Here at Brown, students are immersed in an activist culture. Every day — even multiple times a day — we are hounded with requests like "Come fight for the rights of Palestinians!" or "Take one minute to call your Senator!" It can be a bit overwhelming to have the burden of all these great injustices plopped upon your shoulders as a lowly undergraduate. Are we expected to join every human rights group that crosses our path? Go to every rally that hopes to generate awareness and outrage over social injustice? Camp out at Burnside Park for weeks of Occupy protests? How much can one 20-year-old student at a college in Providence do to halt the construction of the world's biggest ticking carbon bomb, which is beginning 2,700 miles away? Is there really a way to make a difference? Yes, there is, but first you need to focus on one issue. Spreading yourself too thin is frequently a fatal error.
Once you have chosen your topic, you need to properly educate yourself on multiple sides of the argument. Do your best to rely on objective sources, as you do not want others' beliefs to complicate the facts.
In the case of the carbon bomb, here are the facts: A 1,702-mile long pipeline dubbed "Keystone XL" has been proposed to carry tar sands, an impure form of crude oil, from Alberta, Canada, to Texas. Tar sands produce three times the greenhouse gas emissions as traditional crude oil during the refining process. President Obama has the final authority to approve or reject the pipeline's construction and will make his decision by this December.
Whatever your cause happens to be, make sure you are firm in your stance before acting on it. You do not want to find yourself getting arrested for a cause you half-heartedly believe in — not that we advocate getting arrested.
Once you know what you are talking about, start talking about it. At a place like Brown, others are usually willing to hear more about topics to which they have had little exposure, especially topics concerning environmental impact. But you should do your best not to skew the facts.
We should, for example, be clear that Keystone XL is not guaranteed to leak. But it is simply a fact that a shorter pipeline made of the same steel by the same company has leaked 12 times in the past year, with the largest leak spilling 21,000 gallons.
Encourage others to do their own research as well because they will become more dedicated to resolving an issue if they are sure their knowledge is factual. Most importantly, educating one individual can have a snowball effect. He or she will share this knowledge with others, who will do research, adopt stances and share knowledge with still others — and the process will repeat itself. So simply talking to your friends about your cause is a great step toward making a difference.
If you have more time to spare, you may consider joining an organization that supports your cause. These organizations can help you get more directly involved by contacting legislators or organizing protests.
For instance, the Rhode Island Student Climate Coalition is currently concerning itself with taking part in anti-Keystone XL actions. There will be a teach-in tonight to educate those curious about Keystone XL at 5 p.m. in Wilson 102. There is also a table set up on the Main Green through Wednesday with more information on how to get involved.
Organizations are also a great forum for discussing conflicting points of view. Consider these two topics of debate. First, Valero, the oil company that will lay claim to a large portion of the tar sands shipped through Keystone XL, claims that the United States' use of this energy source will greatly reduce its dependence on unstable Middle Eastern countries. But Valero refines its oil tax-free on an offshore rig outside of U.S. jurisdiction and has a history of shipping its product to Latin America and Europe. The second point of contention is the number and quality of jobs the project would create. Some sources claim that as many as 100,000 jobs would be created, including 20,000 permanent high-paying positions. Others say the number is in the low thousands and the vast majority will be temporary and low-paying.
As you can see, some facts are not as clear-cut as others, and discussing them with a group can help you tackle complicated matters. Even if you cannot dedicate yourself completely to an organization, participating in an event like those mentioned above can help you become oriented in your own viewpoints. The process of educating yourself is inherently important. It brings you to a point where you can be confident in your beliefs and decisions so you know you are making a positive impact on the world.
So to summarize, you do not have to camp out in Burnside Park to make a difference. And no, you do not have to bear the weight of the world's problems. You just have to pick an issue, get educated and go from there.
Kyle Wemple '14 and Elizabeth MacDougal '15 are trying to change the world. They can be reached at kyle_wemple@brown.edu and elizabeth_macdougal@brown.edu.
