Pirate's Cove

Will the youts be giving up their own travel in fossil fueled vehicles? Stop using so much energy?

Youth-led groups land grants to fight climate change in Allentown

More than a dozen youth-led groups are set to get started on projects to fight the effects of climate change in Allentown after winning microgrants from the city.

Allentown is set to distribute more than $65,000 to 14 projects, which represent the second round of the Youth Climate Action Fund.

Eleven groups each will get $5,000 — the largest grants available through the fund — while three others will split a little under $11,000.

Top-prize-winning projects include plans for an outdoor classroom at Trexler Middle School, several garden spaces and an “upcycling” initiative, as well as gardening workshops and a free community bike tune-up day.

And two projects at Muhlenberg College each got $5,000 grants.

Bikes? Tuning them up? Really? This is linked to ‘climate change’? Making some garden spaces is nice, a good beautification project, but, global boiling? Must everything be linked?

Allentown School District plans to use its $3,318 grant to bolster tree-equity education, while the Boys and Girls Club of Allentown’s teen-led climate campaign received $3,150 in funding.

So, not really doing anything, just yapping. I’d be more impressed if they were actually planting trees.

And Easton-based Nurture Nature Center got $4,300 from Allentown’s Youth Climate Action Fund to implement AI-powered hydroponic systems.

OK, that’s a good one. If they actually do it. Not sure why they really need it, though, since there are already plenty of AI systems on the market as it is.

Bloomberg Philanthropies offered $50,000 grants to 100 cities — including Allentown — whose mayors attended COP28, the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, in late 2023.

Well, at least it’s not coming from the taxpayers.