With the chaos of an election, university students have raised concerns about environmental policies. Students involved in on-campus environmental organizations hold the issue close.
Climate change’s consequences continue to grow as rising temperatures fuel environmental degradation, natural disasters, food and water insecurity and economic disruption. Numerous climate policies, such as the transition to clean energy, are in voters’ hands in the 2024 election.
Audrey Deturck, a junior wildlife and conservation major, is the president of the university’s Earth Ocean and Environment Club (EOEC).
“I think the climate crisis will be heavily impacted by this next election with project 2025 and wanting to disband the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,” Deturck said.
Project 2025 is the conservative Heritage Foundation’s policy blueprint for a Republican administration. While former President Donald Trump has disavowed it, concerns were raised by several former Trump Administration officials having a role in writing the project.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was founded to address national needs for protecting life and property from natural hazards. The project included four pages on NOAA and declared it a component of the “climate change alarm industry.” The statement was followed by a call to break up and downsize it.
Deturck expressed frustration at the proposed idea.
“Without the organization, the climate crisis will only get worse,” Deturck said. “It makes me feel very scared for the next election. I feel we are at a tipping point with our climate crisis. As we have seen in the past month, storms are getting way worse and the seas levels are only rising. A lot of people in communities will be devastated by these conditions.”
Audrey Williams, a senior marine biology major and secretary of EOEC, shared similar concerns regarding the political climate.
“In this election, we have to encourage politicians to discuss their policies and that the climate crisis is real and a big problem,” Williams said. “The fact that politicians aren’t doing that is encouraging others to turn a blind eye, especially Donald Trump.”
Trump had previously called climate change “one of the greatest scams of all time.” Environmentalists were critical of his decision in 2016 to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement. In his most recent campaign, he stated he would expand oil and gas production, including drilling in the Arctic wilderness.
Vice President Kamala Harris has declared climate change an existential threat and is expected to continue federal support for wind and solar energy. In 2022, she was the tie-breaking vote on the biggest climate law in U.S. history, the Inflation Reduction Act.
“Trump swerved around answering issues about the climate, which is unfair and may lead others to turn a blind eye,” Williams said. “People not only need to educate themselves on the state of the climate but also encourage politicians to discuss their policies to combat the climate crisis.”
Both Deturck and Williams believe that there are ways university students can become involved in the fight against climate change. Williams encouraged students to use on-campus resources put in place to benefit the environment.
“There’s a reuse pass on campus, where instead of using plastic you can have access to reusable items,” Williams said. “I know campus seems like such a big environment, but by having those resources available you can figure out how to help. It’s important to encourage your friends to seek our recycling sources on and off campus.”
Deturck believes education to bring more awareness of climate change would be beneficial. Specifically, requiring students to take a class on the importance of protecting the climate.
“We can advocate against climate change and educate ourselves,” Deturck said. “I believe that universities should have a climate environmental requirement like we do with creative arts requirements.”
Deturck continued, explaining how drawing in awareness from others would substantially help in the fight against the climate crisis.
“I didn’t learn what was happening until I took AP Environmental Science back in high school,” Deturck said. “There are many people without environment-related majors, and I think learning more about it amongst their other work would be beneficial.”
Williams remains hopeful that students will help create a safer environment despite the amount of work left to be done.
“Learn to upcycle, you can thrift shop locally, there are many places close to campus,” Williams said. “Push yourself and your friends to make a difference.”