This year, the theme of Kennesaw State’s Constitution Week is “Democracy on my mind.” Various events are being held on campus to teach students that their voices matter as the 2020 election approaches.
Continuing the theme, the Citizens’ Climate Lobby conducted a Climate Advocacy Training workshop on Wednesday, Sept. 18.
CCL is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization focused on changing government policies to address climate change. Thanks to extensive work done by the CCL, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in January.
A prominent feature of the bill is that it is bipartisan and will provide a means to bridge the energy issue between the Republicans and Democrats.
If enacted, the bill will be effective in reducing America’s emissions by at least 40 percent in the first 12 years.
Dan May, a tenured CCL presenter, highlighted how the community at large should be encouraged to have conversations about what needs to be savored and saved — and why it matters most to them.
For sophomore geography major Will McClure, nature has been a creative inspiration and source of therapy.
McClure is passionate about preserving biodiversity around the world but his priority right now is to save the Amazon rainforest. Advocating for peaceful coexistence between nature and humanity is what McClure wants to focus his energies on.
Senior environmental science major Nick Ehlbeck spoke about the targets of climate change.
“The beaches and the oceans of the planet are the most sensitive to global climate change,” Ehlbeck said. “Rising waters and warming of oceans make them susceptible to hurricanes.”
At the workshop, CCL southeast regional fellow Destiny Loyd strongly emphasized that climate change will disproportionately affect everyone. During a mock lobby exercise, Loyd demonstrated the roles students could play while reaching out to members of Congress.
“The lobbying mock meeting with the council member demonstrated how quickly we can bring the government to listen to us as citizens,” junior environmental engineering major Brandon Parsons said.
Parsons, like a majority of the attendees, fully supports the EICD Act. As president of EcoOwls, a KSU student organization focused on environmental sustainability, Parsons is involved in organizing sustainable ventures on campus for students to participate in.
Senior mechanical engineering major Carnell Tate appreciated the letter-writing portion of the workshop and thought it was a simple, yet powerful way to get involved politically.
Climate change advocate and CCL presenter Henry Slack periodically collects citizens’ letters addressed to their Congress members at film screenings, talks and other events.
These letters are addressed to members of Congress to encourage them to take action on climate change as a major way to get these voices heard.
Slack focused attention on the fact that one does not need to know the ins and outs of the environment to care. A group effort from people who care is what is needed to create change.
“We are not environmentalists, we are believers in democracy first and we want our thoughts listened to,” Slack said. “Working in teams, we have a chance to do more and help out.”
Wherever the specific area in mind is, actively participating in climate change initiatives led by groups such as CCL can help implement necessary policies. To learn more about CCL, visit the website.
