Planting the Seeds of Environmentalism : Resources: Teens meet in Anaheim summit to discuss overpopulation and the need for each of them to nurture the planet.

Denise Ho briefly felt the weight of the world this weekend.

The 16-year-old Laguna Hills High School student portrayed Mother Earth at the “Partners for the Planet” regional youth summit at the Grand Hotel in Anaheim on Saturday. To illustrate the perils of overpopulation, four students piled on Ho’s 113-pound frame as she sat in a chair.

“I’m a cheerleader and I’m used to standing on other people, not being sat on,” said Ho, one of 200 students, parents and teachers at the conference.

The summit, which started Friday and ends today was convened to inspire teens to practice and preach environmentalism. Attendees perused ecological exhibits and chose from a dozen workshops with such titles as “The Rain Forest: What You Can Do” and “Vegetarianism: The Power of Your Palette.”

Organizers said they hoped the brief conference would reap long-term benefits for the planet.

“Many of these young people here today are going to be major figures in corporations in about 15 years,” said Ron Ketcham, a representative from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, who helped organize the event. “It’s important to promote an environmental ethic.”

In the morning workshop on overpopulation, students learned that 5.7 billion people already inhabit Earth, but if current rates continue, the number could reach 10.8 billion by 2030. Such a population would place an almost unbearable strain on natural resources, conference speakers said.

“Overpopulation is an especially scary problem,” said Nili Moghaddam, representing the Sierra Student Coalition. “It isn’t something we can shove to the side.”

American youth can best help preserve and heal the planet by reducing their consumption of material goods, conference speakers said. A single child in the United States has as much impact on the environment as 25 children in lesser developed nations, they said. Teen-agers were urged to “reduce, recycle and reuse.”

“Let’s find happiness in love and family,” said Moghaddam, a 17-year-old from Sherman Oaks. “Not in material consumption.”

Sabrina Daneshvar, who attended the workshop, understood the message.

“This opened my eyes to overconsumption and what I can do myself to help,” said the 16-year-old high school senior from North Hollywood. “People don’t realize the impact that overpopulation has on the environment.”

A key force behind Saturday’s summit was a group known as the Tree Musketeers, a nonprofit Southern California environmental organization founded in 1987. The group had a “Partners for the Planet” national youth summit last year in Ohio. Another national event is planned next year in Utah, and an international summit is scheduled for 1996 in China.

In spite of the growing youth environmental movement, teens still say a critical problem is overcoming apathy. Most students don’t join in, said youths at the summit, because they feel their efforts don’t matter.

“I think most people aren’t happy that the world is going down the tubes,” said Brittany Kesselman, a 17-year-old senior from Los Angeles.

Mikkel Loper intends to make his mark when he returns to his hometown Sunday night. Loper said he will organize a petition drive to get San Diego to adopt curbside collection of paper bags.

But even the 14-year-old realizes his enthusiasm for environmental causes isn’t shared by everyone.

“I’m the only environmentalist in my family,” Loper said. “I feel alone. I think my parents can be a little close-minded. I gave up converting them long ago.”