The initiative was set in motion when students began organizing the Focus The Nation teach-in that took place on campus in January. Alex Hoselton, Day student body vice president, said the organizing committee wanted to build momentum and support for green initiatives at Augsburg. “If we wanted to have an actionable result from the event, it had to be something that was permanent and went beyond 1 year,” he said.

A student team conducted an audit of Augsburg’s energy costs to determine that using 100% wind-generated electricity would cost approximately $140,000 more than the college’s current annual electricity costs. The Day student government voted in February to include the wind energy fee referendum on the spring ballot.

The wind energy referendum passed, and the student senate also voted in March to add $10 from each Day College student’s activity fee to the initiative. That brings the total Day-student contribution to approximately $72,000. “Our strategy was to raise more than half of the estimated funds to leverage commitment from the administration and the Board of Regents through our own unequivocal pledge,” Hoselton said.

Some may wonder why Augsburg and its students would support this initiative if it means additional costs. According to Xcel Energy’s web site, wind-generated electricity does not produce greenhouse-gas or other emissions. The process also does not require water treatment for production.

For Hoselton, the additional fee is worthwhile because of the positive, lasting impact it will make to the campus and the environment. “It’s a moral issue for me. We say we need to be better stewards of the environment and better neighbors. If we aren’t living that out, then we aren’t completing our mission. An extra cost is marginal compared to what it means to be an institution with integrity.”

Photos courtesy of Kari Wheeler

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Focus the Nation is a national organization that is pushing for global warming solutions in the United States. As their web site says, “In the next few years, we as a nation will make, or fail to make, critical decisions regarding global warming pollution and clean technology investments. These decisions will have far-reaching and irreversible impacts on the lives of today’s students and the lives of their children. At this moment in time, we owe our young people at least a day of focused discussion about global warming solutions for America.

All presentations at the Focus the Nation Teach-In will be open to the public, though members of the Augsburg community are the target audience. Alex Hoselton, vice president of Augsburg’s student government, thinks that Focus the Nation’s message will be well received on campus. He points toward an ancient Native American proverb: “Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents; it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. We are more than the sum of our knowledge, we are the products of our imagination.”

Hoselton says, “What Focus the Nation is doing is realizing that. We have had tremendous support from faculty, staff, and President Pribbenow. We want this to be a success and are making it a success by contributing. That’s what everyone needs to do to prevent global climate change. Ultimately, what we would like to see happen is to build momentum for action that permanently contributes to an ecologically conscious future.

All members of the Augsburg community, including alumni, students, faculty, and staff are able to give presentations at the Jan. 31 event. If you are interested in being a presenter, e-mail Hailen Bower with your name, and identify yourself as a professor, staff, alum, or student. Also, indicate what time you would like to present and your presentation’s subject title.

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