A student activist stands in front of the White House in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Liz Starke/NWF)

They spent over 20 hours traveling by bus—through the night—in order to join with over 3,000 activists marching from Freedom Plaza to the White House on Sunday to speak out against the tar sands oil pipeline.

“The march itself was really exciting,” said Mariah, who was instrumental in getting the bus to D.C. for the day of action, “All 50 of us were chanting really loudly and trying to get everyone around us pumped up.”

Giving Students a Voice

The issue is one the Student Environmental Alliance, of which Mariah is an active member, has been working on for the past year. In addition to attending the rally, the student group has created photo and video petitions, making sure President Obama knows that stopping the Keystone XL pipeline is important to the nation’s young people.

Mariah, an Environmental Studies major, began taking classes on the subject in high school. “Learning about Keystone XL has perpetuated that interest and made me want to fight for climate justice,” she says.

Students gather under a parachute (thanks to Vinnie Roncelli) in Freedom Plaza (Photo: Liz Starke/NWF)

Sending a Colorful Message

For many of the Central Michigan University students, it was their first experience at a rally, and they were determined to make their presence known.

At the rally, Mariah and the other students spread out under a brightly colored parachute on which they had painted the words “Michigan against KXL” and “End Climate Silence” so that people in the buildings along Freedom Plaza would get their message. “We wanted to make a big statement since we were coming all the way from Michigan.”

Couldn’t make it to the rally? You can still stand up against tar sands! Tell President Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline.

Students in Lee Hall at FAMU awaiting the beginning of the opening plenary

I also tabled at the conference sharing Campus Ecology materials on how students can get plugged into the program. Additionally, I had some students commit to asking their school newspaper’s to write an article about NWF’s new report A Student’s Guide to How Corporate Oil, Gas and Coal Money Influences U.S. Energy Policy. The students were excited to connect this information to the actions they are taking on their campuses and to shed light on this important issue.

For me, the highlight of the weekend was my invitation to give a keynote speech during the Saturday Night Plenary, my first time ever doing something like that. I was asked to speak about my journey and the importance of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students in the environmental movement—especially because environmental justice is a growing hot topic.

I see my work in the environmental movement as the homage I pay to Dorothy Height and Fannie Lou Hammer and Ella Baker. Especially when I see figures and statistics about the environmental injustices my communities back home face and the black communities in Georgia. It is, as Senator John Lewis said, the new civil rights movement.

Twenty four schools and eight states were represented at this year’s SSREC, which was held at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical

participants making signs for Sunday’s protest

University (FAMU), an HBCU—it was a beautiful experience. The more than 300 attendees finished the conference on Sunday with a march to the Supreme Court of Florida, where a nuclear energy tax law is up for deliberation. The conference participants then marched on to the Florida State Capitol building and filmed a video posing a question to our presidential candidates: “What is the future for clean energy in this country?” This video will be submitted to CNN with the hope that the question will be asked during the next presidential debate. Overall, the weekend was inspirational and reminded me why I do what I do. I am excited about organizing in this region with these amazing student activists. Their enthusiasm is what will change this region and this country.

Students protest the Nuclear tax, currently up for deliberation in Florida’s Supreme Court

This Thanksgiving, I feel we have so many amazing things to be thankful for… but I will name just 5 of the top environmental/campus sustainability victories I feel deserve mentioning:

Top 5 Environmental / Campus Sustainability Victories 

1.  Keystone XL Pipeline has been delayed:  Two months ago no one thought that this was possible- yet we defied the impossible, we stopped Big Oil and are going to continue to put pressure on President Obama and the State Department to ensure that this pipeline will be stopped for good.

2.  Young Voices are calling for an end to Dirty Oil:  Across the country, the youth are asking for a clean energy revolution.  Just this past week, students in Ohio stood up to the gas industry, telling them that they “We won’t stop until you do.”   From the Keystone XL Pipeline, to fracking and mountaintop removal, young people are at the heart of each of these movements.  As Benjamin Disraeli said in 1844, “Almost everything that is great has been done by youth.”   

3.  Colleges and Universities are beginning to demonstrate that they can become 100% off-the-grid: Butte College in California is now grid positive  and the University of Minnesota-Morris has two utility scale wind turbines and a biomass plant, which is producing enough energy, that when the wind blows they, too, are off the grid.  These are just 2 college campuses, imagine what would happen if all 4100 colleges and universities made a pledge to be 100% off-the-grid!

4.  Sustainable Financing is now common on campuses:  Across the country, student green fees and green revolving loan funds are becoming the norm on college and university campuses.   The funds are then allocated to green projects on campus- new solar panels, better recycling, and improved energy usage are all types of projects students elect to implement on their campus.  These fees offer the ability for students to be creative in their efforts to green their campuses.

