Montanans are Natural Leaders in the fight to end Climate Change

MSU is a campus filled with bright young people who have a unique appreciation for the natural environment. The love of skiing, fishing, and any other outdoor activity translates to the motivation to sustain the land we hold so dearly. Leading a more sustainable lifestyle comes naturally and is a high priority among Montanans.

Climate change continues to pave a seemingly inescapable path as each day passes. Making efforts to fight it can feel pointless, but we accept an even more inescapable loss if we give up. Luckily, giving up is normally not an option for Montanans. 

I recently took a trip where I purchased many cups of coffee at many different coffee shops; in New York, Minnesota and Georgia. It became clear that Bozeman and its people are rare in the desire to maintain the refreshing, clean air and land that is extremely precious to us. Unlike the places I visited, Bozeman prioritizes sustainable options in the place of products that harm the planet. 

Aluminum water bottles are common practice in local businesses, which is a very welcome contradiction to the plastic accepted in other locations. Our very own coffee shops “SRO” in the SUB and “Brewed Awakening,” located in Renne Library, purchase eco-friendly products, choosing to use recycled materials for the hundreds of beverages they serve everyday. 

Being sustainable in a world that seems to run on plastic and carbon emissions can be difficult, but in order to make long lasting change with large positive impacts, every one of us can contribute to making realistic and healthy lifestyle changes. If you buy a 16 ounce coffee every morning before your 8:00 a.m. class, purchase a reusable 16 ounce coffee cup to use in place of the seven plastic cups you go through in a week. If you’re heading to a party on Friday night, carpool with your friends to limit the amount of carbon dioxide released. None of us are powerful enough to single handedly save the world, but we can use the power we do have to clean up our portion.

MSU has an Office of Sustainability, one group of Montanans dedicated to accomplishing goals that will place our small corner of the world ahead in the race to end climate change. Green Cats provides students with realistic habits to incorporate into our daily lives, such as printing double sided papers or taking shorter showers. This group is also responsible for MSU’s Move-in and Move-out furniture sale. This event encourages the practice of selling used furniture, reducing the amount of furniture that ends up in landfills. This group also has a variety of goals that students are encouraged to be a part of; including being a zero waste campus by 2035, offering more courses educating on climate change, and including students in the research to study. Under the Office of Sustainability is the club, Solar 4 Everyone. This group installs solar power panels for people of low income. They have installed panels on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, Missoula Food Bank, and Fork and Spoon Community Cafe. This organization actively fights climate change and the effects of poverty. Donating money or volunteering time will help this positive change continue to flourish.

These initiatives show how MSU leads implementation of policies, programs, and partnerships to advance sustainability and climate resilient operations.

The average Montana resident does not have much control over how the rest of the world addresses climate change. We do not directly control how our local government or our own neighbors will make positive changes. But we each have the personal ability and drive to fight to keep the land we treasure. Montanans care to end climate change because we have a personal attachment to our climate; we understand that we have something special to lose. Not everyone has experienced fresh air, crystal clear clean water and garbage-less streets and hiking trails. I believe that Montanan’s intimate relationship with the outdoors places us in the position of being natural born leaders.  The Montana Constitution even includes a provision requiring maintenance of a “clean and healthful environment.”

The love that is held for the forests that are in our backyards can serve as inspiration for others to understand what is at stake. In a world where many large corporations prioritize strengthening their own bank accounts over the health and safety of the world and its people, the bravest and most beneficial thing we can do is continue to value what holds the most extensive riches–and that is mother nature. Our rare and unmatchable passion and appreciation for the natural world will continue to be seen in the proactive steps taken to maintain it.