*International environmental leaders assembled to discuss climate issues at Shelburne Farms. Photo by Henry Rood.*

As world leaders met at the United Nations in New York to discuss climate change this week, a group of international environmental leaders gathered at Shelburne Farms to discuss climate action and public health.

The annual meeting of the Regional Centers of Expertise for Education for Sustainable Development in the Americas included a panel discussion Sept. 23 at the University of Vermont (UVM) to promote the United Nations sustainable development goals.

Speakers shared stories of successful environmental activism to inspire others to take climate action with a focus on protecting human health.

“The state of Vermont needs to officially endorse sustainable development goals. Endorsing them would be a baby step,” said Jackie McMakin, a member of the event’s planning committee.

The Greater Burlington Sustainability Education Network, one of 168 Regional Centers of Expertise worldwide, hosted the event. The network was formed in 2014 by Shelburne Farms, UVM and the city of Burlington. The regional centers work to achieve the United Nations 17 sustainable development goals, which include eliminating poverty, hunger and inequalities, while promoting education, health, clean water, sustainability and climate action.

Adriana Gonzalez, an environmental justice organizer, traveled from Puerto Rico to share stories of environmental activism and the response to Hurricane Maria in 2017. In the south of Puerto Rico, Gonzalez worked to close a coal-fired power plant that was polluting the community and putting lives at risk.

“That mountain is a coal ash mountain,” said Gonzalez. “About two miles from there, there’s an elementary school and the teachers, they talk about having to wipe the students’ chairs and tables in the morning because there’s ashes on them every morning.”

Gonzalez argued that this is an example of environmental injustice – disproportionate harm toward certain groups, often poor minorities, caused by the effects of pollution and environmental and ecological exploitation.

“Not only are there people living around this, but there’s a person that has to risk their life to be able to make money for their family,” Gonzalez said.

After Hurricane Maria, Gonzalez traveled around Puerto Rico distributing humanitarian aid to those affected. While visiting an elderly woman’s home to provide food and clean water, she said she noticed the profound mental health aspects of disaster relief.

“This woman just literally needed someone to talk to,” Gonzalez said. “She had been in her house alone for weeks without power, without any other connections. The only thing she needed in that moment was someone there to listen to her story on her time.”

As part of the disaster response, 20,000 solar lamps were distributed because the Puerto Rican power grid was damaged in the storm. For most, it was the first time they had seen solar power at work, and many were skeptical, Gonzalez explained.

While checking in with residents the day after they received the lamps, Gonzalez said relief workers were pleased to hear the reactions.

“This man came out of his house and was screaming with happiness saying it actually works! You don’t need batteries!”

Listening to understand rather than to just respond was a major theme of Monday’s discussion at UVM. Speakers stressed that restoring what communities had before an environmental disaster struck is not enough. Progress is also needed to address the cause of such disasters – climate change.

Worksheets at each table asked the roughly 100 attendees to identify an environmental concern related to human health, to suggest a plan of action, and to recognize what would be needed to implement a plan. The exercise prompted much thought towards problem-solving.

“Disasters are becoming so expensive that economies are being severely impacted,” said Kayla Downs, a UVM freshman in attendance. “We’re past the point of only doing something if it’s economically beneficial.”

Maemae Morrical, a junior at UVM agreed.

“We need to use technology to collect and spread solution stories,” she said.

According to Dan Quinlan, chair of the Vermont Climate and Health Alliance, greenhouse gas emissions in Vermont are up 16 percent since 1990. He urged all in attendance to contact their legislators to let them know that climate action is a priority.