Multiple student run organizations at Indiana University have been continuously protesting in hopes that President Pamela Whitten and the school’s administration will reform their climate action plan into what they consider an effective and meaningful one. In response to the protests, Whitten recently came out and reiterated the schools commitment to sustainability and announced that the school has formed a new committee for climate action planning. The purpose of the committee is to help reduce its greenhouse gas emission on all of IU’s campuses. The committee also is said to be exploring different ways and technology to use renewable energy within its facilities.
Students from multiple organizations, one being Students for a New Green World, have expressed their disdain with the newly formed committee, again questioning its effectiveness. They believe that the plans IU has put into place in the past have been ineffective and that no action ever ends up taking place. They feel it will be the same with this one. The students want the school to consult with experts and specialists on the climate change subject as they feel those leading the current charge are uneducated and indifferent to the cause. In specific multiple of the students have called out Tom Morrison, who is in charge of leading the newly founded committee, for not being knowledgeable enough on the topic.
Multiple student activists from SNGW express their distaste for Tom Morrison, the newly appointed head of Indiana University’s climate action planning committee.
The students have noted Sustain IU as a group that the university should be consulting with. “We want the committee and the plan to be directed by Sustain IU. It is imperative that sustainability experts are behind this and not just people that might be trying to lead the institution and do things from a performative way,” says Vice President of Students for a New Green World Cooper Sykes. The different organizations have been protesting in very visible areas on campus in order for the school to recognize their displeasure and to try and force them to make a change. They have commonly been protesting around tour groups for prospective IU students along with highly attended events on campus such as “First Thursdays.” “We’ve been protesting the campus tours all semester and will probably continue that strategy just to show IU that we have leverage over them by affecting their image,” Students for a New Green World President Siddharth Das said.
Whitten’s newly created committee was an attempt to manage this leverage by trying to satisfy the protestors but the students remain dissatisfied. Another one of the students ultimate goals is to have carbon neutrality by 2040. Morrison combated that however by saying in order to accomplish that, there are some factors that are out of IU’s control. He also defended the committee and is optimistic about what they can accomplish under Whitten and him. The student organizations say they will continue to protest until they feel their demands are met. A lot of them have alluded to the fact that they feel Indiana University is behind in climate action efforts compared to many other Big Ten universities, who they believe have better established and more purposeful committees for the cause.
More information on the matter can be found here: IDS News Article on Climate Change
SNGW President Siddharth Das and SNGW Vice President Cooper Sykes protest for a climate action plan outside of the Sample Gates.
Different student organizations at Indiana University are asking the administration to let the "experts" lead the fight against climate change.
Scenes from IU students' demonstration on the IUPUI campus at University Hall demanding change.
SNGW Vice President Cooper Sykes protesting right outside of a tour group for prospective IU students.
Members of SNGW protesting right outside of the popular IU event "First Thursdays."
Students are adamant about climate action happening now, along with IU achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.
