clemmons isn’t in the pantry, either. she isn’t among the shelves of donated food items, diapers, feminine hygiene products, paper products, and dog food, nor between the racks of clothing. other volunteers hurry through the donation area, picking out the items requested. next month, they are hopeful they can return to their pre-covid model: allowing the people to come into the building themselves and pick out what they want. 

through the backdoor, past the parking lot, clemmons is shoveling compost with one of her thursday volunteers. it’s an essential part of their closed loop, regenerative farming practice. the approximately 1,000 square feet of soil in daystar’s edible garden is made entirely of the compost. the city donates seagrass scraped off of boat ramps, and coffee grounds and shrimp shells are donated from local companies, all for the compost. 

down the line of crops, you can find papayas, okra, mustard greens, basil, and more. at the end of the line are juvenile avocado trees and a jamaican cherry tree. clemmons searches the whole tree for one cherry, which tastes exactly like cotton candy. once the avocado trees are fully-grown, clemmons hopes they can provide adequate shade for the bus stop that a majority of their visitors take to travel to daystar. for some, it’s an all-day affair just to get here, since the bus comes by so infrequently, according to clemmons. 

the edge of the farm, marked by the avocado trees, sits directly next to a major road, across from an on-ramp of interstate 275, one of the largest in florida. daystar sits in the heart of south st. petersburg – a food desert or, as clemmons describes it, “a services and food desert.” 

scarcity and supply

“food desert” is a complicated term, but the fao defines food deserts as “geographic areas where residents’ access to food is restricted or non-existent due to the absence or low density of ‘food-entry points’ within a practical traveling distance.” 

this plays a significant role in the ongoing issue of food insecurity, a complicated and multi-faceted problem. according to feeding tampa bay, approximately 194,514 people in pinellas county, fla., are unable to reliably purchase nutritious food. given that nearly 1 million people live in pinellas county, this means close to 20% of people within the county are food insecure. 

on a national scale, about 10.2% of people in the united states were food insecure in 2021, according to the u.s. department of agriculture. 

studying these issues are people like david himmelfarb, instructor and internship coordinator at eckerd college. he teaches classes such as food movements and food & sustainability and holds a position on the farm advisory committee for the college’s community farm. 

himmelfarb said he became interested in food at a young age, noting that it always seemed to be the central bond among his family. 

“food brings people together,” himmelfarb said. 

this interest developed in a greater appreciation for cultural and biological diversity, leading to a career in anthropology. research in places such as papua new guinea has led himmelfarb to even more insights about food movements. 

“i started really thinking about the ways that people establish communities and strengthen their communities through the exchange of food,” himmelfarb said. 

but food security is a complex issue, and this is something on which himmelfarb and clemmons both agree. according to himmelfarb, you can’t just put grocery stores into food deserts. 

“that perspective is leaving a lot of things out,” he said. “that doesn’t address the fundamental issues of wage stagnation and lack of economic opportunities that make it such that even if the food is around the street from you, you can’t access it because you can’t afford it.”

the cultural, social, and economic aspects of the issue of food security are all intertwined – leaving out or focusing on only one will inevitably have consequences. you can’t address one without the other, according to himmelfarb. 

but, he said, a more conscious effort in making food a focus in our daily lives can help raise awareness. 

“i think it’s important for people to understand and get more involved in the production side of things,” he said. “you don’t need to go out and be a farmer, but if you come out to the farm and help out and see how things grow, you start to understand the choices that farmers are making.”

providing “the good stuff”

large organizations and long-term food social movements are key in creating a more just and adequate food system. but, small-scale, community-based farms like the eckerd college community farm or the edible garden at daystar life center can help support institutional sustainability over the long term. these small steps help drive the social movements or larger organizations necessary in enacting change. 

“food justice is a whole big wheel and i’m just on one spoke of it,” clemmons said. 

clemmons and the volunteers at daystar life center make these strides towards educating people about the importance of food. 

