The Kennedy Political Union, in conjunction with other student groups, held two final events Thursday for its Environmental Summit, presenting an environmental issue panel discussion and a climate change parody performance.
In the afternoon, KPU, the Community Action and Social Justice Coalition, the Class of 2009 and Eco-Sense presented a panel discussion titled "Bringin' SEXY Back: Environmental Issues Revisited." In the evening, KPU, Eco-Sense and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network sponsored "It's Getting Hot in Here!"
The panel discussion featured individuals from various environmental organizations and groups. Billy Parish, coordinator of the Energy Action Coalition, moderated the panel. Other members of the panel included Jonathan Edwards, chief operating officer of SmartPower; Matthew Dempsey, press secretary for the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, who also works with Sen. James Inhofe; and Ben Dunham of the United States Public Interest Research Groups.
The panel touched on a variety of issues, from ethanol to the Kyoto Protocols to global warming.
The parody performance filled the Davenport Lounge with students who sang along to environmentally driven ballads like "I Want Carbon Gone," which used the tune from Kelly Clarkson's hit single, "Since U Been Gone," and other classic "protest songs." Local climate activist Josh Tulkin performed the songs.
There was also a performance by ukulele hip-hop artist Jon Braman.
Free coffee was offered throughout the night to anyone who brought their own mug and Eco-Sense sold its shirts and mugs as a fundraiser.
Eco-Sense President Claire Roby said in an e-mail that the purpose of the event, and the Environmental Summit in general, was for students to "become more aware of how they fit into environmental issues, particularly climate change."
"The actions we take each day have big effects in the aggregate, but there are solutions," Roby said.
Eco-Sense is also currently participating in the Campus Climate Challenge, which "leverages the power of young people to organize" on college campuses and high schools across the United States and Canada to win 100 percent clean energy policies at their schools, according to its Web site, www.campusclimatechallenge.org.
