By Martha Savage
Students for Environmental Action (SEA) was reinstated as an official club at Stonehill College last month and has already begun pioneering programs for a more sustainable campus.
Led by President Emma Worster and Vice President Ava Michaud, the club seeks “to educate the campus community about different environmental issues on campus and around the world,” says the SEA mission statement.
“Climate adaptation can no longer be considered a future option or a distant concern, but must be seen as one of the greatest priorities for nations and communities worldwide today,” says the UN Adaptation Gap Report.
The Paris Climate Agreement stated that in order for our planet to remain relatively inhabitable, global temperatures must not rise more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels; according to the Adaptation Gap Report, global temperatures are projected to increase by 3.1°C by the end of the century.
Organizations such as SEA work to combat this fate by endorsing action at the local level. The club is currently doing just that through the rollout of their pilot program in dorm composting.
Students can now apply to receive a small compost bin for their hall or suite. The bin will be collected by an SEA member on a weekly basis and brought to The Farm where the scraps will be fed to the pigs or be added to the compost pile.
Last spring, while the club was still in its incubation stage, SEA planned a series of Earth Day activities where they introduced the Break Free From Plastic Pledge (BFFP) to Stonehill. The BFFP is an initiative which aims to reduce and eventually prohibit all single-use plastic on campus.
Rather than breaking down, single-use plastics merely break apart. Because of this, microplastics have irrevocably ended up in virtually every waterway, food system, and animal and human body on the planet.
“I think what's inspiring is that the BFFP has been signed by people all across campus,” says Emma Worster, president of SEA.
The pledge currently has over 250 signatures from students, faculty, staff, and administration.
Initiatives like the BFFP prevent tens of millions of tons of plastic from entering the waste stream each year in addition to fulfilling the social role of making “people recognize that this waste is both unsustainable—and needless,” said a 2024 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
SEA has numerous programs planned for the upcoming spring.
When the weather warms, SEA will hold a campus-wide Plogging event. “Plogging” is a newly developed Swedish activity marrying exercise and sustainability as individuals pick up trash while they jog.
Additionally, SEA will organize a “green move out” in efforts to reduce the inundation of waste that annually accompanies the closing of each semester (more information to come as the day approaches).
To apply for a compost bin, reach out to Worster or Michaud at eworster1@students.stonehill.edu and asicklermicha@students.stonehill.edu.
SEA always welcomes and encourages new members. If you are interested in becoming more involved, the club’s last meeting of the semester will be held Tuesday, Nov. 19 from 7-8 p.m. in Shields 141.
To sign the BFFP go to https://forms.gle/GeXyhW5JDMN9DJSD6.
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