“what you eat is everything,” clemmons said. 

during peak growing seasons, the center hosts practical cooking classes to show people who are receiving goods what they can do with the produce. they explain the health benefits of crops such as collard greens, mustard greens and swiss chard, and then demonstrate easy-to-make meals, some that can be made with just a hot plate. 

they hand out infographics about spices and herbs, and label the crops. as people in need line up to receive donations, they can see the crops growing in the raised beds along the sidewalk and, with these recipes and classes, can get an idea of what to actually use them for.

janine duffy, who has been a regular volunteer with clemmons for just over a year and a half, emphasized the practical cooking classes as something that sets daystar apart from other organizations. 

duffy also described how the garden at daystar provides fresh produce that can be essential to people’s lives. she recalled how impactful these fresh greens can be to people’s lives, especially people with chronic illnesses. according to her, people have come in to receive okra as a staple in their diet for diabetes and have used greens for juices during cancer treatment. 

“people line up when it’s harvest season,” duffy said. “we will bag pounds and pounds of greens that people can utilize instead of eating processed foods.” 

the edible garden at daystar has only been in production for three years. the first year produced 600 pounds of vegetables, the second year 1,400 pounds. as of october 2022, the garden has produced around 1,700 pounds. clemmons said she hoped to hit the milestone of producing an actual ton of vegetables, or 2,000 pounds. 

for clemmons, it’s more than just the numbers, though. 

“i wanted to focus on getting the best food to food pantries, because they always get second-best,” clemmons said. “i want to grow the good stuff for the people who may not have access.”

one of our neighbors here at gw, the north america office of the food and agriculture organization of the united nations, has long been a supporter of this mission.

together, we’ve taken exceptional students to report from the world food prize in iowa, and to fao headquarters in rome for world food day at the committee on world food security. since the pandemic limited our ability to offer these travel-based experiential learning opportunities, we had to get creative.

now, i am thrilled to announce our first ever planet forward-fao storytelling summer fellowship, through which four students will produce stories in any medium at the nexus of food security, agriculture, and nutrition, and work under the guidance of gw’s national geographic professor of science communication, lisa palmer.

allow me to introduce our 2021 storytelling summer fellows:

• sejal govindarao is a rising sophomore studying political communication at george washington university. sejal is based in the san francisco bay area and will be reporting on minority communities there.

• terrius harris, who is currently pursuing his master’s of legal studies for indigenous peoples law at university of oklahoma, is a previous storyfest winner, a past senior planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 , and previously traveled with planet forward to the committee on world food security in 2018. terrius will be reporting from oahu, hawaii, on indigenous population’s access to food.

• jules struck, from emerson college and who is pursuing a master’s degree in journalism, will be reporting from the boston, massachusetts, area.

• benjamin thomas, a junior studying environmental studies at franklin & marshall college, will be reporting from a sustainable farm in havre de grace, maryland.

our fellows begin june 7, and while stories will be completed this summer, the fellowship will culminate with events surrounding world food day in october. keep an eye on planetforward.org and our social media accounts for more from and about these amazing students!

1. understand that climate change happens at a scale that is beyond human perception.

in a similar fashion to the covid-19 pandemic, climate change is an intangible enemy that we as humans can not perceive as a whole. we cannot touch or see it, nor can we solve it with one end-all-be-all quick fix. we can experience some of the hints of climate change, such as extreme weather events, but we will never know the full impact of how our actions impact the climate on a spatial and temporal scale beyond human limits. in his keynote, john sutter described his documentary project baseline that may bring a creative solution to this problem. by following five children over a span of 30 years, we will be able to see changes in climate before our eyes in the form of film.

2. know the needs and values of your audience.

to some people the climate crisis feels like a wave of impending doom and to others, it feels like white noise in the background of their lives. both of these feelings are valid. to tell the climate story, it is important to understand the specific communities and forums that you are trying to reach. everyone has different values and experiences, and it is important to keep those in mind as you are crafting your story.

3. bring people into the conversation instead of casting them out.

telling the climate story in a way that is positive and hopeful will promote change far more than negativity ever will. in his keynote, al roker talked about the story of climate change as one of hope and that people are capable of changing their minds about climate change when they are equipped with the correct tools. it is important to stress that it is not too late to make a difference!

