like carbon dioxide, get trapped in the atmosphere and contribute to these rising temperatures. We have only 11 years to cut our greenhouse gas emissions in half in order to preserve human civilization. The climate crisis is already causing devastating hurricanes, forest fires, flooding, droughts, conflict, deadly disease outbreaks and other catastrophes around the world.

In Montgomery County (MoCo), the public school system (MCPS) is a major polluter. The two biggest sources of MCPS greenhouse gases are from heating, cooling, and powering buildings and transportation.

In 2017, the MoCo County Council declared a climate emergency and set a goal of eliminating 80% of all its greenhouse gas emissions by 2027. We, the undersigned students and allies, demand that the MoCo Board of Education adopt the same goal and the policies listed below.

Our Demands to MCPS:

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.

Follow us and join the movement!

Please email us saying what school you attend and whether you will help us get signatures this summer. If you are not a student, please tell us if your are a MoCo resident. Everyone is welcome to sign!

Email: moco.on.climate@gmail.com

Instagram: @moco.on.climate

Twitter: @moco_climate

Website: https://mocoonclimate.wixsite.com/mocoonclimate

Sponsored by
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MoCo on Climate

To: Superintendent Jack Smith and the Montgomery County Board of Education
From: [Your Name]

We are the residents of Montgomery County and the future of this community and this planet. These are our demands to MCPS:

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.