Taking Back Earth Day: Students Rally Against Climate Change
By Eden Shamy
Reporting Texas
Students Fighting Climate Change rally for climate action at the University of Texas Tower for Earth Day, April 22. Eden Shamy/Reporting Texas
Students Fighting Climate Change reclaimed Earth Day this year by rallying against fossil fuels at the University of Texas at Austin.
“Climate action now!” protesters chanted as they marched through the heart of campus, cutting through the crowds at UT’s Earth Day fair on Speedway.
A year ago, the group petitioned the university to divest from the fossil fuel industry and become a leader in the green energy transition. This Earth Day, they delivered their letter of demands to Interim President Jim Davis, alongside a paper chain representing nearly 800 signatures.
“Our action was more effective than it’s been in the past because we got direct contact with the president, and that’s impossible to ignore,” said Olga Tumanova, a director of Students Fighting Climate Change.
The university’s ties to the fossil fuel industry run deep, with a gas plant on campus and over a million acres of land leased for oil drilling across the state.
“You can’t avoid the sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and benzene that are emitted when that (gas) is combusted,” said Zoey Kaul, a director of Students Fighting Climate Change.
In the 1970s, the first Earth Day began as a mass political movement. Over 20 million Americans took to the streets demanding the preservation of the air we breathe and the water we drink. Now, students fear that commercialization has obscured the cause.
“There’s parading of mascots, free merch that was likely constructed in unethical circumstances, and many instances of wastefulness,” Kaul said, describing modern celebrations of Earth Day.
In addition to the university’s investments, students expressed concerns about the impact of new state laws on climate research and education. For example, Senate Bill 37 could establish a state appointed board to audit the university’s departments and curriculums. Students in environmental science, sustainability studies, and other earth sciences worry that important courses and research projects could be cut.
“As an environmental scientist, if I’m not constantly thinking about how does the science affect peoples’ lives, then it’s kind of a waste,” Tumanova said. “I don’t think that anyone in power is really understanding how this is affecting people across the world.”
Geophysics student Alan Stone added that it can be hard to find career opportunities at UT without being directed toward the fossil fuel industry.
“It is not only an existential issue for me, it’s also a career issue,” Stone said. “I got out of a career advising appointment today where I was given oil and gas research internship opportunities.”
After delivering their demands and protesting outside the Tower, Students Fighting Climate Change hosted a picnic discussion at Calhoun Hall. Several students said they felt invigorated by their first experience in climate activism. The group shared ways to continue attracting new people to the movement and put greater pressure on the university.
“We don’t want this movement to be watered down or erased,” Kaul said.