A new generation to save the planet
The environment becomes a ca mpus crusade for the ’90s
Bn REKHA BAL I
IhrDmh \orthur\trm, \oithwesiem l
I t lining the ' I hink <ilobalh \t t Lot all
philosophy. today’s student environmental
groups .tie st aling down national issues t»> a
t anijms size
Laith Day P.Mju jolted students out of then
apaths. spurring a rebirth of environmental
at ti\ ism on t am pus ( ampaigns to ret vt le
everything liom newspnnt to plastics ate now
< c munon pi at tuts natn mwide
But students aie tralizmg that let u ling
progt an is an • mh tin first step I lies in >w set
the university as an opportunity to t irate .»
model sot iet\ one tire of pollution anti
waste
But wheir I<> begin Should student
environmentalists push foi national
legislation to t nth pollution oi should they
lt»l>f)v ft>i a dixet'se environmental t unit ulum
at then s< hot)I- Do they com enttate on
national issues oi t lean then own > amptises'
1 he future s wide oikmi
(-am pus (Irusaders
( .tmptis groups m-i\( ,ts some of the most
powerful ! assroots lours m the
environmental inouiumi bet atm* ihev
harness tin- jioteni cnergs «»l student at tssisin
Ihr hugest national student mu
oi^am/ation is the Student h nutonmental
\« non ( oalition based at the l ot North
< aroliua In thire seats the ^toup has
otgani/ed three national tonfeiriues and
all rat led I ,!£00< ,imposes as meinlK ts
Nk\( s main I mu tion is to t teate a nctuoik
of students and lobhv as the student voice in
Washington. I>( It has oi^am/ed i ainpaigrts
to save Vmerita s forests to nurrase
at i ountahiiitv of ( oijmnations foi thru at lions
and to protest President Bush s national
eneiv’v policy
Bill Mime students believe mum latgc
t ampaigtis osei shadow mole immediate
..Illlllllll problems, and atgue dial lotal
issues should lake |iiioiiu osei a nadoiial
agenda
Vie spend so mutll time looking al
problems mletnalioiiallv. hul ( hm! lorliul we
look in out null hat ksards said Mu liael
Young. a memhei of the Belkeles
I iiMioiimciil.il |iisiu e (JialilK>11
Bui t aiiipus groups that i house lo aitai k
lot a I issues have discovered sesei a I I oliles
Vlln tatgeting priollls issues loi the
t ommuiuis. the groups < tint ale the i ampin
with s|M akels tsoikshops oi eseii new t l.tssi s
I he ellort t all ■ solve into a purtlieishlp with
the i ommuiuis to help lobbv for
emuoiimeiil.il t lunge
"It s the issues dial drive [icople's desiie 'lo
lie a pair ol die environmental mmemenll
said Kands Visiio. national ourreaih
cooiilinaloi loi Sh\(
Olliei elloiis to provide mllcges with
toiiimuiis hi die environmental agenda come
horn nationalorgani/ations
'i National organizations l are missing the
lwi.it il dies don't hit the t .imposes," said |ohn
1 owlet. lounder ol the Sierra (Jub chapter al
Hunilwili State t m ( uliloniu "Students are
TYUEH MAILORY **.
Putting an end to apathy: Brian Robertson, right, signs up with Benson Chiles for PtRG national conference events
the iiunl .it u\r. tnlricstrd |«-«*j>tc- with turn on
thru hatuts "
iU dealing .» chaplet of .» v\«• 11 known
national oigatu/atinn. 1 a win vud hr utilized
miriest th.ii .tlir.uh existed mstrad of starting
if I Mil V l .ill h
Hr rinphuti/rd that beginning a « liaptei
does not rcMtul gmitps c«> the nationa!
