The triple planetary crisis, consisting of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, are rapidly developing issues that are proving detrimental to our environment. Across the globe, biodiversity has been declining at an alarming rate, largely due to human activities that impact our surroundings. This issue is crucial because the variety of animals, plants, and microorganisms provides us with quality air, fresh water, crop pollination, and adequate, nutrient-rich soil to grow plants. If this issue continues to spiral out of control and increasingly more species go extinct, this will have a major impact on the food chain and how different ecosystems interact. Additionally, the climate crisis is caused by greenhouse gas emissions and our excessive use of fossil fuels. This leads to many of the detrimental effects that are becoming more common in our society today—frequent wildfires, sea levels rising, polluting of the atmosphere, melting glaciers, and sky-high temperatures.

The teens at the Studio City Branch Library have been exploring and developing their project regarding the triple planetary crisis, with the goal of educating and informing the public about how this pressing issue could lead to our planet’s demise. Our interest in the environment sprouted from looking around our local community and realizing that these issues expand beyond our city. The urgency that this issue brings inspired us to develop a project centered around the planetary crisis.

After numerous meetings and meaningful discussions within our group, the ultimate decision to help solve this issue is to educate the public. We’re going to provide hands-on activities at the branch in order to fuel the interests of all ages. For example, the implementation of an urban garden in the side yard at the branch with a focus on California native plants will stimulate plant-based learning for sustainable gardening practices and promote biodiversity. By engaging community members, they’ll be more informed on ways that they can help around their community and in their own homes to generate solutions to this issue.

—Written by Andie Martin

Andie is a teen volunteer and member of the Teen Council and Teens Leading Change project at Studio City Branch Library. She is a 9th grader at Taft Charter High School.

—Christina Hummel-Colla, Young Adult Librarian, Studio City Branch Library

The Teens Leading Change initiative has funded and launched 39 projects across 50 branches, including 4 projects across 7 branches that are happening now!