On April 17, students will have the opportunity to participate in Chico State’s student election. This year’s ballot includes a proposition to better educate students on the issues of climate change.

Local leaders in the community have expressed support for a more sustainable Chico. Mayor Randall Stone, Vice Mayor Alex Brown, Congressional Candidate Audrey Denny and A.S. Vice President Jared Geiser have all been leading voices in the preservation of the environment for future generations.

Local groups have also felt the need to take action on climate change as it has directly impacted regions of Butte County with increases in rainfall that contributed to the Oroville Dam failure and the Camp Fire which greatly affected air and water quality. The Sustainability Task Force, headed by Chico State’s own professor Mark Stemen, endorsed a Declaration of Climate Emergency and brought it to last week’s city council meeting. The city council voted 5 to 1 to act on the declaration’s requests to make Chico more sustainable.

Chico State students as well as others from local high schools also have concerns about sustainability and have shown their support for movements such as #ClimateUprising. The movement, created by LA filmmaker Nirvan Mullick, advocates for a bipartisan climate action in order to maintain a sustainable Earth. The demonstration showed concern from the younger generation and a passion to fix what has happened to the planet.

Chico State is a campus concerned with sustainability and continues to pursue a culture of concern for the future of the planet. The vote on sustainability education and A.S. student government elections will be held April 17 online via link in email.

Nate can be reached at [email protected] or @NRettinger19 on Twitter.