4. interdisciplinary collaborations can lead to innovation and impact.

climate change is not just for climate scientists! the most effective storytelling happens when different people with different backgrounds work together. working with a variety of professionals such as journalists, advocates, artists, and more can bridge connections and create effective stories.

5. the environment needs you.

real changes happen when we take our unique skills and work together. it is important to understand that everyone has something meaningful to add when it comes to protecting our environment. we need to ensure that we listen and encourage diverse ideas from all communities. it takes all of us to make a difference!

as sesno observed the world around him changing, he sensed the need for effective environmental science communication and awareness by covering some amazing stories. sesno believes that stories speak to people. 

“you give a person a piece of data and maybe they’ll remember it or memorize it,” sesno said. “but embed that data in a story and people will remember it — and understand the context of why it matters.” 

sesno wanted to find a vehicle where students learn and participate. “a place where we could engage faculty and researchers to be on the frontline of knowledge,” he said, explaining his vision. “a place where i could use my media skills and push ideas out to the wider world.” hence came the idea for planet forward in 2006.

he always believed that student-generated content came from both the heart and the head, looking back to his time as a student storyteller. sesno went to wilton high school in wilton, connecticut, where he, at the age of 15, was writing about numerous controversial topics. in fact, he soon became the co-editor-in-chief of his high school newspaper and was invited to speak to the board of education about an op-ed piece he wrote. he discovered the power of story and the impact even writing in a high school newspaper can have in the community: “(storytelling) is both powerfully influential and creatively engaging.” 

thus, he wanted students to be the principal storytellers at planet forward: “these students, who have a stake in the future, generate stories from their campuses and communities in very real ways.”

as an explainer of sustainability, sesno takes sustainability for granted. “to not live sustainably is to not live,” sesno said. he was inspired — in part, by richard attenborough, the documentary “planet earth,” and national geographic, among others — to be a storyteller around sustainability and to tell stories about science, breakthrough, and discoveries. “those are the stories i want to tell and want people to know,” he said, his passion for the subject reflecting in his voice.

although planet forward has come a long way since 2009 and moved to an online storytelling platform from a tv special, sesno believes that the basic idea of storytelling around sustainability has survived — and thrived. “(planet forward) can sustain over time and reach more people,” said sesno, who thinks stories can be timeless. “we still go to plays written by the guy named will shakespeare,” he said with a laugh, as he moved on to describe some of his timeless stories from the past.

in 1977, as sesno started applying for jobs after college at local newspapers and radio stations, he accepted a job at wcfr radio – a local radio station in springfield, vermont – where he was soon promoted to be the news director. although it was a small job in a small town, he still believes that that job taught him the most. he found himself going to just about every city or town council meeting, school board meeting, and even meeting influential people in town to cover interesting stories, while finding ways to connect with the community. it had an incredible impact on him as a 22-year old: “it’s one heck of an experience for a young journalist,” said sesno. 

sesno is a man who constantly likes to challenge himself. as one of the four applicants out of over 400 selected for an internship at the voice of america, sesno left the job at wcfr and moved to washington, d.c., in the fall of 1978. he had the good fortune of getting the internship at a time when the cold war was happening. “it was the job of the media to tell people the truth about what was happening,” said sesno, who worked within multiple departments as an intern. however, not feeling challenged enough, he moved on to work at the associated press network in d.c. after six months.

within a few weeks at the ap, a job soon opened at the london office. fluent in french and spanish, the associated press thought, “why don’t we send frank to london?” shortly thereafter, he was named ap’s overseas correspondent for london in the fall of 1979. although it might be a dream job for a young journalist, sesno felt challenged and pressured at various points, but found it equally rewarding, as he was there in london at a tremendous time.

he distinctly remembers the time when he had to dash down to rome after pope john paul ii had been shot in 1981. “there were thousands of people at st. peter’s square praying and showing incredible emotion for their religious leader,” sesno said. “that was a very powerful and emotional experience.”

