CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Some local students are getting in on the national, youth-led climate strike.
This movement has sparked conversation on the climate crisis that younger activists are taking part in, like a group of students over at Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
On Sept. 27, student protesters marched through campus as part of the Global Climate Strike week-long call to action. The Islander Green Team and Islander Feminists organized the strike on campus.
Marcelina Esquivel, sophomore and member of Islander Feminists, was a part of the action.
"I was really happy with the turnout. I was going to be out there regardless if it was just me standing out there. So it was really nice to have some of my peers support me." Esquivel said.
Marcelina and her peers have been out there every Friday since in an effort to raise awareness among fellow students.
"It's the youth, the kids, the future, our future, that is really streamlining and spearheading this movement," Esquivel says, "so I was incredibly inspired by all of their voices. I wanted to bring some of that here."
These students aren't all talk. They have multiple programs and green initiatives in place on campus.
Megan Greige is the president of Islander Green Team for the 2019-2020 school year.
"You know there's a bunch of moving parts that go into making this campus work and we're doing what we can to make it more sustainable." Greige said.
An initiative that helps create sustainability is the student founded and managed composting system on campus.
"Instead of that (waste) going to the landfill, we turn it into nutritious fertilizer that can be used to grow plants here in our garden."
For Melissa Zamora, founder of the Islander Green Team and compost system, it is through action that we can make a collective difference.
"We need to all be on the look out and really inform ourselves on what is happening locally and globally. And how we can have an impact whether it's with out vote or with our signs or with our voice or with our action. Anything helps. And anything is better than nothing." Zamora said.
Another green initiative at TAMUCC will be unveiled Monday. Digital recycling stations called Evo-Bins. The electronic bins keep data and educate students as they recycle.
