SAN ANDREAS - Two teenage girls Tuesday triggered an hour of debate on everything from climate change to economic sustainability when they asked Calaveras County supervisors to designate April 15-22 as Earth Week.
In the end, the designation passed by a 3-2 vote, with board Chairman Tom Tryon and Supervisor Gary Tofanelli opposed.
Tryon said that Earth Day, a holiday first observed in the United States in 1970, and events like Earth Week are "part of a well-organized political agenda."
Tryon also said he views sustainability as just another term for "economic stagnation."
"I don't want economic stagnation. I want economic growth," Tryon said.
Kati Giblin, 18, one of two Calaveras High School Earth Club members who appeared before the board, said she had only recently learned that "sustainability" was a controversial word in Calaveras County.
"We think sustainability is preserving the present quality of life," said Giblin, the club's president. Cierra Allen, 15, also an Earth Club member, stood beside Giblin at the podium during their presentation.
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