before moving back to d.c., in 1982 as the white house correspondent for ap, sesno covered the falkland islands war – one of the most transformative stories for him. he saw a big lie told by a corrupt government to a well-educated country and people believed that big lie. he learned how a population could be lied to by the argentine government – an unelected military junta – who watched the people die as the country went to war. 

his overseas experiences at the ap changed him. “they made me a journalist, confronted me with the full range of human potential, vulnerability, and failings.”

in 1984, sesno was traveling all over america doing a series of specials for ap when he moved on to working at cnn. “in october of 1984, cnn was hiring people who had great faces for radio, and i was one of them,” sesno said with a laugh. the world was just getting cable during that time and cnn was not making a profit, being only 4 years old. while at first, no one was watching cable tv, soon, the world was watching. 

he walked further up memory lane and palpably remembered the words, “mr. gorbachev, tear down this wall!” as if it had been imprinted on his memory from 1987. in fact, his mind is deeply imprinted by all the experiences he has had as a journalist that he would not trade for anything. it was not until 1989, when he was working as the white house correspondent for cnn, when he was amazed to see the berlin wall come down. 

“sometimes i feel a little like forrest gump to realize that i was there for these amazing things. i still feel that way as i still do some of that,” said sesno, with a hint of wonder to his voice.

to have had a career spanning over three decades – having his own talk show, “late edition with frank sesno” for 7 years, winning an emmy award among several other accolades, and covering some powerful stories of strength and heroism – sesno has become more hopeful about the future of the world.

standing at the west end of the capitol building white house, sesno remembers seeing america’s first black president-elect take the oath of office in front of a gigantically diverse audience. as president obama reflected on the experience this country had gone through, sesno said he felt spellbound: “to see this country elect somebody named barack hussein obama was a phenomenal moment in history.”

sesno has no doubts about the impact storytelling can have on people to continue to find smarter and innovative solutions for problems the world is facing today. 

“human beings are an ingenious species,” sesno said, talking about harnessing the power of humankind. “we defy gravity every day. nobody would have imagined these things.” 

as planet forward continues to grow, sesno said: “to me, having a project like planet forward is a win at so many levels. the students win as they tell a story that empowers so many people. the university wins as it uses its platform to positively influence those students and the wider community. the community wins as it gets information through the storytelling from students. 

“i win because i get to be the orchestral leader of the most inspirational and interesting experiment i can imagine.”

as a dedicated storyteller, sesno continues to inspire young people to address the challenges of feeding and saving our planet. by combining intellect and imagination, sesno intends to create an experience that will both inform people and engage them. he continues to share ideas and innovations of people who are doing amazing things to inspire them. as he wound down narrating his story, he mentioned something he wants people to remember: that times are desperate for our planet. 

“the clock is ticking. but first, know that (climate change) is the challenge of our times,” he said, closing his travel diary. “second, don’t give up. and go to work.”

this year, we had our most successful summit yet with more than 400 attendees and students from 40 schools around the world! thousands more watched online. we had special guests from discovery, inc., national geographic, the new york times, lindblad expeditions, the washington post, the center for climate and energy solutions, land o’lakes, inc., world food program usa — and more.

we heard from theodore roosevelt iv; susan eisenhower; nick akins, the chairman, president and ceo of american electric power; and denise fairchild, president and ceo of the emerald cities collaborative.

our focus throughout: how to understand and convey the stories of our planet and the ideas and innovation needed to move it forward.

our big finale: we announced the 2018 planet forward storyfest award winners — seven student storytellers from five schools. they submitted videos, blogs, photos essays and more capturing incredible ideas and initiatives. they’ll go on an eight-day voyage with lindblad expeditions between sitka and juneau to capture the stories of climate change while exploring alaska’s coastal wilderness.

the 2018 planet forward summit, our fourth annual storyfest competition, and our second year hosting planet 世界杯欧洲预选赛免费直播 s has exceeded all of our expectations.

