By Emily Zantow - The Washington Times - Friday, March 5, 2021
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich on Friday highlighted plans to rid the county of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 in the “post-pandemic world,” including banning single-use plastics, installing solar panels and establishing new standards for buildings.
“If it weren’t for COVID, climate change would have been the headline natural disaster of the year, and the decade, and the century,” Mr. Elrich said during his State of the County Address. “This was, and is, an existential threat to our lives it was before the pandemic, and that has not changed.”
Mr. Elrich said the Washington area is already experiencing the effects of climate change, including warmer summers, more flooding and more extreme storms that are “often disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable communities.”
Montgomery Co executive discusses post-pandemic climate-change strategies washingtontimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtontimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The protest took place prior to a 7 p.m. board meeting.
The protest, along with an online petition that calls on the school board to reconsider its decision, reflects the mixed reception toward Montgomery County Public Schoolsâ plans to further open up the schools next week.
Supporters of the plan have pointed to ongoing hurdles such as difficulties with remote learning and a rise in poor grades, but critics have questioned whether the upcoming measure amid the ongoing pandemic is coming too quickly.
The school system has been using a hybrid model of remote learning and half-day, in-person instruction. An all-remote option has been in place and will continue.
Students protest Montgomery County decision for more in-person learning
A community survey showed most students and teachers favored staying hybrid, while most parents want kids back in the classroom more frequently
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But for the first time in our area, students are rallying against that decision.
About two dozen students gathered outside the school board office before Tuesday’s meeting. They held signs and asked pointed questions, wanting to know what school board members can do for them.
“I feel like in general the student and teacher population here in the Montgomery County area is silenced on many issues including this one,” said Natalie Miller, a junior at Christiansburg High School and co-organizer.
Protesting Montgomery students on reopening decision: It shows a lack of consideration roanoke.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from roanoke.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.