Celebrating Earth Day's 51st Anniversary

Join us for a screening of the award-winning documentary, The Need to GROW! The movie link will be sent to registered participants beforehand to watch on their own asynchronously (between April 19 - April 22). Then, please join us for the live Zoom Q & A on April 22nd from 3:30-4:30pm PDT, with Professor Stacy Philpott. 

The Need To GROW takes you inside the hearts and innovations of three very different leaders — an 8-year-old girl challenges the ethics of a beloved organization — a renegade farmer struggles to keep his land as he revolutionizes resource-efficient agriculture — and an accomplished visionary inventor faces catastrophe in the midst of developing a game-changing technology. You can watch the trailer here. Please register on Eventbrite.

Enviroslug is a collective of organizations that advocates for environmental and social sustainability by using the student agency model through promoting student autonomy and leadership. Enviroslug strives to create an equitable and sustainable environment for all students at UC Santa Cruz by challenging the power dynamic that prevails within the UC system. Enviroslug practices the principles of equity, inclusivity, and democracy.

Enviroslug Presents our 20th Earth Summit!

Friday, April 23rd 5-8pm pst

UC Center for Climate Justice Launch Event

April 22nd at 9 am - 1:30 pm & April 23rd at 9 am - 1:30 pm

Join the new UC Center for Climate Justice, a University of California system-wide initiative to address climate change as a social justice and equity issue, as we celebrate Earth Day. The launch event will be held over two days, April 22-23, 2021, beginning on Earth Day. It will feature keynote presentations by food sovereignty scholar-activist Vandana Shiva and DOE Deputy Director for Energy Justice Shalanda Baker, a fireside chat with Green New Deal architect Rihana Gunn-Wright, and panel discussions featuring California climate justice leaders, scholars and activists. We will also host breakout room conversations and a music and spoken-word celebration on the second day. We hope to see you there!

California Climate Action Summit

April 22nd -- See Below for Times

Interested in joining the California Climate Action Summit this Earth Day? 
Since Earth Day was founded in 1970, students have been at the forefront of change to protect our environment. That’s why CALPIRG, a statewide student-directed nonprofit and partners across the country have launched #YouthEarthWeek!
CALPIRG Student Chapters will be hosting the California Climate Action Summit on April 22nd. RSVP here to sign up to join the summit!

Event Schedule:

Reflections on Environmental Activism with Circularity

April 25th at 11:30 am 

During this event, the founders of Circularity, an upcoming multimedia environmental justice platform will walk through a series of reflections and challenges to recenter and reevaluate our understanding of what environmental activism is. We will be learning about BIPOC activists that preceded us, considering our own identities and privileges in the context of the climate crisis, and taking some direct actions within our communities.

What You Need to Know about Food & Land Justice: Part 2 - Featuring Naelyn Pike

Wednesday, April 28th at 5:00 - 6:30 pm 

With this series, brought to you by the Stevenson Garden, we are shedding light on issues of race, culture, education, and socioeconomic status and our own roles in Food and Land Systems, and our ability to have a positive impact looking forward. Naelyn Pike is a young, indigenous activist inspiring people all over the world to be part of a movement that protects sacred, cultural lands and the life they can sustain for generations to come. Her first speaking engagement was at the age of 9 and at 13 she became the youngest person ever to address Congress when she testified about the proposed copper mining at Oak Flat, a place of cultural and spiritual significance to her people. In 2018 Naelyn was nominated in the human rights category of 35 under 35 initiative "for dedicating her life to reclaiming her culture and the right to access and protect sacred sites."

Sustainability on Film - Panel Discussion

Wednesday, April 28th at 5:30 - 7:00 pm 

Alumni filmmakers Michelle Aguilar (El Cacao) and Andrés Camacho (Open Line) join Rita Mehta, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at UC Santa Cruz, and Dan Costa, director of the UC Santa Cruz Institute of Marine Sciences to discuss their films' themes of sustainability, food security, and impacts on indigenous cultures and communities through the lens of climate change. Nancy Chen, professor of anthropology at UC Santa Cruz will provide introductory remarks.

People of Color Sustainability Collective: Global Environmental Justice

Wednesday, April 28 at 7 - 8 pm

Bring your dinner and let’s have a discussion! Zoom ID: 687 450 5573, Passcode: 655957

Confronting Climate Change - Food Security in a Changing World

Thursday, April 29 at 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Confronting Climate Change is an annual public lecture series that brings together luminaries and the community to discuss the latest in climate science and policy, and share solutions to protect our planet's wellbeing. The series is free and encourages audience participation!

This year's theme is Food Security and how we can adapt to feed a growing population during unprecedented changes in our planet's climate, culture, and political landscape.

Affordable Electric Vehicle (EV) Clinic

Saturday, April 24 at 10 – 11:30 am Registration is required

Join this webinar to find out just how affordable EV’s really are. We’ll do the cost breakdown on how income-qualified individuals are getting money put back in their pockets or leasing for as low as $35/month.

We’ll discuss electric vehicle basics: charging, battery range, new vs. used, and the following financial considerations:

• EV costs are going down and incentives are generous, making these cars a smart financial choice for more families – in many cases even more affordable than a gas car.
• Households making under $104,800 (for a family of 4) can qualify for $14,000 in incentives (which could pay the entire cost of a three-year EV lease) or get a $5,000 grant toward a used EV.
• Other incentives are available for drivers of all income levels.
• EV fuel costs the equivalent of $1.50/gallon of gasoline.
• EVs have half the maintenance costs of gasoline vehicles.
• EVs are very fun to drive, convenient to refuel, have zero tailpipe emissions, and reduce carbon pollution by 75-100%.

This webinar will be offered in English with live Spanish interpretation.