agenda, but allows them to uv a variety of
projrtt* using ihr national name as a
springboard
Ihr National Wildlilr krdriation tapped
into the lollegr |>olrntial two veal's ago v%nh
< i)i)| II' a program to address ho*
t an11)UVS t an fedut r thru t artxHl dttixidc and
mrdianr prod in lion as a solution to global
wanning ( < M >1 II' has evolved into a i am pus
outrrai h to help students oigant/c anything
i lasses. * >u said H is I hr admimslialion \ and
fat tills s ies|>«>nsihilit\ toedtu ate the students
Hr aduxatrs that univrisilirs revamp thru
curriiulum to ensure ihr VcologM ai litriao
«»f thetampus. with intndiM iplmatv studies
tin lulling susiaitiablr agru ullutr forestry
solar In hriologtes, ri o-engmeei mg and o o
n oik Mini \
“Most iollrgi adnillUMl alof s see the
environment as an issue on a long list of
issues hr saul Bui ll shouhi be ihr lens
ihiougfi vs iin fi we ought It* l<**k at poverty the
newetonoimt of (in. population giowih and
othn issues "
Krfltn said uimcisiiies must make learning
moie relevant In shifting rouise and
• iavsiiMMii stiin lures lo im hide environmental
issues and pi at tit al problem-solving
“...if we don’t save the environment, we don’t
save ourselves.”
— Randy Viscio
(rum rri «i ling programs to toorl srrvue
.nullns .is well .is unwinking ol diflnnit
i am puses together
"We’re ms i amptis based i aitipus
Pm used." saut | til tan Keiittv. etiviiimmental
atulit spri tahst lot the S\\ f ‘We try to
translate regional issues to the • antpus leirl
The Hole of the t msersits
I nfortunalelv. tdeniifvmg with a
community thi s belong to for onh lour ir.us is
(liHiiull for niottl students So family must tare
about the same issues to provide the i otitinuitv
hi projects and classes said Itas ul (It t,
ptolessoi ol eliyilonmental studies at < lU ilin
< aillege
Mihough students i an initiate their own
*( .imposes i an Ik* blue prints lor sustainable
vk n 11« > Kemn said
t )tlrn. kiiowlciigt' gained in I he classroom
provides ifu rnlive for at lion
Magdalena \vila a t . of ( aliiojnia.
Heikrlrv. graduate student and avid a< liusi lot
several < ampus rnviotnrttrntal groups, was
inspired lc> help found a student
environmental group afm taking i Bcrkfk)
i lass. "Raie. I’ovrrts and the Environment "
I he group. MituLikin. has started its own «lass
addiessing the connection o< rat lal |*>\rrtv to
the environment Grade* are based on field
work with (oinmunitv groups
"It s a g*mhl was for students to understand
that they live in a eommunitv and aren’t in an
ivurv lower " said ( Jem ( las. at lavs (at dilator
Politic al Vclion
1 .»i «• sc .tic hddiv mg gi mips also have
hatiirml««illege momentum
I hr C aftlptts (*! erfl Net Hot k began I *
months ago to e stablish a < *i« rli Jiohtic al von e
on college « aiiipiive s Mini ml '400 sc hools air
mernbeis <»t this national network. a sister
oigam/ation with the <#irrn Palls I hr
< ampus (.teens lias«■ asked utlivrfsides to
divest Imm < ompariH s vsith pom
environmental tee otds c tea ted plans tm
tec \e ling ptogtams and initiated student tun
ensitonmrnlal « Lose v said Jason kukpatin k
national < ootdinalnr o! the < impost .te rns
I he idea *d political pattie s base d oil
environmental issues has « aught «»u in student
govei nrnents also Students at the I of
Mulligan hunted the \etion paitv and
nominated a candidate (o run on an
emitonmental platbnm seveial veais ago
I oeiav a t e pi e se n ta 11\e from the
k n\iioiimental < euniiiissinri. an umbrella
oi gam/at urn tm c attipus c nvttoumental
groups, is a til e til he-1 id the1 l M stuele tit
ge*vrt iitnent
hllmts to lohbv leu issues through
legislation have- appealed (*• mote stude nts
bee arise of (hen itntnrdtate itnpae t I he- Public
Intel (N ( Kf se ate ti (.loop, the- e reatlofl ed
(otisurnei aehoeate Ralph \aefer. is a JOveai
old efioit to me lease paitu ipatlon in the
j*»htn al plot ess
* 1 he people vslio get involved ate die »sr vs ho
vsaiit to see- the results «>f vstiat thrv le doing.*
said \nelv Mat Ikmald. P1R(» national e ainpus
dirce ten lodav PIRC. has ‘Hi < ainpus e haptets
that allovs students to toe us on a nation lattge
• if issues
lint whrtliet students deride to get involved
m their classes, in then communities or in
(ongiCYs. Vm m saul it is imfxrruiit the> take
action '(Student activistst realize that it we
don't save the environment, wr don't save
oursehrs.’ Vis< io said