On Earth Day 2015, G.L.A.D.E.S., an environmental club at Florida International University, held a photo petition, collecting visions for a better future. We asked people to write their vision on a post-it and took pictures. We emphasized visions for a transition to renewable energy, but allowed people to write anything they wanted.
G.L.A.D.E.S. is one of the student organizations forming the Coalition for Renewable Energy at FIU. Our mission is to increase the renewable energy use at FIU’s campuses, as part of Sierra Student Coalition’s Seize the Grid campaign.
Many people that we talked to as we collected photo petitions on Earth Day supported renewable energy, and some gave ideas on how to create a renewable energy transition. Several people were optimistic about solar power, one person suggested turning waste to energy, particularly in developing countries, and another person suggested harvesting energy from biomass (particularly collecting methane from manure). We also met someone collecting petition signatures for the Solar Choice ballot initiative for Florida.
One individual, a mechanical engineering student, said he supported clean energy, but that there was more money in a career in the fossil fuel industry. Many engineering students feel that when they graduate, they have a choice between what will make them the most money and what is better for society. Renewable energy is rapidly becoming the more profitable industry, but during the career of a current graduate, it may be true that the fossil fuel industry holds some more immediately profitable careers. One of my visions is inviting mechanical engineering students at FIU to join our campaign so together we can bring more renewable energy to FIU. I was grateful to meet others who emphasized renewable energy research and support of green jobs.
Two other individuals I met while collecting photo petitions demonstrated that Earth Day is about all social issues. One woman was taking care of three kids and wrote a vision for ending police brutality. One of the kids wrote he wanted to “Save animals!!!!” Another woman used her post-it to write out an extensive list. It turned out that she was allergic to dust; so she suggested people vacuum more and install humidifiers to capture dust in the air.
Different people go through various struggles every day. Some are social issues that deal with basic human rights and inequalities; like racial discrimination and police brutality. Environmental issues are also social issues. It’s not worth choosing what is most important; everything needs its own time and resources.
When it comes to environmental issues, acting on climate change is a very crucial struggle today, because climate change impacts human rights and all life on Earth.
How do we act on climate change?
Among the most important solutions is reducing our greenhouse gas emissions through a transition to renewable energy. We are morally required as a society to harness renewable energy sources due to many other factors, including pollution affecting health in communities where fossil fuels are produced and extracted, and dwindling sources of finite fossil fuels.
While we learn the lay of the land of renewable energy access in Florida, our student coalition’s renewable energy campaign goal for FIU stands at 15% renewable energy by 2020 and 50% renewable energy by 2030. But as we learn more, and have an impact on state-wide access to renewable energy, we know we can improve our goal.
The photo petition activity got people thinking and talking about renewable energy. It certainly led me to have new perspectives. You can see our photos on twitter at @RenewableFIU. Support energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy as solutions to slow climate change, one of the biggest environmental and social issues of our time.
