By Marley Frankel, News Correspondent
About 20 students attended’ an ‘Emergency meeting for Global Survival’ Monday night at the Curry Student Center, where they discussed Massachusetts Power Shift (MAPS), a non-partisan state-wide group of environmental activists campaigning for climate change.
MAPS is calling for the state government to have Massachusetts powered by 100 percent clean electricity within the next ten years.
Dan Abrams, a junior environmental science major, and Dominique McCadden, a junior sociology major and Boston recruitment coordinator for MAPS, organized the meeting. McCadden remains in constant contact with Boston schools and holds emergency meetings like the one held Monday night. Abrams is the Boston media coorinator for the group.
They said the word emergency was used because they feel it appropriately describes the situation.
‘Leaders are meeting Dec. 7 in Copenhagen to work on global goals for carbon reduction,’ McCadden said. ‘The United States of America has so far failed to lead, but it is now time to step up. Northeastern University should be leading this effort.’
Some students said they were eager to sign up for one-on-one meetings with McCadden and Abrams to learn more about how they can join and help.
‘I’m looking forward to seeing how they can bring about the change,’ said sophomore Justin Bergeron. ‘If you take a look at obvious pollutants such as cars, that is enough to motivate me to basically give up driving.’
Abrams said MAPS has the advantage of not being a student group because anyone can join, giving the group more diversity and larger numbers in it’s membership. It also garners them the support of the state and furthers the idea that the issue reaches beyond the university.
Attendees were encouraged to do research themselves to see more proof of the climate issues. They also briefly discussed the UN Millennium Project, which has an Environmental Sustainability Task Force, as well as other task forces dealing with things like hunger and gender equality.
Abrams told the attendees to get involved in this time of emergency, with carbon dioxide levels at an all time high.
‘Carbon dioxide has never gone above 280ppm [parts per million] in ice core analysis. Present day we are at 390ppm and rising,’ Abrams said. ‘If we continue at this pace by being selfish and careless in our carbon, fossil fuel and natural gas usage, we will be at 900ppm by 2100.’
Questions after the meeting were directed at things that could be done immediately to reduce energy usage, including drinking tap water and becoming a vegetarian.
‘Hopefully this meeting will encourage others to join in this state-wide effort,’ she said. ‘We are not satisfied with Northeastern’s efforts to combat global warming. I believe every higher education university should be taking a lead.’
