Sustainability

Abriel Ferreira
Class of 2010

Posted March 23, 2010

Class Year: 2010
Majors: Government and Music
Hometown: Wassenaar, The Netherlands
Leadership on campus: President of the Evergreens
Environmental Mission: To raise awareness on campus about a variety of environmental concerns.

How have you been involved in sustainability efforts on campus?
I initially became involved with the student environmental group the Evergreens my freshman year, when we worked with the town of Brunswick to sign on to the "Cool Communities" initiative and held a signature drive for "Step It Up", urging our senators and house representatives to sign legislation committing the US to cut carbon emissions 80% by 2050. The Evergreens sponsor or assist with all sorts of events: speakers, movies, fieldtrips to the landfill, and SolarFest, a solar-powered fair each spring. More recently, I've been involved with Bowdoin's "Take Back the Tap" campaign, an initiative to diminish bottled water use on campus, and we've made some great gains-for instance, bottled water has been eliminated from Express Lunch meals and the convenience store now sells only one brand of water instead of eight. This year, I was also an organizer for 350, an international day of climate action, during which Maine Governor John Baldacci, U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Mike Michaud, all spoke on the urgent necessity of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

What course or professor helped you to connect with sustainability on campus?
The class that really solidified my passion for environmental issues was Telling Environmental Stories with Anthony Walton. The course emphasized human connection and communication in complex environmental problems. The readings and conversations had a huge impact on my worldview.

How do you think will you remain involved in sustainability efforts after graduation?
    If there is anything I've learned from my foray into environmental activism, it's that the most meaningful action happens on a local level. No matter where I go, I want to be an active and informed citizen. After graduation, I hope to have a job related to sustainability in some way, whether that means being involved in policy work, environmental education or something completely different (there are many creative ways to be involved in the sustainability movement these days). At the very least, I'll continue to find more creative ways to reduce, reuse and recycle in my life, and hopefully I can begin growing my own garden.

« Back | More Profiles...