EarthCare

EarthCare is a student-based environmentalist organization in Canada. It has strongest bases in Ottawa, Toronto and Ontario. Its actions are mainly directed at doing minor things to protect the environment, such as litter pick-ups, fundraisers for larger environmental groups, tree-planting and recycling projects. However, the group also participates in larger-scale initiatives, as many members participated in the December Kyoto Now protests against "climate chaos." EarthCare's main idea is that many small acts by many people can amount to large, significant change.

General Information

EarthCare has chapters in High Schools, Colleges, Universities and Elementary Schools. Often, they participate in large "Clean Ups" in which members and sympathizers all take part in large-scale litter clean-ups, recycling recyclables and disposing of harmful wastes. They are also known to use litter for artistic purposes.

The group is relatively inactive in the summer months.

Ideology

EarthCare's ideology is mainly environmentalism, but also contains aspects of preventing social degradation. One important chapter in Ottawa's Bell High School led an initiative in which vast quantities of old clothing was collected and donated to the Ottawa Mission, rather than being added to the dump.

While EarthCare advocates environmental protection, its beliefs on to what extent are not clearly defined. The group welcomes members of all strains of ideologies as long as they are willing to contribute to the cause. However, some members acknowledge certain environmental ideas while others do not. The more radical chapter of EarthCare in Ottawa that is based in Bell High School insists that Global Warming is a threat, while others do not. Still, the chapter welcomes skeptics.

Leadership

Since EarthCare's founding, almost all chapters were tightly controlled by the administration and teachers, making sure that no group became to radical. However, many students felt that teacher leadership had stagnated progress, as little got done. Students felt that teacher leadership cared more about saving money than saving the environment.

Bell High School Leadership

In Bell High School, student Evan Bury took action against the teachers' leadership, calling for student leadership of EarthCare. After the students confirmed him president of the Bell EarthCare Chapter in May 2006, Bury led two large within two monthsinitiatives: a fundraiser for GreenPeace and the collection of clothing for donation to the homeless shelter. Bury also transformed the structure of the group, giving the students much more potential to contribute to the ideas. Student leadership had accomplished more in two months than teacher leadership had in a year

Bury, however, was unpopular with the teachers. A radical socialist and Titoist, Bury espoused revolutionary ideas of students ideas, although did not impose them on EarthCare, aside from his charity projects. In November of 2006, with the support of the teachers, Tara Chan took control of the group in what translated into a small-scale coup. Very pro-teacher, Chan accomplished little, but worked closely with teachers and administration. The change in leadership followed a successful project in which high energy consuming holiday lights were exchanged for more eco-friendly ones. The change in leadership also reduced student activity in the group.

Chan's leadership, supported by the teachers, continued until April 2007, at which point she ceased to participate in the group. The one main accomplishment had been a fundraiser that while raising plenty of money, was not widely popular with the students and, for the amount of planning, did not have proportionate success.

By April, the group remained in tatters. Few students continued membership. Chan graduated, and teacher leadership transferred to new schools.

However, by September 2007, Bury had rebuilt the group and was unanimously chosen as president. The new group had larger numbers than any Bell EarthCare group before. While teachers continued to contribute, students had much more collective control of the group. Several largely successful projects have been contributed since then.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu