Environmental Activism at UC Berkeley
Left to right: Lina Munoz-Avila, People's Climate March, Joe Brusky, Benjamin Kay, Adi Gaskell
Perspectives from Two Student Leaders on Campus By Grace Sandel
deeply intertwined,” explained Xu.
The UC Berkeley climate strike on September 20th of 2019 brought over a thousand people together, united by the urgency for climate action. Year-round, numerous student organizations and individuals engage with environmental activism. The environmental community at UC Berkeley comprises students with diverse backgrounds, voices, and interests — making students particularly disposed to consider the justice and human facets of each environmental issue. Sarah Xu and Gabrielle Ambayec are students actively involved in UC Berkeley’s environmental community. Both exemplify a dedication to addressing environmental issues while keeping environmental justice values at the forefront.
As the Community Engagement Associate at SERC, Xu works on the SERC membership program and organizes environmental events for the community. Through the membership program, Xu provides opportunities for students to get involved in SERC. The events organized by Xu also provide a chance for others to learn about environmental topics and how to get involved. Her interest in environmental issues began in high school with Model United Nations. “I learned so much about international climate change policy through the research I did for different policy simulations and it really sparked my interest,” said Xu. Later in high school, Xu’s interest shifted towards climate advocacy and her interest was solidified during her first year at UC Berkeley. “I really got involved with the day- to-day work of climate advocacy at UC Berkeley when I lived in the Global Environmental Theme House freshman year,” explained Xu.
Sarah Xu, a third-year Environmental Economics and Policy major, is the Community Engagement Associate at the Student Environmental Resource Center (SERC). SERC seeks to “strengthen the collective effectiveness of the sustainability community” and provide the resources necessary for students to create an “equitable, socially just, and resilient future.” Xu’s primary areas of interest are environmental justice, international environmental policy, and the impact of mining on climate change. “All three of these issues are
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Spring 2020 / Perennial
Xu is also involved in the Students of Color Environmental Collective (SCEC), which engages in environmental justice issues through advocacy and their conference for students of color interested in environmental issues. Provided by Sarah Xu
Reflecting on environmental
