For our social justice project fieldwork, the two climate justice social justice groups interviewed Keanu Arpels-Josiah, a senior at the LREI high school, who participates in local climate justice protests. He is also in the Fridays For Future NYC group, and the Sunrise Movement NYC group. We met in the LREI high school library at the end of the day, when it was emptying out. He talked a lot about climate activism in NYC.

One of the things he said that I found most interesting was that climate change will only be solved at a political level, once we have cut 100% of fossil emissions, no matter how much recycling and raising awareness we do. I found this interesting because it opened my eyes to get more involved in the scene. For example, join large groups, sign petitions, and go to protests.

He also said that while climate change’s effects are not so apparent within the walls of major cities, poorer parts of the world are already feeling its effects in negative ways. If the owners of major fossil fuel companies keep greeding their money and monopoly, civilization could collapse faster than we could see coming. The global north is most responsible for emissions emitted, and the global south is feeling the consequences the most.

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Elias and I decided to do a beach cleanup for one of our fieldwork. We thought it was a good hands on fieldwork that would support our cause, and we would also learn a lot from. When figuring out where we should go for the beach cleanup, we ended up deciding to go to a nearby beach called Rock-away beach. Rock-away beach is a local beach that is only an hour away from Manhattan on a boat. We also decided to go on Sunday for a few hours, to get the best experience.

When it was finally time for the trip, I met Elias and his mother (Lizzy) at 10:00 am at pier 11 and we took the boat to Rock-away beach. This boat ride took us about an hour before we got to Rock-away. We exited the boat and started walking to the beach. It wasn’t a long walk, it was about 5 minutes, but it was enough for us to get in the spirit of walking and picking up trash. When we got to the beach we started picking up trash with grabbers. We were finding a lot of trash most of them being plastic bags, but there were many other things. There were many objects but there were a few that I found to be insane: a tire, a toilet, a tampon applicator, a plastic glove, a hand warmer, and many more. These just prove that we are wasting a great amount of plastic that we should not be wasting. We even inspired two people to clean up and pick up trash which felt heartwarming. We did this for about two hours then had a snack break and went back to the boat. We rode back and went our separate ways.

This experience was eye opening and led me to learn a few things. I learned that my topic of plastic pollution is often ignored. For example everyone sees a piece of trash, but only a small few actually pick it up. People are ignoring plastic pollution and just hoping that it will solve itself, but it won’t, it will just keep getting worse and worse. During the process Elias said “It feels like we are barely making a dent” which really got me thinking. He was right that we were barely pitching in but it’s still good that we are even doing this in the first place. When we all only make a small dent then we will have all done so much. This applies to activism and how we need to come together to actually make a DENT in society’s problems. This can be achieved by just helping out a little, because when you help out a little, you will inspire others, who will inspire others, who will inspire others, this keeps going on and on which makes a great difference. To conclude we need to come together and fix what we have done with the plastics

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Yesterday, my group member Juju came with me and my mom on an adventure to the Rockaways in an attempt to do our own beach cleanup. Armed with long metal grabbers, heavy-duty gloves, and garbage bags, we stepped onto the Rockaway Ferry at Pier 11 in Wall Street.

I have to say, the ferry ride may have been my favorite part of the trip. We had gorgeous conditions and the water was extremely calm. It was amazing to see so much of New York by ferry! We passed between the Statue of Liberty and Governors Island on the way out and spotted some oil tankers and a garbage barge that was loaded with trash. I could totally see how this is such a major cause of pollution: there was a lot of trash just barely hanging onto the boat and it seemed like plenty of garbage could fall into the water on a windy day.

We stopped briefly at Brooklyn Army Terminal to pick up more passengers and enjoyed amazing views as we passed under the Verrazano Bridge and, eventually, Coney Island. When we finally reached the Rockaways and got off the boat, we made our way to the beach and, along the way, walked right by a sewage treatment plant! It was so close to the water and it made me curious about how thoroughly the water was being cleaned and what was being done with the waste (and how that affects the community), especially since it was so close to the water’s edge. This is definitely something I’m interested in doing more research on (and possibly visiting a plant?).

