As the weather heats up for the spring, so too do the efforts of many key activist organizations across Indiana University’s campus. But few have remained so stalwart as Students for a New Green World, IU’s most active and emboldened climate action organization. Their calls for “climate action now” have been steadily chanted across campus tour routes and official IU events for months.

SNGW is pressuring IU to commit to more sustainable practices, especially a climate action plan, which SNGW president Sidd Das finds reasonable based on other Big Ten universities. “This is something that half of the Big Ten universities already have and IU doesn’t yet, and they also refuse to move forward with one for some reason.”

The organization’s goals can be distilled into two major asks, the commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, as well as a commitment to a broader action plan by 2023. Das hopes that within this plan would be talks of divestment from fossil fuels altogether. “Carbon neutrality should be one of the main goals of a climate action plan, but there are also, I mean, a lot of other steps that need to come before that,” Das said. 

 

The organization has been applying pressure to the university for months, most recently through their occupancy of major IU events, including the Hutton Honors College Convocation and IU Day, both of which took place at Showalter Fountain. The protesters were met both times with large crowds of attendees and curious onlookers. 

In late March, SNGW appeared outside of the Hutton Honors College Convocation, protesting toward the many parents and students as they exited the event. One SNGW member, Ashley Culbertson, was prepared to ask President Whitten questions. It was speculated that the reception was canceled due to cold temperatures, and Whitten was never seen exiting the auditorium.

In late April, advocates marched along the perimeter of the fountain at the center of the IU Day festivities. Hundreds of onlookers would momentarily stop to listen to them, some asking for more information. “People were learning and people were receptive, which I think was really important,” Quil Espiritu, SNGW member, said. 

As the chorus of chants permeates through the crowds, so does one question: “Pamela Whitten, will you listen?” A question that, to some, hasn’t been satisfied well enough. The university had been largely silent amidst the protests, but it appears that SNGW’s efforts have borne fruit. On April 7, 2022, IU announced the formation of a Climate Action Planning Committee, which seeks to find short-term and long-term solutions to IU emissions. SNGW and other student organizations are not satiated, however. No student organization is present on the committee. 

“IU doesn’t have enough of an incentive to make that change… it might lead to increases for students,” said Nikolaos Zirogiannis, a climate-conscious environmental economist at IU. He believes that IU still has a responsibility to reduce its carbon footprint, but understanding the reasons why they haven’t yet is equally important.

Student organizations struggle with this philosophy, however, because of the example set by other Big Ten universities.

“There is no logical sense for them not to act,” Das says. He went on to share that they have the infrastructure In place and the people willing to do the work to put together a plan.

The only thing he says he believes could justify the inaction is IU’s reliance on Indiana state funding.

“We don’t want to protest. We’re not looking for a reason to protest every day,” Das said. But he says they still refuse to listen. Applying pressure to the university has worked thus far, but it is clear that SNGW feels there is much more work to be done. 

They continue to protest in light of the news and have plans to show up at more events in the future. “It’s felt really powerful and meaningful to do this… I think we’ve shown that we all have a stake in this movement and, yeah. It’s been really inspiring to see,” Das said.