Who Says Youth Is Wasted on the Young? "We need to shine the light on young changemakers... so their voices are heard--and may we join with them to build a more equitable and sustainable world."(THE ENVIRONMENT)

• Author: Larned, Marianne

TREVOR TANAKA was excited that Pres. Barack Obama was coming home to Hawaii to welcome world leaders to the Asia Pacific Economic Summit. "We are 21 leaders from across the Asia Pacific who represent close to 3,000,-000,000 people... men and women of every faith, color, and creed," Obama said. "We're more likely to realize our aspirations when we pursue them together. That's the spirit of Hawaii."

In conjunction with the Summit, Hawaii's students had been invited to enter an essay contest answering the question, "What does sustainability mean to you?" Tanaka was a junior at a public high school and a good student, and he thought he should know the answer to this question.

For Tanaka, sustainability was a way of life. He had grown up on his family's farms, where the rich soil from volcanic ash produced fruit trees, taro and green vegetables, and Kona coffee. Tanaka was instilled with aina--a love of the land. Working with his family in the gardens was his kokua, his responsibility. In school, he had learned Hawaiian chants to bless the land and to protect the food and waters, but he never had studied sustainability.

As an island state, Hawaii is particularly vulnerable to changes in the weather. Some 3,000 miles away from the nearest land mass, Hawaii imports 90% percent of its food. Even little children know their families would run out of food in just three days if the ferries did not run. Since World War II, every Hawaiian family has made sure to stock up on nonperishable foods: their garages always are full of supplies.

Tanaka did his best on the essay. However, after he had turned it in, the question stayed with him. He knew his friends at private schools took courses in sustainability. "Everyone should learn about it," he thought.

As an officer of the student council, Tanaka was invited to create a resolution. Thus, began what he calls his "sustainability journey." The resolution he wrote would require every public-school student in Hawaii to take one course on sustainability. When he introduced it, people cautioned him not to get his hopes up. Others--much more knowledgeable and experienced than he--had tried for years to introduce such a measure, and had failed. Tanaka, though, was determined. He thought it was only right that all of Hawaii's young people should learn about how to live sustainably.

When he was 16 years old, a local farmer and champion of school gardens, Nancy Redfeather, nominated Tanaka to serve as a delegate to the...