YV Ambassador Attends DC Green Festival

Among the many celebrations and awareness events that occurred in Washington, D.C. this weekend, environmentalists flocked to the Green Festival, a joint project of Global Exchange and Green America that demonstrates what people are doing in their communities and in the world to reduce our adverse effects on the environment. This event is the largest sustainability function in the world, offsetting 100% of its electricity emissions with clean, renewable energy and working to attain status as a zero-waste event. For the two-day event, organizations and businesses showcased programs and products that work to restore the planet and its inhabitants, community and business leaders presented critical issues and new technologies that impact ourselves and the environment, and skills were shared that allow all people to modify their lives and leave a positive impact on the world. On Sunday, I attended the event, stunned by the numbers of booths filling the DC Convention Center. Advocate groups shared information on their cause and encouraged people to get involved, Organic Valley provided fun, interactive activities to teach kids about environmental issues, how-to-workshops shared ideas such as composting techniques for people to use in their own lives, and eco-friendly businesses displayed and sold Fair Trade gifts, all-natural products, organic clothing, vegan/vegetarian cuisine, and environmentally efficient home products. In addition, inspiring keynote speakers included Amy Goodman, Paul Stamets, Queen Afua, Caroline Casey, and Marian Nestle.





Although the DC Green Festival won’t take place again until next year, events are also held in Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, and Chicago. To learn when the Festival is coming to your city, check out the Green Festival official website. The Green Festival is an excellent opportunity to support organizations, get involved in volunteering, and learn how to “live green”. Reducing climate change may seem unattainable for a single individual, but collaborating to share tactics and learning from each others experiences will help to make the process even more effective and efficient. Each action individually might seem insignificant when looking at the whole world, but when we add our efforts together, we can really make a difference.



Written by Youth Venture Ambassador--Kristina, Green Education Kits.