Campus Character: Pier LaFarge '10.5

“Climate change is the challenge of our time,” Pier LaFarge ’10.5 emphasized throughout our conversation. “Students at Middlebury have a great opportunity to become engaged on various levels of action.”

At 2 a.m. on a Friday afternoon, one would think a senior Feb would much rather embrace a much needed weekend retreat than acquiesce to a Campus interview, but LaFarge enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to discuss his activist role on campus and the current debate on climate policy.

The Rhode Island native arrived at Middlebury after what he believed was the typical Febmester of erratic endeavors — everything from backpacking in the Swiss Alps to conservation work in Costa Rica. When posed the banal question of “Why Middlebury?” Lafarge couldn’t help but smile.

“Middlebury is such an encompassing and involved place, La Farge said. “People really want to be here. There is a huge sense of community not found in many other places.”

LaFarge seized the opportunities that Middlebury offered. During President Barack Obama’s campaign, he worked as an intern for 1Sky, an organization that advocates federal action to stop global warming. On campus, LaFarge is active in the Middlebury Mountain Club, especially with the recent initiative to reinstate the MiddView program in first-year orientation.

“We are waiting for Finance Committee approval, but we are closer to getting MiddView back,” said LaFarge, who adamantly explained his rationale for trying to rescue the program.

“MiddView is an integral part of coming to Middlebury,” said LaFarge. “It’s a three-day, focused experience where nervous first-years, in a healthy social context, can engage with each other and upperclassmen. Most importantly, incoming students have the chance to discuss their fears, which turn out to not be singular to any one person — everyone is talking about the same thing,” said LaFarge. “MiddView reflects the best parts of the Middlebury community — connecting to the landscape and the people.”

Getting back to discussing his sincere interest in climate change and environmental policy, LaFarge gave a brief history of the evolution of his passion.

“My father was an environmentalist and outdoorsman,” he explained. “He worked in both land and water conservation. His legacy has helped inspire me to follow in a similar activist vein. In high school, I began to engage with issues dealing with sustainable energy and climate change. I researched different environmental policies for my senior project.”

While in college, the environmental policy major has expanded this interest to a desire to “bring policy focus and awareness on a relatable level back to campus.”

LaFarge is particularly motivated to help erase the stigma associated with labels like “environmental” or “climate change.”

“We need to unpack climate change into its functional parts, making the debate much more palatable for everyone around the country,” explained LaFarge. “Approaching the issue from a deconstructed view is extremely beneficial — breaking it into energy efficiency, green jobs, pollution regulation, investment in transportation infrastructure and renewable resources, etc.”

LaFarge plans to focus his thesis on ways in which climate policy can be filtered through the philosophy of conservative states.

“Agriculture in the United States has a lot to lose from climate change,” said LaFarge. “As rain patterns change and droughts become more frequent, growing crops will get harder and more expensive.” LaFarge added, “Addressing climate change at the national level has the ability to bring good jobs back to struggling rural communities through investment in the renewable energy industry. Legislation will also open up a bunch of income opportunities for American farmers in areas like biomass and carbon sequestration.”

When asked how students who are not necessarily well-versed on environmental policy can get involved, LaFarge explained that the first step towards understanding the climate crisis is to educate oneself. He encourages people to go out and read up on scientific developments and current policy debates.

“There is so much space and opportunity to get involved, any student can make change in numerous ways whether it’s contacting their senator or joining climate action organizations.”

Wanting to make one point extremely clear, LaFarge reiterated, “The debate has moved beyond debating the science behind climate change. What we’re talking about now is ‘how fast’ and ‘how hard’ the effects will hit. This challenge is about working to keep the pace of climate change within the bounds of what our systems can handle.”