5.  Going “Green” is proving to save money:  Up until recently, many folks believed that becoming more sustainable would cost more money.  But colleges and universities are showing that sustainability has a high return on investment.  Millions of dollars are being saved on college campuses across the US .

There are many things to be thankful for this holiday season.  These top 5 victories are just the beginning.  I invite you to share with us what you think are the top 5 environmental victories to be thankful for this season in the comment box or on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Since the Kalamazoo Oil Spill last summer, students and community members have come together to shed light on the impacts tar sands oil spills have on the environment and the community.  The Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition (MSSC), the state-wide student network is working together with the National Wildlife Federation and other organizations to ensure that young voices in Michigan are being heard at the White House and with President Obama.

Students with Congressman John Conyers

Students across the state are working to collect 1000′s of video and photo petitions showcasing that they do not support the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Also, students will be holding teach in’s and movie screenings to help seperate the facts from the myths of the pipeline.

To get involved:

1.   Find us on Facebook at Michigan Students Against Keystone XL 

2.   Email Sarah Murphy at allaspiaggia@gmail.com who will get you linked in to the movement!

3.   Sign the No Keystone XL Pipeline Petition 

“What I felt was very telling was that many of the young people who attended the event in Cleveland were not up to speed on the pipeline,” says Juliana Goodlaw-Morris, campus ecology manager at the National Wildlife Federation, “however, now more than ever they are ready to take action on their campuses and in their communities.”
For example, when student leaders from all across the U.S. who recently attended the annual conference of the American Association of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) in Pittsburgh, PA, discovered that President Obama would be speaking in the city, they mobilized buses to meet him.

In Ohio, students are organizing at least three trainings to learn how to confront dirty energy projects like the Keystone XL oil pipeline and to advocate for safe, clean energy.

On November 6 at 2 pm (ET) in Washington, DC, students, faculty and staff from dozens of colleges and universities in the Mid-Atlantic region will gather with thousands of other concerned citizens at LaFayette Square in front of the White House to express opposition to the Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline and support for clean, safe energy. The President is expected to make a decision on the pipeline proposal in the coming weeks.

Many of the campus leaders are registering for the Nov 6 rally through National Wildlife Federation and will meet up with NWF staff there as well as the staff from Energy Action Coalition and many other sister organizations. Students and others are also submitting hand-written letters to the White House (President Obama is said to read as many as 500 per day), letters to the editor (see Alexandra Costaki’s post with examples), videograms, and online letters.

On November 6th, thousands of people will encircle the White House to send a peaceful and lawful message urging the President to reject the Keystone XL pipeline

National Wildlife Federation will join with Tar Sands Action and other allies to encircle the White House for the largest protest ever staged against the dangerous Keystone XL Pipeline. With a collective goal to recruit over 5,000 people, we will send a message to Obama that we stand strong in our opposition to this pipeline.

Join us - this is a chance to send a peaceful and lawful message to the President that tar sands oil and the Keystone XL pipeline have no place in a clean energy future. We cannot fight climate change if we allow our reliance on tar sands oil to grow.

WHO: You, family, friends, and neighbors.

WHAT: The largest tar sands rally in history, demonstrating to President Obama that tar sands will not be tolerated

WHEN: November 6th, 2:00 PM

WHERE: Meet at Lafayette Square in front of the White House.

RSVP Today!

Learn more about the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline

Click here to view the embedded video.

“I’m not trying to take away jobs or ruin our economy,” Gleichman said. “I’m fighting for everybody, even the people who are the oil company lobbyists. They need to breathe clean air just like the rest of us.”

Check out the article (and the lively comments following it) HERE.

Ready to take action yourself?

• Learn how to write a Letter to the Editor of your own
• Submit a comment to the U.S. Department of State opposing the Keystone XL
• Sign the petition to Obama today!

Are you a Michigan student wanting to get involved with the Michigan Students Against Keystone XL campaign? Like our facebook page and contact me at alex.costakis644@gmail.com

Learning about the biomass plant at UMM: photo credit- Juliana Goodlaw-Morris

This past weekend, September 23-24th, almost 200 students, staff, and faculty were faced with this issue while at the University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM) for the UMACS conference.  The main natural gas pipeline between Benson, MN and Morris, MN (approximately 25 miles) was severed.  Thus, leaving the community without their main source of heating/cooling and cooking needs.

However, except for the lack of hot water in our hotel rooms- the participants of the conference didn’t have to worry because the Morris campus has a biomass plant that was  kicked up to full power- eliminating the need for natural gas to heat and cool the buildings.

