Thinking Green

Author: Zooey Burrows

Whether you are a staunch environmentalist, a politically-minded Democrat, or are simply tired of seeing Bush and his party's majority in Congress make poor decisions on so many environmental issues, you should get involved this summer and help break the "conservative monopoly."

May Boeve '06 explains that one of the best things any environmentally-minded Middlebury student can do to support environmental organizations such as Energy Action, a youth coalition for clean energy, is "to attach ourselves to a particular Senate campaign for an environmentally and socially responsible candidate, and put all our strength into it."

If you are not politically inclined, do not despair! Boeve reminds us that "any student can get involved by continually discussing the election wherever they are this summer, being clear that energy is an issue of vital importance." In conjunction with other Vermont colleges, Middlebury's Sunday Night Group (SNG), a club on campus that seeks to address important social and environmental issues, is currently trying to do just that. The third meeting with the Vermont Climate Action Network, will be held at the University of Vermont on March 26, bringing students from Vermont universities together to talk about important environmental concerns.

Whether you choose to work as a part of a Middlebury College summer network being developed now or independently in your home state, it is time to check out the representatives up for re-election. With minimal effort and hopefully great results, supporting a Democratic candidate in your area is something that should be a part of your summer 2006.

Currently, there are 12 toss-up races in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Illinois and Ohio, of which 10 seats are currently held by Republicans, making it even more important that Democratic candidates have the support they need to win. Of these states, environmental action groups are targeting Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Arizona and Colorado as the key states where student support will make the most difference.

In Vermont, our very own independent Congressman Bernie Sanders is campaigning for the Senate seat of retiring Democrat Jim Jeffords. Already far ahead in the polls, Sanders will likely be running against multimillionaire businessman Richard Tarrant, the only Republican who has expressed interest in the race thus far. Nevertheless, Sanders will need the support of Vermont citizens and students. Therefore, Middlebury students thinking of staying on campus for the summer should think about contributing to this important Congressional race.