LANZHOU, CHINA – Junior Emma Kadinsky (SFS ‘16) flew 6830 miles by airplane last weekend from New York to China to teach local villagers the urgency of reducing energy use in the face of climate change. “Even though it took over 48 hours of traveling, I’m super happy to be here and to be able to do something constructive to save our planet,” said Kadinsky.

After driving 922 miles to the rural city of Lanzhou in a truck that got 5 miles/gallon, Kadinsky illustrated to locals how to save energy by turning off appliances when they aren’t being used.

“Yes, the American girl came here in a jeep that spit out big clouds of smoke, and she told us to turn off the only light bulb in our one-room house when no one is home,” said resident Li Zhou.

“The local population here is ignorant of the importance of energy conservation and the potentially devastating impact of climate change,” said Kadinsky in an interview, “I am just thankful I am educating them in time to avert a coming disaster. Just think of how much energy they would have wasted if I hadn’t come!”

Before she returned the United States in a Boeing 747 that burns 1 gallon of fuel for every second of flight time, Kadinsky helped Chinese peasants install a solar panel on their roof.

Despite the huge carbon footprint, Kadinsky was confident her trip was a force for good. She said, “You know, sometimes it’s the small things that can really make a difference.”