Volunteers dress as Santa, push global warming solutions

Santa Claus came to town — but not for Christmas.
New Jersey Public Interest Research Group student volunteers dressed up as Santa Claus to ask students to call New Jersey Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg’s office and urge a stronger clean energy bill to raise awareness of global warming solutions.
“We have solutions to global warming and we want to see them put into action,” said Melissa Krechmer, the NJPIRG campus organizer of the event.
The call-in event was nationwide, involving all PIRGs around the United States at various college campuses, she said.
“We get to hear what’s been done all around the country on global warming legislation,” Krechmer said. “Depending on the state’s senator’s position the tactic changes.”
In New Jersey, Lautenberg, D-N.J., has already proven to be an advocate for enforcing stronger environmental bills, but the current Clean Air Act has a loophole preventing the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating sources of greenhouse gases, she said.
Students were asked to call the senator’s office in Newark and read a script provided by NJPIRG, which stated concern about the loophole in the act.
School of Arts and Sciences first-year student Gillian Eigo said she knows calling the office is effective because of her own experience as an intern there.
“It’s my ålittle chance to do good,” she said.
NJPIRG volunteer Justin Hunkele dressed as a concerned Santa who feared for the loss of his migrating reindeer due to increasing temperatures from global warming.
“Environmental legislation is hard to get through because senators sacrifice their ability to get re-elected since the legislation takes a lot of commitment and money, so it’s easier to just pass short term legislation,” said Hunkele, a School of Environmental and Biological Sciences junior.
The group of volunteers kept tally of how many calls students made during the four hours of the event, Krechmer said. The goal of getting at least 100 calls was far exceeded, with more than 220 students calling the senator.
NJPIRG volunteer Heajung Kim, a Rutgers Business School sophomore, said she became involved in the event because of her interest in environmental issues and her desire to help the cause.
NJPIRG’s current campaign, “Global Warming Solutions,” is important because it will bring about change for the younger generation, Krechmer said. NJPIRG invests in getting students to participate and become active in issues concerning them by providing an outlet to initiate these actions.
The group hopes to hold more events promoting clean energy and highlighting solutions to global warming. For the fall, the campaign’s main goal is to support legislation that encompasses these solutions, she said.
“The Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works will introduce comprehensive legislation to combat global warming in late September,” according to a press release sent by NJPIRG.

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