Students demand clear air and clean energy
EAC joins colleges across state in environmental activism
By: Sharon So, Marianna Nash
Issue date: 10/29/09 Section: News
| |
|
Yet, students remembered. On Saturday, Oct. 24, environmental activists from all of the Five Colleges planned creative ways to raise awareness about climate action using the number 350, representing 350 parts per million-the safe upper limit of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The goal of the efforts, which will continue, is to put the number 350 at the forefront of world leaders' minds in time for the International Climate Talks starting on Dec. 7 in Copenhagen.
A total of 5,242 simultaneous events in 181 countries made the Day of Climate Action the largest day of action in history, according to McKibben.
"It seems far-fetched that you could get this many people to rally around a scientific data point, but the number just keeps climbing," said McKibben in a press release. "It shows just how scared of global warming much of the planet really is, and how fed up at the inaction of our leaders."
The Environmental Action Coalition (EAC) at Mount Holyoke organized a flash mob on Skinner Green and Blanchard, where students blew whistles and chanted, "Let's go MHC. We need clean energy!" or "It's hot in here. There is too much carbon in the atmosphere!" or "Three-five-oh's the way to go! Make your carbon emissions low!"
Members of EAC are also participating in a statewide movement called the Leadership Campaign, formerly known as Massachusetts Powershift. College students across the state are staging "sleep outs" to get Governor Deval Patrick to introduce a bill that will push the state toward 100 percent clean electricity by 2020.
The sleep outs will continue until the Dec. 7 talks, according to EAC member Leila Quinn '12.
"Since Senator Kerry is the chair of the [U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations], and a chief negotiator at the climate talks this December, it is essential that he sees that the people of Massachusetts mean business," said Quinn. "Our efforts are not stopping after October 24th. We are not going away. We will have a constant presence outside [and] across the state."
At Smith College, the bell rang 350 times around 3 p.m. to alert the student body of the importance of climate action. The Morrow House Sustainability Committee at Smith also created 350 origami cranes that were hung around campus, and written on them were facts about climate change.
Hampshire College hosted a teach-in called "What We Need to Know About Climate Change: Local Perspectives on the Global Crisis," followed by a tea party. The teach-in featured Betsy Hartmann, Professor of Development Studies, Michael Klare, Director of the Five College Program in Peace and World Security Studies, and Susan Tracy, Professor of History and American Studies.
At the University, bikers paraded from the Haigis Mall to Amherst Common in order to raise awareness about clean alternate forms of transportation. Later in the afternoon, in Amherst town, Ultimate Frisbee players stood in the form of the number 350 and launched their discs.