in the coming days we will post the summit in segments online, along with some of each panel’s highlights. relive the inspiring presentations — everyone from the incredible visual journalists at eyes on earth to the students who have been there — and been inspired to become storytellers, from professional journalists and storytellers to exceptional leaders in sustainability.

were you inspired? are you ready to join us? we need these stories now, more than ever.

students: if you want to be a correspondent email editor@planetforward.org with your resume.

schools: interested in joining the planet forward 2022年世界杯亚洲预选赛结果 ? reach out to hannah@planetforward.org and we’ll get the conversation started on how we can work with you!

huge thanks to our partners and funders: land o’lakes, inc., lindblad expeditions, alaska airlines, discovery, inc., monsanto, skanska, world food program usa, sweetgreen, un-fao, national geographic, patagonia, the gw school of media & public affairs, the gw office of the president, and mrs. green’s world.

to everyone who joined us: thanks! we do this for you. check out the stories and adventures online and in our social media: facebook, instagram, and twitter.

save the date for next year’s planet forward summit: april 4-5, 2019!

this system is built right in the greenhouse attached to the side of the marine and natural sciences building on roger williams’ campus. this group of talented engineers have designed and built this system that will not only feed the fish, but use no additional water.

its this method of growing food that will sustain the campus community. this ebb and flow system can flood the tray that contains the soil and plants to water them. the excess water drains back into the fish tank, where the freshwater fish will feed off of the nutrient runoff from the plants. that water then goes through a series of filters before flooding the tray, and starting all over again.

the group engineers without borders hopes to travel to developing countries to teach them this way of farming. weather conditions, soil conditions and droughts are no problem for this system. nestled in a greenhouse for temperature control and protection, plants can grow and sustain themselves.

the club is working on getting a solar panel so that there is zero outside energy used to power the pumps circulating the water. they grow plants that are local to rhode island and they sell to local farmers markets and to the dining hall on the very campus they grow on.

with the world’s population taking over farming land, and having all those mouths to feed, hydroponics is the most efficient way to feed all those hungry people. this takes up virtually no floor space and there are companies that are now converting storage containers into full fledged farms.

this is an innovative way to continue to feed the world’s population now, and 50 years from now.

a new campus geothermal system and a unique solar village of sun-powered homes are among the innovative energy-saving projects at missouri university of science and technology. missouri s&t is a finalist for the 2013 climate leadership awards.

william paterson university in wayne, new jersey, is committed to environmental sustainability and is proud to provide a positive example for its 11,500 students while leading by example for our surrounding community and beyond.

william paterson’s campus-wide solar panel installation is a dramatic and visible sign of the university’s commitment to the environment. the solar initiative, with phase one completed in 2010 and phase two beginning in spring 2012, ranks among the top ten largest installations at higher education institutions in the united states.

the university targets carbon neutrality as a goal and includes conservation efforts that integrate sustainability across the curriculum, such as a new bachelor’s degree in environmental sustainability. this degree will unite areas of tangible study and research, and include courses in environmental science, biology, chemistry, mathematics, law, political science, and economics. graduates will be prepared with the interdisciplinary skills needed for careers in sustainability to meet the growing demands in academia, business, and government.

the conversion to smart buildings via upgraded energy management systems and use of electric maintenance vehicles has vastly reduced the university’s total energy consumption, as well as energy costs. in the past decade, the size of the physical plant has increased by 16.5 percent, while electric energy consumption was reduced by 30 percent and natural gas consumption by 50 percent.

in addition to this significant reduction in carbon gas emissions, the university has saved more than $17 million over the same time period through cost avoidance.

william paterson university continues to vigorously pursue energy efficiency initiatives and educational programs with the strong support of students, faculty, administrators, alumni, and community leaders.

vote now to help this idea win!

video produced by: sara snyder and bridgett lynn

to join the conversation: #thinkfwd
talk about your solar ideas with us: @ssnyd and @bridgettplynn

want to keep track of team thinkfwd??

team thinkfwd is a group of fifteen students from frank sesno’s class at the george washington university. see all of their videos here: visit the member page