UMM is a leading renewable energy campus in the country, and the only liberal arts college within the U of Minnesota system.  As colleges and universities seek to transition towards renewable energy options, many lessons can be learned from how UMM has been successful in the development of two 1.65 megawatt wind turbines (which produce 70-100% of the campus electricity needs), a biomass gasification plant (using locally sourced fuel stock), solar thermal heating for their pool and other solar photovoltaic systems.

Participants at the conference were able to learn about the many sustainability efforts at Morris through different tours, including an agriculture campus/community tour, renewable energy tour, and even a night prairie walk.

On the prairie: one of the UMM wind turbines: photo credit- Juliana Goodlaw-Morris

This enabled the participants to learn about different financing options for renewable energy production (such as ESCOs = Energy Service Companies), successes and challenges with capturing the best biomass products, and how place-based education allows students to connect with their community and the land.  I should also mention that a number of participants camped out during the conference- furthering their understanding of the Minnesota prairie and their connection to the land.

Using the campus as a learning laboratory, something that Campus Ecology espouses, is critical to the success at Morris and many other colleges and universities in the UMACS network and across the country.  Students are not only learning theory, but are testing and tweaking what they are learning through hands-on sustainability projects across the campus and community.

Tour of 2nd wind turbine at UMM: photo credit- Juliana Goodlaw-Morris

One of the goals of UMACS and Campus Ecology is to accelerate sustainability learning and action by sharing resources, ideas, and lessons learned- in the hopes that higher education institutions will lead the way to a sustainable, clean energy future.This gathering at Morris proved that this goal is being accomplished across the Midwest!

The editorial page is the second most widely read page of the newspaper after the front page and an excellent way to bring attention to any issue. Here are some tips on how to write one:

1. A letter to the editor should be short- no more than 250 words (varies with paper) -clear, direct and simple, with a maximum of two or three points.
2. Try to find a local angle. Why should people in your area care about the issue?
3. Sign it and include a way for the press to contact you to confirm that you wrote the letter.
4. Check out local newspapers and research the proper way of sending the letter.
5. Keep your fingers crossed and wait for your letter to get published!

Check out this example Letter to the Editor that was written for a campus newspaper. The writer, Chloe Gleichman, was recently arrested at the Tar Sands Action in DC and uses her experience to bring a sense of seriousness and urgency to her letter.

Dear Editor,

I was arrested. Not for the reasons one might assume when considering a student at a school recognized for its parties, but for protesting a proposed tar sands pipeline that would cut our nation in half, carrying the world’s dirtiest oil all the way to Texas for energy-intensive refinement.

The pipeline would threaten enormous water supplies, poison our air, and emit greenhouse gases in such high quantities that leading scientists have deemed it “game over for the climate.”  While it was not my dream to get arrested, I chose to risk arrest in front of the White House because it is far past time our leaders defend our planet in the name of a clean and livable future.

For too long, we have protected the interests of corporations that profit from irresponsible destruction of life-sustaining resources and it is imperative this comes to an end.  I was arrested in the effort to stop the development of this abominable practice in hope and in struggle for a better world, one that embraces sustainable practices instead of relying on short-term, short-sighted solutions that ignore the well being of all life.

In a world suffocated by the selfish interests of the privileged few, we must build an oppositional culture — a resistance of sorts, to boldly stand against those who seek only to profit from destruction.  I was arrested last Monday to create exactly that.  So when the next generation asks me what I was doing when the powers-that-be were systematically destroying our world, I will be able to say I was fighting back.

Sincerely,

Chloe Gleichman
(Address)
(Phone Number)
(Signature)

For more Letter to the Editor examples, check these out!

• Government should oppose Keystone Xl Pipeline, by Mike Specian Phillipsburg
• Protesting the Keystone Xl, by Dean Hulse
• Tar Sands and Carbon Numbers

It is clear that the Tar Sands Action participants aren’t going to let a hurricane stop them. This morning there was a rally in Lafayette Park (minus the civil disobedience) and there will also be an “Artists for Climate” event this evening. Sunday’s demonstration is cancelled “in the interests of safety, and out of respect for everyone dealing with the immediate effects of this monster storm”. The demonstrations are continuing as scheduled starting this Monday.

Four Michigan students arrived in D.C. last night ready to participate in the action this morning, ready to put their bodies on the line to send the serious message that the Keystone XL pipeline is not in our nation’s interest. While disappointed that the demonstrations would not be continuing as planned, the news of hurricane Irene only increased their determination. Thus, the decision to stay in D.C. until Monday to fully participate in the action was made.

The news of Hurricane Irene has deepened the commitment of others as well. “It does not escape our attention that storms of this size and character will be the new normal on a warmer planet”, says the Tar Sands Action weather update.

Please reach out to our Congressional leaders and demand that we protect communities, wildlife and our natural resources before rushing dangerous tar sands pipeline projects, like the Keystone XL.

Stay tuned for live updates from Monday’s action!