When we reached the beach, it didn’t take us long to begin finding trash. The vast majority seemed to be plastic bags (many of which were shredded and appeared to have been in the ocean for an extremely long time) and smaller fragments, but we found a huge amount of variety as we went. We ended up walking along the wrack line of the beach, which seemed to have a lot of plastic, picking up garbage as we went. We didn’t cover too much territory (and I’m sure we only found a small amount of the total garbage in the area we covered), but we managed to completely fill two whole garbage bags (and part of a third) with trash in two hours. It was a great feeling to know that we were making a difference (and two people we ran into said we inspired them to come back and do their own beach cleanups), however small and insignificant it may seem.

This trip definitely made me think a lot about how worthwhile a beach cleanup is. The truth is that, however hard we try, our own individual actions will not make much of a difference, but they can inspire more people to do the same and our combined actions can make a greater difference. In any case, by picking up this trash, we probably saved at least a few animals and made a community’s space just a bit cleaner and safer. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed the cleanup and how simple it was. I definitely want to do one again and it was empowering to know I can do something about pollution, even if the sheer amount of trash was depressing and heartbreaking.

After our cleanup, we properly disposed of the trash and enjoyed another lovely ferry ride home, spotting a variety of birds and a Harbor Seal (as well as a massive cruise ship).

Below is a (somewhat) complete list of the trash we found:
Bit of a sandcastle cup, Bottle caps, plastic bags, BIC lighters, ribbon (fabric), surgical masks, Welch’s candy, tampon applicators, straw, top of heroin syringe, snickers wrapper, napkins, wrappers, soda cans, aluminum foil, water bottles, towels, fishing line, water bottle with barnacles growing on it, winter hats, foam insulation, graham cracker wrapper, plastic syringe, bits of plastic fencing, McDonald’s cup, Payday wrapper, Gatorade bottles, inside of pen, Bakers Delight wrapper, heavy-duty plastic glove, Arizona iced tea wrapper, Lam’s Snacks plantain chips, Lean Body power drink, orange toy shovel head, plastic dolphin toy, plastic tube/hose with valve, hand warmer, Modelo beer can, Kinder Joy egg, Reese’s wrappers, Lay’s chip bag, sunglasses, Mini brand, Heineken bottles, lip balm, turd bags, Doritos wrapper, blue raspberry Jolly Rancher wrapper, tattered blue balloon, sunglasses without arms, plastic bullet casing (2 of them!), Ice Breakers cap, oversized plastic drill, mini-alcohol bottle—Pink Whitney, Bottle Pop, plastic sand bucket, tennis ball, part of a tire, plastic toilet, crab trap, tire, vitamin cap.

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On Friday, January 26th, me and my group, along with the plastic pollution group, had an interview at the high school with Keanu Arpels-Josiah. Keanu is a climate activist and member of many climate groups, such as Fridays for Future which was founded by Greta Thunberg.

Our meeting started off in the high school library. During the interview, we talked about many climate issues needing to be addressed in not only the US, but around the world. He told us about how the climate crisis doesn’t only affect our planet, but also people. We learned that people in poorer communities are highly affected by pollution, leading to unsafe drinking water.

One major thing that stuck with me from our interview is how much major companies contribute to the climate crisis. Around the world, companies are apart of systems of capitalism, which leads to major levels of CO2 being released into the air. This is super important to know, because as the CO2 levels rise, our planet slowly gets destroyed. Keanu informed us how at this rate, climate change is going to take years of work and dedication from everyone to reverse, and that is if people start making an effort. Major oil companies also contribute to climate change, putting oil into the oceans and killing off major ecosystems and putting many animals in danger.

To conclude, after this interview i feel like I now know a lot more about the climate crisis and Keanu’s experience in working with climate activists has motivated me to become more passionate in our topic.

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On Friday, my group (along with the climate change group) got the opportunity to speak to Keanu, a high schooler at LREI who is heavily involved in climate activism. After meeting him in the lobby at the high school, we decided to do the interview in the library, where we took notes and recorded the conversation.

Keanu is involved with numerous organizations fighting climate change and has spoken at several events. In addition, he helped organize a major climate protest in New York City and visited the latest United Nations Climate Conference. During our conversation, he mentioned the extreme inaction of nations and corporations and how they’re employing any means necessary to avoid change. Given just how dire this issue is, it was really horrifying to hear how greedy humans can be.

