Clifford Symposium puts a spotlight on environmental activism

Bill McKibben, Schumann distinguished scholar at Middlebury, renowned environmentalist and co-founder of 350.org — the first global climate campaign of its kind — was joined by his 350.org co-founders to kick off this year’s Clifford Symposium. 

The Clifford Symposium occurs each year at the beginning of the fall semester, bringing scholars, faculty and students together around a relevant theme. It is named for former Professor of History Emeritus Nicholas R. Clifford, who taught at the college from 1966 to 1993.

This year’s symposium, titled “Radical Implications: Facing a Planetary Emergency,” featured talks from experts, faculty and students that confronted questions about how to navigate a world actively undergoing a climate crisis. 

The event featured several keynote speakers, including adrienne maree brown, whose works, such as “Pleasure Activism: the politics of feeling good” and “We Will Not Cancel Us,” ask questions about transformative justice, using emotional empowerment as an organizing principle and radical imagination about the future.

Sarah Jacquette Ray, another keynote speaker, spoke about climate anxiety and other powerful emotions sparked by climate change — why people feel them, how to overcome them and what can be done to empower oneself.

Other keynote speakers included Jane McAlevey, Mary Annaïse Heglar and Julian Brave NoiseCat. Faculty and students also presented on the impact of the climate crisis on the academic experience.  

Giving the first talk of the symposium, Bill McKibben and other 350.org founders, including May Boeve ’06, Jeremy Osborn ’06, Phil Aroneanu ’06, Kelly Blynn ’07, Jon Warnow ’06, Will Bates ’06 and Jamie Henn ’07, gave advice on how to balance activism and being a college student.

They reminisced about the early days of the organization — before climate justice was a central focus at Middlebury or considered an issue deserving of international attention. The project originated from Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies Jon Isham’s J-Term course about the threat of the climate crisis.

Today, climate activism is a robust part of the Middlebury community, with student organizations like the Sunday Night Environmental Group (SNEG) and a Sunrise chapter boasting large memberships, among numerous other student environmental groups.  

The panel suggested that a reassessment of priorities might be in order for Middlebury students to address the climate crisis. According to the founders, Middlebury provides students with incredible resources, but the potential for change lies in how the students choose to leverage those resources and the prestige of a Middlebury degree.

“Stay in school –– lower your GPA,” Osborn said. 

Other student questions centered around making a life for oneself during an ongoing global crisis. McKibben and the other panelists described the fight for justice as unrelenting and the strength to persevere as collective rather than individual. For the 350.org founders, Middlebury is a place with unmatched opportunities for young people to build those necessary relationships. 

Employment in climate-related fields — spanning from scientific research to media to politics — are numerous and more available to Middlebury alumni today than when the 350.org founders graduated, creating greater opportunities for young people to make fighting climate change a part of their futures. 

“[Today,] the climate movement is a lot larger, it’s a lot more diverse, and it pays a lot better than it used to,” said Aroneanu.

Bill McKibben and the 350.org founders expressed to the audience that there are no limits in what the community can accomplish as Middlebury students. They urged students to look to opportunities like J-Term to provide them with the necessary time and focus for getting involved in climate activism. McKibben also urged students to look outside of Middlebury.

Most talks are available as recordings to view on the Clifford Symposium website.