The Cause

Climate Cycle’s mission is inspiring students to green our world. We focus on both personal and planetary sustainability to reduce our environmental footprint while enhancing our personal health. Global warming, a growing obesity epidemic, and economic improvement are several reasons why we feel it is imperative to act now on behalf of our children’s health and that of their planet.

1. Global Warming: Global warming caused by CO2 emissions is one of the most urgent issues facing humanity and our planet. CO2 emissions reached 8.5 billion tons in 2008, with 75% being cause by the combustion of fossil fuels. 2010 was the hottest year on record, with 19 countries breaking all time heat records. July of 2011 saw every state in the US break all time temperature records. We are the cause of this great warming; but also possess the tools and ingenuity to combat it.

Video courtesy of NASA

Did you know that buildings emit more CO2 emissions than cars? With schools spending more on energy than textbooks and computers (Chicago Public Schools alone spent over $65 million on utilities in 2010), the opportunity to improve our ecology, economy and education is immense.

2. Obesity Epidemic: Obesity rates have tripled in the last 25 years. With 50% of all automobile travel occurring for trips that are three miles or less, the opportunity to supplement driving with more exercise intensive forms of transportation such as cycling and walking are all around us. Such lifestyle changes also have significant environmental and economic advantages.

OBESITY RATES BY STATE IN THE PAST 25 YEARS

Maps courtesy of the Center for Disease Control

3. Economic Improvement: Last year, obesity related health complications in the US cost $147 billion dollars. The amount spent on foreign oil was $344 billion dollars. With schools spending more on utilities than textbooks and computers, the time to improve our economic sustainability is now.