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Student clubs unite to form new environmental coalition

As if taking their cues from the classic TV series "Captain Planet," environmentally-minded Connecticut College students are joining forces to help save our planet.

Members of several student clubs and organizations, including Forest Justice, Oceana, the Renewable Energy Club, the House Environmental Representatives, the Student Government Association and the Goodwin-Niering Center for the Environment, recently established the Environmental Leaders Coalition to coordinate efforts and enhance communication.

"We want to bring the student environmental voice to the forefront of the student body, the administration and the New London community," co-founder Elias Kauders '12 said. "At the same time, we want to show people that yes, we are all working together toward a cleaner planet."

Kauders and his peers decided to collaborate after nearly 200 students traveled to Washington D.C. to attend the Climate Rally last spring. Each campus club planned separate trips, Kauders said, and the students realized planning the trip collectively would have been more practical and efficient.

The students also recognized they could have an even greater impact if they reach out to similar student groups across the state. Together with students from Wesleyan and Yale, they organized to form Connecticut Students for a Just and Stable Future, a group dedicated to encouraging government officials and citizens to adopt policies and living practices that protect the ecosystems that sustain life.

- By Kelly Parlin '12

 



October 15, 2010