A group of 10-year-olds takes on global warming

EVER fry some lumpia or spring rolls and then wonder what to do with a pan full of cooking oil? A group of 10-year olds from Westerly, Rhode Island, came up an answer so simple you wonder why it isn't being duplicated across the country.

In a world full of cynicism and negativity, it is easy to forget that we try to improve the current environment so our children will not have to refight the same battles for justice,  equality and opportunity.

Too often we forget to highlight the young people themselves who have not been tainted by the slights of ignorance and arrows of discrimination.

Here's a story that reminds us that perhaps we worry too much and our children will be just fine.

In fifth grade, Cassandra Lin learned that if the world's addiction to fossil fuels continues, it's only a matter of time before her entire town would be underwater. (When you use carbon-emitting energy like we do, that can happen.)

"My next step was to rally my classmates to action," said Cassandra. "I got together with a group of my friends and we formed a community service team dedicated to helping the community and environment at the same time.'

"What could we, eight ten-year-olds, do to help solve this issue? We already knew that global warming could be slowed down by replacing fossil fuels with alternative energies, such as biodiesel." 

Following this, we visited the Energy Solutions Expo at the University of RI, where we found that biodiesel could be produced from waste cooking oil.

Cassandra Lin

"What finally brought us to a revelation was an article in the local paper' she said. "The article was about a local charity in our area called the WARM (Westerly Area Rest and Meals) Center, which had initiated a campaign titled 'One Dollar Makes A Difference', in which residents donated $1 each week to go towards emergency heating assistance. We were astonished by this realization – people in our own community were struggling to heat their homes in our harsh New England winters. Surely, we thought, we could help these needy families. 

"And then, a solution came to us. This solution became Project TGIF – Turn Grease Into Fuel.", said Cassandra, now a teenager

“We kind of thought, 'This is a kid's project,' you know," said Jason Lin, Cassandra's father. "'It will probably last a year or two the most.'"

That was seven years ago. The kids that started it all are seniors in high school and making plans for college. The project and its members have received numerous international awards and recognition.

Their little project is now warming the homes of about 400 families. 

Since its launch, Project TGIF has been incredibly successful both in terms of combating climate change and helping those in need. Through partnerships with 132 (!) restaurants, they've recycled enough cooking oil to offset 3 million pounds of CO2 emissions, according to the EPA's estimations.

The lesson here is: Don't tell young kids that they're too young to make a difference. They have a bigger stake in preserving their planet and ensuring a livable future than us adults. 

For more news about Asian/Americans and Pacific Islanders, link to AsAm News.