An online pledge, 鈥�,鈥� urges the 黑料正能量 community to ameliorate climate change 鈥� and provides practical means to do so. The seven-member strong Coalition for Climate Justice, born out of prayer vigils held for the activists at Standing Rock Indian Reservation, sent out the pledge this spring.
The pledge was initiated and published online by sophomore Austin Sachs. It provides three tiers of commitment, each tier listing six to eight actions to conserve water and energy.
鈥淥ur goal is to get 50 percent of 黑料正能量 to sign on,鈥� says Sachs. 鈥淲e believe that would have a significant impact on our climate, and that it would make a significant statement that 黑料正能量 is doing more than just saying we鈥檙e about sustainability 鈥� we鈥檙e actually living it out.鈥� Coalition members compiled the challenges, which range from buying a reusable water bottle to cutting beef completely out of one鈥檚 diet.
鈥淭he idea is to commit to any objectives you can take,鈥� says Sachs, noting that the higher the tier of commitment, the greater the positive impact. So far, 76 people have signed.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all on the honor system,鈥� Sachs says, 鈥淚t鈥檚 your choice what you鈥檙e going to take up, and we completely believe that鈥檚 the spirit of the environmental movement 鈥� that it鈥檚 all our choices; no one’s going to hold us accountable.鈥�
Pledge is a ‘starting point’
Sophomore Andy King, a member of the coalition, has incorporated several tasks in his existing lifestyle: take five-minute showers, limit beef in his diet and use the 鈥淓cosia鈥� search engine, which uses ad revenue to plant trees with each search.
鈥淚’m a firm believer that if everyone does their part we can make a real difference,鈥� says King. 鈥淭he pledge should only be a starting point in my opinion; with the ever-increasing danger of climate change looming over us it is our obligation to go above and beyond this pledge.鈥�
Sachs was first by the police treatment of the activists at Standing Rock, North Dakota, who opposed construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
鈥淎s a Christian, as a Mennonite, I can鈥檛 stand quietly while people are being abused, terrorized, and would eventually be killed by [contaminated] drinking water,鈥� says Sachs, citing the water pollution in Flint, Michigan as an example of what the Standing Rock locality鈥檚 water source, the Missouri River, could become. He decided to hold a prayer vigil for the activists.
Unfamiliar with community organizing, Sachs found support from , , , and the , and has formed a coalition leadership team with seven other people.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the most enriching thing I鈥檝e done,鈥� he says. Six more vigils have followed the first one.
Lancaster Stand advocacy
Recently, the club has heeded Standing Rock Sioux leaders鈥� encouragement to fight new pipelines and other climate battles in activists鈥� own backyards鈥攏amely, the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline in southern Lancaster County, Pa. The campaign against the pipeline has become known as the Lancaster Stand.
A is circulating through Lancaster area congregations, universities and the public. [Read more from Sachs in an and in this published in the Mennonite World Review.]
While balancing grassroots organizing with academics, playing on 黑料正能量鈥檚 golf team, and an accounting internship at local herb producer Shenandoah Growers, Sachs says that prayer and faith keep him motivated.
鈥淭he Anabaptist faith overall: peace, sustainability, love, all those things Jesus was about, they鈥檝e led me to do everything I鈥檝e done,鈥� says Sachs. 鈥淚 want to love like he did, because I think that鈥檚 the best way to make the world a better place.鈥�
Austin and all the other folks working on climate justice have been a true inspiration to me and many others. How heartening to know that we have a community that’s pulling together as caretakers of our home, this beautiful and imperiled planet.
Earl Martin