Talking to Keanu was amazing and extremely informational. I was able to learn a lot about the close connections between the marine pollution crisis and the climate crisis (especially around plastic manufacturing because plastic is made from fossil fuels). It’s clear that both are pressing issues and need to be addressed, and he helped convey the urgency of the situation in a way I hadn’t heard before. In addition, he shared useful tips on how to get involved in activism and his own story, which were interesting and insightful.

One of the most important things I learned from our conversation was about which types of change are actually making the most difference and the importance of addressing issues at their root causes. For instance, while recycling can make a difference in plastic pollution, it can’t fully solve the problem. This plastic will still end up in the ocean eventually and new plastic is still being produced constantly. So, the root cause that needs addressing is the issue of plastic production. This helped me realize that even though the actions we as individual people are taking are important, the responsibility and the focus of our efforts should be on the companies that are creating the issues (especially because they are always trying to place the blame on the consumers. For example, BP, a major oil company, created the first carbon footprint calculator).

All in all, our interview was informational, insightful, and an amazing opportunity. I really felt like I now understand so much more about the climate crisis and climate activism after talking to Keanu.

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Keanu, a senior at LREI High school is a youth activist specifically in Climate Change. We walked to high school, met in the lobby and went to the library to interview him, as we were eager to learn more about what he does and his opinions on everything that we are studying. We took notes on what he said as well as recording the entire interview.

Keanu while being a youth activist put this to use and visited a sit-in in the UN Climate Change Conferences. And overall tries to make a change in his daily life by finding ways people don’t waste plastic or materials just by throwing them out. I learned that plastic pollution is one of the main social justice problems that are just set aside because people are ignoring it and not paying attention to it, and it will just keep getting worse if we keep doing that. It’s a major problem that needs to be addressed and Keanu said people aren’t spending much time on it and aren’t solving the problems they need to, as he saw while visiting the UN. Activism has to start with the people coming together as a community and that will never happen if we keep putting important problems aside and not giving them our full attention.

This experience was overall eye opening because I got to see people that are my age taking charge and making a change for what’s right. This leads me to feel empowered as well as eager to continue this project even more by studying plastic pollution and how everyday people can help. Keanu has shown me and my group that just average kids can make a change and that’s what I hope to accomplish.

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While the ocean may seem like an inhospitable place for avian life, the truth is that over 300 species of birds call it home. For them, ending up on land is like a human getting stranded in the ocean. Therefore, the only time they visit terra firms is to breed.

So for birders, the best chance to find seabirds is to head offshore on ‘pelagic’ trips, which are targeted at birders but can be amazing opportunities to see a variety of marine life besides birds. And that’s how I found myself standing on a dock in Sheepshead Bay (in Brooklyn) at 5:30 am along with 30+ other birders, waiting to board the American Princess and head over 50 miles from shore to find what New York’s waters have to offer.

Once we were off, it took a little while to get light enough to spot birds. But once it was, we quickly spotted a pair of Dovekies two miles off of the Rockaways. These birds max out at just eight inches long and sit on the surface of the water, diving under in search of plankton. They nest in the Arctic on cliffs and spend the winter as far south as North Carolina. We were all shocked by this sighting because Dovekies are typically found in waters 25+ miles from shore and prefer water temperatures of 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit. We were 23 miles closer to shore than expected, and the water was just 42 degrees.

This trend continued throughout the day, as we kept spotting Dovekies from that moment onward. When we were 15 miles from shore, we spotted an Atlantic Puffin. This adorable seabird is related to Dovekies and is famous for its clownish looks and habits. However, few people know that they can be found in New York’s waters. But, like the Dovekies, something was wrong: puffins are only found more than 40 miles from shore and have similar temperature preferences to Dovekies. Once again, the water was too cold and we were too close to land. And this puffin wasn’t a one-off: we continued to see them for the rest of the trip up until we saw one 17 miles offshore on our way back.

Just moments after we saw our first puffin of the trip, we spotted a couple Common Murres. These are also related to puffins and Dovekies, but are more expected so close to shore (they’re most common 20-30 miles from and). However, on our way back to shore, we also spotted one just 10 miles off of Long Beach, which is closer than expected. Clearly, we were having an odd trip.

But things only got stranger when we made it to the area in which Dovekies are expected: 30+ miles from shore. While Dovekies had been common for most of the trip up until that point, they became quite scarce, despite the water temperature being perfect for them.

