Green Profile- Natalia Siegel, CUA Students on the Mount

One of our final Green Profiles is Natalia Siegel of Students on the Mount. CUA Students on the Mount is a new organization whose mission is to spread the word regarding Catholic Social Teaching.

Ryan: What first inspired you to get involved with environmental issues,
and specifically with Students on the Mount?

Natalia: SOTM follows the Church's call to be stewards of the earth. For us that means caring for the earth entirely and ensuring that it is of equal importance to us as the poor and vulnerable.

Ryan: What role do you see college students playing in the fight to stop
global climate change and promote sustainability?

Natalia: Students have an important role in promoting sustainability because of two main reasons: passion and the ability to mobilize. College students feel passionately about these issues because they see this as something that is important to our future and as something that must be protected. Inspired by this passion students are able to mobilize en masse in order to fix this issue. Greenpeace, Powershift 2011, local college green clubs etc. are all ways that students are getting involved in order to help the environment.

Ryan: What is one measure college students can take to make climate
change a major focus on their respective campuses?

Natalia: In order to fix climate change we must fix our bad habits. Promoting recycling as well as environmentally friendly items in bookstores allows us to start decreasing our carbon footprint. Students need to utilize their power as the fuel for the university in order to pressure the university officials to fix the levels of waste campuses produce etc.

Ryan: Do you view climate change as a social justice issue?

Natalia: Climate change is absolutely a social justice issue for two reasons. First, because we must care for the earth and keep the environment and animals healthy as we would our own families. Second, because the people who are being affected the worst by massive climate change are the poor and vulnerable. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6532323.stm)

-Ryan