On Friday Oct. 24, an environmentally based walkout will be held on the BVH grass field, organized by seniors Frida Vergara and Ashley Mayorga. This statewide event will occur throughout many cities in California, with 43 schools participating. A walkout is defined as the “action of leaving a meeting or organization as an expression of disapproval”, although in this case, students are encouraged to go to the grassfield during lunch, in order to demand that state elected officials take a stand against big oil companies and pass the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act (SB 684/AB 1243). This walkout is one of the first for BVH. After visiting many classrooms, Vergara and Mirgaya hope to see multiple BVH students attend and show their support.
“What we are planning for students to do is sign a petition for Assemblymember David Alvarez, because right now he takes oil money, meaning he supports these fossil fuel companies, and we want him to support this bill [Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act] instead since he is the one responsible for our [school] district. We are going to make a big poster and say ‘Dear Assemblymember Alvarez, Bonita Vista demands you to vote yes’ and we want signatures from students from that day,” Vergara said.
The Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act is a bill which demands big oil companies and polluters to pay for the damage and pollution they have created. This walkout specifically targets Chevron and ExxonMobil, who have profited off the consumption of fossil fuels while California faces the climate crisis. According to Senator Caroline Menjivar and Assemblymember Dawn Addis, “ninety companies have been responsible for about two-thirds of historic greenhouse gas emissions.” This act asks the California Environmental Protection Agency to conduct climate cost studies to identify which companies are involved and how much they need to pay [in order] to alleviate the damages and costs of natural disasters they have contributed to.
“Who pays for all of those houses that were destroyed in the LA [Los Angeles] fires and damages within other natural disasters? Right now we are paying for it, the taxpayers, not the oil companies and not the polluters. This will make them pay. Our future will be getting more expensive due to these disasters becoming more frequent, and if we do not do something now to keep them accountable, then we will pay the consequences. As students, I feel that it is very important for us to speak up about these types of things. Students’ parents are the ones that are paying for these taxes, and it will affect us in the future,” Vergara said.
On the day of the walkout, both BVH representatives plan to make signs, hand them out to students, recognize student speakers and walk around the grass field to raise awareness and show their desire for change. Additionally, Vergara and Mirgaya plan to represent “oil symbolism,” by being painted with charcoal, comparing it to being doused with oil. After months of preparation for a first-of-its-kind event at BVH, Vergara and Mayorga hope to attract students that want to make polluters pay and seek change for the future of the environment.
“It is very important to inform students about the environmental problems that have been happening and I feel like outside of school, students are not aware of these circumstances. But, these problems affect your future and future generations. We are trying to make students see that they have a voice, that they can speak up and that they can see a big problem that’s been happening. [Our lives] depend on these issues. It has been very devastating to see wildfires, notice the respiratory problems and the effects on health. […] These types of protests at schools are meant to educate students. That is the main goal and I think that this bill has not been talked about enough,” Mayorga said.
