Environmental Activism at UC Berkeley: Perspectives of Two Student Leaders on Campus Grace Sandel

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 of the sustainability commining on climate change.

deeply intertwined,” explained Xu.

The UC Berkeley climate strike on September 20th As the Community Engagement Associate at SERC, of 2019 brought over a thousand people together, Xu works on the SERC membership program and united by the urgency for climate action. organizes environmental events for the communiYear-round, numerous student organizations and ty. Through the membership program, Xu individuals engage with environmental activism. provides opportunities for students to get The environmental community at UC Berkeley involved in SERC. The events organized by Xu also comprises students with diverse backgrounds, provide a chance for others to learn about envivoices, and interests — making students particuronmental topics and how to get involved. Her larly disposed to consider the justice and human interest in environmental issues began in high facets of each environmental issue. Sarah Xu and school with Model United Nations. “I learned so Gabrielle Ambayec are students actively involved much about international climate change policy in UC Berkeley’s environmental community. Both through the research I did for different policy exemplify a dedication to addressing environmensimulations and it really sparked my interest,” tal issues while keeping environmental justice said Xu. Later in high school, Xu’s interest shifted values at the forefront. towards climate advocacy Sarah Xu, a third-year Envified during her first year at ronmental Economics and UC Berkeley. “I really got Policy major, is the Commuinvolved with the day- to-day nity Engagement Associate work of climate advocacy at at the Student EnvironmenUC Berkeley when I lived in tal Resource Center (SERC). the Global Environmental SERC seeks to “strengthen Theme House freshman the collective effectiveness year,” explained Xu. munity” and provide the Xu is also involved in the resources necessary for Students of Color Environstudents to create an “equimental Collective (SCEC), table, socially just, and resilwhich engages in environient future.” Xu’s primary mental justice issues through areas of interest are enviadvocacy and their conferronmental justice, internaence for students of color tional environmental polinterested in environmental icy, and the impact of issues. and her interest was solidi“All three of these issues are Provided by Sarah Xu Reflecting on environmental

activism on campus, such as land deforestaXu noted the solidarity tion, pollution, land buyof the Mauna Kea outs, etc.,” said Protectors at UC Ambayec. At a young Berkeley with COLA age, Ambayec did not (Cost of Living Adjustrecognize those issues as ment) during March of environmental injus2020. Mauna Kea tices, but Ambayec Protectors at UC explained, “it has always Berkeley is a student been in the back of my community advocatmind.” Similar to Xu, ing for the university Ambayec began directly to divest from the conworking in environmentroversial telescope tal justice and advocacy project cited for once she came to univerMauna Kea, a mounsity. tain sacred to indigenous Hawaiians. EnviProvided by Gabrielle Ambayec In December 2019, ronmental advocacy Ambayec hosted an enviand social justice are closely connected on ronmental justice community space event. The campus, often intersecting. Xu mentioned Sage aim of the event was to provide a chance for Lenier, Sarah Bancroft, and Dante Gonzalez as discussing environmental justice and sharing of notable students dedicated to environmental personal experiences with environmental injusactivism. “Students for Climate Action, led by tices. Amabyec’s presentation on environmental amazing folks like Sage Lenier and Sarah Bancroft, justice introduced attendees to “new movements have been the driving force for large collective and figures that they hadn’t considered before action, and Dante Gonzalez who has worked tirewhen thinking about environmentalism and envilessly to raise the voices of those usually left ronmental activism,” said Ambayec. For Ambayec, behind in environmental activism,” said Xu. the event was a success because the attendees As the environmental movement grows at UC want to recreate this event in the future,” added Berkeley, Xu hopes for strengthened advocacy and Ambayec. increased solidarity among the social justice movements. “This is especially important as we Climate Justice Week 2019 and the student leaders see the institutional cracks in our systems widen involved stood out to Ambayec. According to and grow in response to COVID-19 and issues like SERC, “Climate Justice Week aims to create an the Green New Deal gain more broad traction,” intentional space to engage the wider UC Berkeley explained Xu. community on the intersections of climate change Gabrielle Ambayec, a second-year Molecular Envimentary screenings, panels, rallies, and art builds ronmental Biology major, is the Environmental related to environmental topics all occur during Justice Associate at SERC, which entails facilitating this week. “The visibility of the climate justice community educational programs relating to movement, the rally held in Sproul Plaza during environmental justice topics. At these events, Climate Justice Week 2019, for example, is incrediAmbayec educates others about environmental bly empowering,” said Ambayec. “There’s always justice and provides a space for discussion and going to be more potential to build upon the reflection. Ambayec was exposed to environmenamazing precedent that has already been estabtal injustice as a child, watching and reading lished by students in the past, so to watch it reach stories about the Philippines, where her family is new heights in the coming years and continue to from. “I would see photos of solid waste flooding include new voices into the community would be into residential areas, of children swimming in amazing,” said Ambayec. water filled with trash, as well as read stories about the displacement of peoples due to factors gained a new perspective. “I would definitely and social justice.” A host of workshops, docu