JUSTICE & SOLIDARITY 014 ST PATRICK’S COLLEGE STRATHFIELD LUMEN 2024 Changing Our Carbon Footprint From 26 September to 5 October, ten Year 11 students, eleven Year 10 students, and three members of staff shared one mission: Assess Australia’s environmental impact on the Pacific and make a change. The inaugural 2024 Fiji Immersion offered us an eye-opening opportunity to witness the environmental impact of Western civilisation firsthand. Over ten days, we travelled through the stunning mountains, waterfalls, cliffs, and coral reefs of Taveuni. It was bliss—a world untouched by urban sprawl, a detox from our hyper-technical reality. But something felt wrong. An essence of the Australia we thought we’d left behind followed us, taking the unwelcome form of climate change. In 2023 alone, 434,533 Australians travelled to Fiji’s islands. Unfortunately, the Indigenous environmental philosophy of reciprocity—giving more than taking—did not make the journey with them. During our stay, we had several chances to give back, from cleaning Prince Charles Beach to rehabilitating coral reefs. Each activity was an incredible experience. But here’s the problem: we shouldn’t have had to do this. At school, students aren’t praised for picking up half of their rubbish, so why were the locals thanking us for collecting only a portion of the pollution created by Australians, among others? Per capita, Australians are among the world’s highest CO₂ emitters, meaning we are contributing to rising sea levels. Locals recounted stories of coastlines encroaching on their properties, displacing families and entire villages—meaning we are causing real and immediate harm. We need to take accountability for our actions, and we need to be the solution. In just ten days, we accomplished a lot: rebuilding a nurse’s station, donating to schools while enjoying time together, and reducing pollution. But our journey doesn’t end there. As a community, we should continue on this path, adopting and expanding the environmental practices we learned in Fiji. This is the goal. We must strive to be stewards of the Earth. This immersion— and those to come—should be just the beginning. It was an eye-opening experience that changed many hearts. Michael Bridge Year 11 Student Cleaning Paradise Making Friends (at South Taveuni High School) The Natural Beauty (Ben Gainsford, Ryan Scullion, Logan Barry, Oliver Sullivan, Luke Woods, Felix Ryder; bottom - Zachary Crisafulli, Mr Porra, Lachlan Wodson, Alex Lean) FIJI IMMERSION The Nurse’s Home
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