New York Times columnist Tom Friedman once called me a member of the Flat Earth Society (it’s ironic that he meant that as insult, given his latest book, The World Is Flat). But I’m willing to let by-gones by by-gones, because now he is a leading preacher of the gospel that on energy issues, “Green is the new Red, White, and Blue.” And in today’s New York Times he penned a column all about student efforts to make colleges and universities “carbon-neutral” and titled it “The Greenest Generation.” He called clean energy the challenge for our generation. Mr. Friedman, we’re right with you on that – and you’d be pleasantly surprised how many of us there are.
In his column Friedman profiled efforts at Williams College in northwestern Massachusetts to save energy, which students there have called “Do It In the Dark.” Now, I’m not sure about that campaign name for two reasons: first, stopping global warming isn’t going to mean giving up electric lights and I would hate for people to think that is the case. Second, I’m in favor of people doing it however they want to, and if they want to do it with their compact-flourescent lights turned on, that is totally fine by me. But regardless, these students at Williams caught Friedman’s eye with their impressive campaign.
Friedman called on colleges and universities across the United States to go carbon-neutral by reducing their emissions as much as possible (through renewable energy, green buildings, efficiency, and more) and then off-setting the remaining money by “financing a project that will measurably reduce greenhouse gases.” That’s right in line with the goals of the Campus Climate Challenge, the Energy Action Coalition umbrella campaign that is already uniting clean energy campaigns on almost 200 campuses across the United States and Canada.
Friedman says that at many schools, clean energy is a “hobby, not a crusade.” Well, I’m not about to try to start a crusade, because the last few didn’t turn out so great. And I’d prefer to draw for inspiration on historical events like students sitting-in for civil rights. But I’m all in favor of a clean energy movement. And just as Friedman is calling for, we’re building one. Every school where clean energy is just a hobby needs instead a rip-roaring movement of students to call for clean energy on campus, in their communities, from their Governors and from their members of Congress. I can’t put the reasons why better than Friedman did: “today’s students will be profoundly affected by climate change, the coming energy wars and the rising danger of petro-authoritarian states.”
Mr. Friedman addresses students directly: “This is your challenge. Who will rise to it?” We are rising to it, and we’re doing it here, here, here, and many other places. And Mr. Friedman, we’d love your help.
Great response to Friedman’s column Nathan!
The student climate and energy movement has exploded in the last few years and only 1 campus purchased renewable energy in 2000, the University of Colorado at Boulder, and now over 100 campuses are purchasing clean energy. These and many others are working on energy efficient buildings, cleaner, more efficient transportation, and bringing climate neutrality to their campuses and communities.
We’re taking up the challenge, and as Tyler Pannell of SEAC at Tennesee Technological University noted in his response to Friedman’s editorial:
‘. . . So you see, we’re already leading the way to a better future – we’re already the “Greenest Generation”; unfortunately, students have little money and little power – and the changes that need to be made to ensure our grandchildren a world worth inheriting need to be made NOW! It is your generation that has the power and the money – it is your generation that needs to step up!
Now it’s my turn to challenge you! What are you doing to change the course of history? What are you doing to make sure that WE don’t remember YOU as the “GREEDIEST GENERATION”?!’
I’m going to go do it with a wind turbine and a bike.
p.s. why did he say you were a member of the Flat Earth Society?
Great post Nathan! Good point on not having to give up electricity (re: doing it in the dark) but we must not forget the importance of conservation either.
Here was my initial response to the NY Times:
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Kudos to Friedman’s article. Students across the US and Canada are thankfully ahead of the game. Campus Climate Challenge is a coalition of Canada/US youth organizations working to decrease if not eliminate campus greenhouse gas emissions. Audits are done (eg. Clean Air Cool Planet) and priorities for reduction are targeted. Successes are building, and we prod our Senators, University presidents, and parents to follow.
We are making the shift to a carbon neutral future but we need everyone, including our great-grandparents, to “wake up and smell the C02″. Students are rising to the challenge – because, yes, of course, it’s our future – And that’s where the sense of urgency really hits because climate change is not going to wait on the backbench until our generation becomes the decision makers that our parent’s generation is now.
The way we use energy and resources just doesn’t make sense. We all have to do things differently – We have to do these things now – We have to do it in the dark, together.
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Mr. Friedman in researching for his piece must have not heard of Google.com.
Type in the search term “youth climate energy” and it says it all.
The first hit takes you to the site of Energy Action, a coalition of organizations working to support and strengthen the student and youth clean energy movement in North America.
From the front page, you can get involved in the Campus Climate Challenge, a campaign that empowers thousands of students to bring Renewable Energy to their campuses. The challenge does exactly what Friedman called for: “[students should] storm in on the next meeting of your college’s board of trustees until they agree to make your school carbon-neutral.”
Also at the top of the Google search page is the Climate Campaign, a campaign specific to Northeast U.S. campuses.
Down only a few spots in the Google search is SustainUS, the U.S. youth network for sustainable development.
This year’s May Day, SustainUS will gather in the halls of the United Nations in New York City for the 14th Session of the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development where the focus of the negotiations will be energy development and climate change.
Our Agents of Change will be there to demonstrate to the international community that youth across the United States are taking action towards a clean energy future.
SustainUS is also coordinating on Saturday, April 29 a huge Youth Energy Blast to gather youth energy leaders from around the world for a day of training, expression, and discussion around our clean energy future.
“This is your challenge. Who will rise to it?” Friedman said.
Our response: “Check out Google.com. Key word: youth energy climate.”