HVAC systems and municipal elections, optimized flight paths and grasshopper genetics: the health of the planet and viability of our natural resources isn’t necessarily scintillating stuff. But as is so often the case at Commonwealth, students’ (and teachers’) enthusiasm is infectious, and during yesterday’s Earth Day Assembly, they delighted and inspired with presentations that truly spanned the globe and all its living things. Keep reading for a brief overview of some of the workshops, and take a gander at photos from the event on Commonwealth's Flickr page.

In their presentation on sustainable housing, the Engineering Club (led by Jake ’26, Isabel ’28, and Lucas ’29) introduced their fellow students to the tenets of Passive Design, from using materials like bamboo, composite wood, mycelium composite to improving energy use through LED light bulbs and solar panels to less well-known interventions like electrochromic glass—or just planting more trees.

Ineshi ’29, applying her expertise as a member of MassAudubon’s Youth Climate Leadership Program, led a workshop on biodiversity and why it matters. Ecosystems rely on biodiversity: the variety and variability of plants, animals, and humans. Healthy ecosystems with high biodiversity provide specific services, Ineshi says, such as water and air purification, soil formation, pollination, carbon sequestration, and climate regulation. When biodiversity is threatened—and it’s usually mankind doing the threatening—there is an increased risk of species extinction, which can trickle all the way to the top.

Tapping into his experience as an activist in and resident of both East Boston and Kenner, Louisiana, Vedant ’29 offered two similarly troubling looks at the link between climate change and food insecurity, both of which disproportionately affect low- to moderate-income communities. In 2023 alone, the U.S. experienced twenty-eight separate climate disasters costing over $1 billion each, alongside a rise in food insecurity that affected 47.4 million Americans, including 6.8 million households with very low food security, he said, citing the USDA Economic Research Service. So what can you do when a changing climate makes areas that were previously perfect for growing a certain crop no longer arable? You might explore vertical farming, outlined in one presentation (prepared by Derek ’27 and delivered by Will ’27). But that treats a symptom of climate change, not the cause. That’s where activists step in. 

Environmentalism and art overlapped in a hands-on cyanotype photography workshop from Iris ’26 and Mx. Korman. They walked students through the science of the solar-powered process before setting students loose on a group cyanotype project, where they picked through bins of delicate natural materials, assembling them on a shared canvas. (Come to the Art Show Opening on May 5 to see more!)

Mr. Cottle, who teaches Environmental Studies at Commonwealth, introduced even more students to just a few of the people of color instrumental to the environmental movement: Robert D. Bullard, Gaura Devi, Chico Mendes, Wangarĩ Maathai, and Krystal Two Bulls. He also introduced them to the origins of “tree-hugging”: the Chipko movement, चिपको आन्दोलन, furthered by Gaura Devi in India, where activists, usually women, literally embraced trees to stop them from being felled.

Closer to home, Massachusetts greenhouse gas emissions have been steadily decreasing over the past decades, thanks to the state’s regulations and legislative efforts—good news, until bill H.4744, introduced in November of 2025, sought to roll back those requirements. But, as Natan ’27 explained, citizens pushed back, and a new bill, H.5175, restoring the state’s climate goals, is now in the senate. (Though it’s not quite a resounding victory, because the bill still cuts $1 billion from Mass Save funding.)

More good news: fuel efficiency in planes leads to profits! And it’s a win for the environment, says Ethan ’26. A long-time aviation aficionado, Ethan explained how upgrades like high-bypass turbofans, lighter airframe materials (carbon-fiber reinforced polymers), and “winglets” on wing tips help improve fuel efficiency by upwards of 20%. 

The Earth Day Assembly is also an excuse to celebrate the wonders of the natural world, and Ben ’26 got to share his love of lizards, like this brazen little frilled-neck. After all, it’s their earth, too.  

Many thanks to the Environmental Club for organizing and to all of our presenters for a thought-provoking, galvanizing, and, yes, fun event!

Explore Past Assemblies at Commonwealth