The library was bustling during A-block on Wednesday, March 4, as author and climate activist Bill McKibben addressed two classes. Another 14 classes were on Zoom. McKibben touched on a range of topics such as the future of climate justice, the global shift to solar power and climate change policies under the current Trump administration.
McKibben is one of the most widely known climate activists and authors in the United States, according to Roger Grande, the Climate Science and Social Change teacher and organizer of the event. Grande said he chose McKibben to speak to his students because of his communication skills and accomplishments.
“He’s a really clear and excellent communicator. He really makes his reality with a lot of potential for action, as well as what we’ve [climate activists] accomplished,” Grande said. “So as he said here today, we’ve made huge strides in bringing renewable [energy] online, and we have huge struggles ahead. That combination is what drew me to him.”
McKibben began his presentation by talking about the broader picture. He said humans are nearing the point of damaging the basic systems of the Earth through the production of fossil fuels. He also briefly mentioned that current world leaders are slowing the progress that could be made. McKibben then addressed what he referred to as a huge positive: the rapid spread of clean energy.
Senior Anna Son said that the spread of renewable energy stood out to her the most in the speech..
“It’s reassuring to know that some types of renewable energy really are coming to the front in terms of economics. Now it’s not just to better our planet, but there’s also the incentive of money,” Son said. “It gives me more hope that there’s now that aspect that people care more about, in terms of trying to get people to convert [to renewable energy].”
McKibben also said, in both his initial talk and the Q&A afterwards, that it is important that youth are proactive in making change. In order to make a change, he said, scientists cannot be the only group to back a cause; people are necessary to create the difference that most strive for. He then described instances in which young people made an impact in recent news.
Senior and member of the Climate Science and Social Change class, Elsa Pullano, said her perspective was changed by the talk.
“It made me think a lot more about how I can take action and how people can involve themselves in [change], because it feels really hard to do that at my age,” Pullano said.
McKibben closed out the meeting by talking about the future. He described jobs that people would not usually associate with impactful climate change activism, but where it is present nonetheless.
Son, who is planning on attending college for engineering, said that what McKibben shared about those jobs was both interesting and inspiring.
“I’m actually going to school for engineering,” Son said. “Hearing him talk about all the ways engineers can help with lithium and different sources to help out with climate change, it makes me more hopeful for what I can do to make things better.”
