National Organizer for the Put a Price on It Campaign Tom Erb visited O’Dowd earlier this month to participate in the Sustainability Guest Speaker Series.
A junior at Pomona College, Erb is a public policy analysis major with a concentration in environmental analysis. He was recently featured on National Geographic’s Years of Living Dangerously, Season 2 (Episode 6: Price on Carbon).
During his talk, Erb shared how his own call to action and passion for sustainability began in high school, and the challenges and opportunities he has faced as a youth activist.
He then led attendees through a simulation activity based on the concept of lobbying for a climate change bill with congressional representatives that was largely based on his recent experience as an intern in Washington, D.C. Students learned the general framework for bill lobbying, and got to experience the process of advocating for an issue that they care deeply about.
Between the lunchtime guest speaking sessions, Erb also worked with the 6th period S-Corps Leadership Team to better understand the challenging landscape of carbon pricing. Additionally, he shared tips about organizing environmental awareness campaigns, and building local and national coalitions.
A special thanks to alumni Polina Garonchova ’14 for bringing Erb to O’Dowd.
This coming semester will feature a wealth of guest speakers, including O’Dowd alumni, parents, and greater Bay Area community members:
Thursday January 26: Ann McCormick with Newcomb’s Energy Engineer and Consultant
Thursday February 16: Ruth Abbe, President of Zero Waste USA
Thursday March 30: Alliance for Climate Education (for Freshman only)
Tuesday April 25: Alumni Panel
The entire O’Dowd community is invited to join us for these talks, and if you or someone you know is interested in speaking please reach out to Director of Sustainability, Andra Yeghoian.
