Mayor Miyagishima Meets With the GWE Las Cruces

GWEers at Central Elementary in Las Cruces only had half a school year with mentor Peter Sloan, as the school could not start the program until January, 2018. The Central GWEers are also some of our youngest, with students in grades 2-4. Nevertheless, the Central GWEers learned fast(!) and they were more than ready to meet with their mayor, in May, 2018.

They were very excited to walk to City Hall and their principal, Ms. Hendee, who was so excited for them that she even came with them as their official photographer! The meeting with Mayor Miyagishima, his top aide, and his official photographer lasted a full 30 minutes and went really well. The Central Elementary GWEers told him what they’d learned about fossil fuels, greenhouse gases, global warming and its effects, melting ice, rising seas and animal extinction, global food security, and then gave him their ideas to stop it, which included using more solar and wind power and using water more efficiently.

The mayor praised them for being “very well informed” told them that because he is ½ Japanese ,he knew about the ocean, giving them more about information about ocean acidification, coral reef death and coastal seafood insecurity. He then explained to them about his Clean Power Plan,including use of electric city buses, and why he signed the  Climate Mayor’s Agreement.They already knew that he had signed it and also knew about the U.N. Paris Climate Agreement. The GWEers listened carefully to Mayor Miyagishima and replied that they thought that the best plan was to have 100% solar energy in Las Cruces. Then they gave him a copy of The Global Warming Express book, signed by the author and by each of them.The city photographer took lots of pictures and posted them on the city FB page and in an article about the city!

The Las Cruces GWEers proved to the mayor and to the city that they are kids who will change the world! 

City of Las Cruces Facebook