To the Editor:

One year ago, on April 22, 2023, Clarkson President, Dr. Marc Christensen, signed on to the Second Nature Climate Leadership statement. This statement affirmed his belief “in the power, potential, and imperative of higher education’s key role in shaping a sustainable society.”

As a student and person who is living through the climate crisis, it is critical to me that this statement is taken seriously. Growing up, I spent a lot of time outside. I spent hours in the woods near my family’s house. I laid on the leaf-littered ground. I hugged the mighty trees. I listened to the chickadees talking about cheeseburgers and asking if they were seen. This is where I first connected to the power of nature.

As I have had more life experiences, I have learned that there is an irrefutable connection between the human spirit, trees, animals, insects, and soil. That connection is a feeling of peace, a feeling of love, a feeling of intrinsic rejuvenation. That connection is life.

Beyond a life-giving connection and breath-taking beauty, nature provides us with all our material needs. But we have jeopardized our right, our friends’ and family’s right, and nature’s right to exist and thrive.

Earlier this year, the 6th Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was released. “Unequivocally,” the report states, “human activities… have caused global warming.” The report goes on to detail how human-caused climate change has already reduced food security, increased the prevalence of food-and-water-borne diseases, and increased the number of extremely hot days per year.

Hold up. Let’s slow down. If you are like me, you read that, felt sad, and moved on. We have become desensitized to the enormity of climate change. Climate change means that you will have family and friends who get sick from Lyme disease, wildfire smoke, and new diseases. In the North Country it means that roads will wash out, agricultural losses will increase, and winter sports won’t exist. Climate change is not just a tagline; it is our future.

However, if we take drastic action now we can better mitigate and adapt to the impacts. If you are a parent, foster a connection between your child and the planet. If you are a teacher or professor, integrate the climate crisis into your lessons. If you are a business owner, reduce waste, source from local producers, and promote equitable pay. If you are a homeowner, take steps to improve your home’s efficiency. If you are a human, go outside, hug a tree, write to your legislator, and tackle one action at a time.

We are in this together. Together we can get through this.

This week, Clarkson is celebrating Earth Week. As an organizer, I hope that the events influence as many people as possible. I hope that the administration sees that their students care about the health of the environment, their friends, and their family. I hope that we learn to come together for our future. (For more information on events, see the schedule below.)

So often we celebrate Earth Day and move on. That is no longer an option. I urge everyone to learn and take action.

Today we find ourselves at a critical point in history. When we get through this, make sure you can look back and say, “I was part of the change. I did everything in my power to make our home livable and thriving for generations to come.”

See more here: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_SYR_SPM.pdf

Ella Weldy

Clarkson University student