Not even the rainy weather could dampen the spirit of about 50 volunteers on Saturday morning as they worked the muddy ground with shovels, pickaxes and their bare hands in the name of climate change.
Students and faculty from Binghamton University participated in the International Day of Climate Action on Saturday, Oct. 24 by planting 350 trees off Route 206 and Hemmingway Road in Whitney Point, nearly 30 miles from campus.
“This is our effort to show the world that Binghamton supports real action to combat the global issue of climate change,” said Julie Razryadov, environment protection leader and head of Binghamton’s chapter of the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), a non-profit group specializing in consumer, environmental and government reform geared toward student interests.
According to 350.org, BU’s part in the International Day of Climate Action was one of over 5,200 events held in 181 countries around the world, with thousands of people choosing different ways to demonstrate the need for environmental reform.
350.org’s goal is to generate enough public support of further environmental action to encourage world leaders to take bold steps in December, when they will convene in Copenhagen, Denmark for the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
The number 350 represents 350 parts-per-million (ppm), the highest amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere that scientists have deemed safe for humanity.
The hope is that the policies adopted by nations who agree to the new climate treaty at Copenhagen will help reduce the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide levels, now at approximately 387 ppm, down to 350 ppm.
Razryadov first learned about the 350 campaign when she attended Power Shift 2009, a conference on global warming in Washington, D.C., and met Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org.
After that, she spent time gathering support on campus and spreading the word about the event.
The campus physical facilities department, residential communities including College-in-the-Woods and Mountainview College and faculty members such as Dr. Julian Shepherd, an associate professor in the department of biological sciences, all contributed much-needed supplies, funds and time to make the event a success.
As for the idea to plant trees, it just seemed like the appropriate choice for the occasion.
”[Planting trees] is a simple act that lasts,” said Razryadov. “Not only do trees clean the air, but they grow and continue to do their job for years to come [because of] your effort.”
Once fully grown, the trees planted at Whitney Point will also serve a practical purpose not only related to reducing carbon levels in the atmosphere.
“In the winter, these trees will help keep snow off the roads and allow [the Department of Transportation] to save gas and plow less,” said Kris Gilbert of the Binghamton Department of Transportation.
As for the volunteers, they were happy to participate in the event.
“I wanted to get involved in as many events as possible,” said junior Emily Greene, president of Binghamton’s chapter of Campus Climate Challenge, which advocates reducing pollution on college campuses to curb the effects of global warming.
Freshman Erica Koslowsky feels that these events are a good way to make a change.
“There are so many people trying to get the word out about [the climate crisis],” Koslowsky said. “I thought I might just do something instead of complaining about it all the time.”