So the question is: why were all of the birds in the wrong places? And the truth is that we don’t know. While this could have something to do with a recent cold snap, seabirds are incredibly tough and this doesn’t seem to tell the full story (especially because a pelagic trip last year also encountered Dovekies and Atlantic Puffins closer to shore than normal). And while warming oceans is a possibility, the waters in which we encountered Dovekies and puffins were often too cold for them. It seems that they were being pushed into marginal habitat because of diminished food supply.

But that still leaves the question of why there was a shortage of food. And once again, we don’t really know why. This could relate to warming oceans or changing conditions, but it could also relate to marine pollution or another issue. It’s an interesting situation that requires much more research to fully understand.

By this point, you may be wondering why I am talking about birds for a project about social justice. Just like how marine pollution and climate change are linked, our fates are linked with those of animals. These seabirds eat some of the same foods as we do and we both rely on these ecosystems, for food and for our livelihoods. They can be indicators of collapsing ocean ecosystems that will also harm us. In addition, puffins and Dovekies are vital to certain communities as tourism attractions and food sources. What happens here will affect those communities, even if they are hundreds or thousands of miles north of here.

In addition to birds, I also took photos of any marine pollution we encountered, including plastic bags and even a balloon with lego patterning.

All in all, the trip was amazing: along with the birds I mentioned, we saw tons more ocean-dwelling avian life and even a couple Gray Seals, as well as a Humpback Whale. It was an eye-opening experience that taught me a lot about the importance of marine ecosystems and their plight.

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I found the UN visit to be really interesting, especially visiting the Security Council Chamber. There I learned how the blue seats were where countries on the council sat with their assistants behind them. Every month the president of the Security Council rotates (right now it is France). The red seats surrounding the main circle are for non-council member countries that want to spectate. Another thing I learned is that the open seats at the table are left for any countries involved in a conflict that the council wants to discuss. Overall, I really enjoyed the visit and hope to learn more about how the UN functions in the future.

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When visiting the United Nations, our class met with a tour guide that toured us around the United Nations complex. We toured three main assembly halls while they were empty: The Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and the General Assembly hall where leaders from all countries around the world meet annually. In front of the Security Council room, there was a mural that caught my eye called “Mankind’s Struggle for a Lasting Peace.” On the left portion of the mural, there are people suffering and dying in war, representing the past, before the United Nations was founded. In the middle they are reconstructing, representing the founding of the United Nations. On the left, there are healthy people and prospering people. This represents the United Nations goal: to save the world from hell, and to have a better future.

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The United Nations is definitely an amazing place to visit: it’s crazy to know that just about every world leader we hear about in the news (as well as those who aren’t so often heard about) meet in this one place each year to make choices that affect our entire world.

When visiting, it was interesting to learn about just about every country takes place in this flawed but important system: whether it’s sending delegates to participate in the General Assembly or sitting on the Security Council, all countries have means of participating. However, what was alarming was the level of power given to certain countries and the Eurocentric perspective of the United Nations. For instance, while several seats on the Security Council rotate between countries, the United States, France, Russia, China, and the United Kingdom all get permanent seats and ‘veto power,’ giving any one of these mostly European countries the ability to stop any potential decisions.

Besides learning about the General Assembly and Security Council, I really enjoyed seeing the absolutely spectacular art pieces gifted to the United Nations by its member states. I especially loved seeing the Iranian rugs that depicted all of the United Nations’ secretary generals, as well as Thailand’s elaborate model of a canoe—beautiful! The international art and retro architecture were definitely among the highlights from the visit.

But while seeing art and the places where diplomacy happens were interesting and special, perhaps the most important part of the visit was seeing how the United Nations makes change. A common criticism of the United Nations (that has some truth) is that it’s ‘all talk and no action,’ so seeing how the United Nations helps out in critical situations by providing peacekeeping delegations, resources, and aid in dire scenarios helped me understand the value of having this global center for diplomacy. An example that relates to my topic of plastic pollution is how the United Nations partnered with Conceptos Plasticos, a Columbian organization, to reuse plastic in polluted communities in the Ivory Coast to build schools. They were able to crush the plastic into bricks, making a stable and long-lasting structure.

All in all, our visit to the United Nations was informative and eye-opening. Especially during this time of constant turmoil, seeing how countries are coming together was a timely and valuable experience.

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Put in later

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