On Tuesday, April 18, Grassroots, together with JCU’s Student Government and the Business Club hosted the environmental conference “7 Shades of Green.” Seven topics, seven speeches, and seven clubs participated in the conference, which was moderated by the vice-president of Grassroots, Katya Umanets, and the events coordinator of the Business Club, Viktor Sobra Delseny. Speakers connected the environment to the topic of their clubs and showed how different spheres of life could be green and kind to our planet. They mainly focused on environmentalism, climate change, and green economy. The participating clubs were the Business Club, the Art History Club, the International Relations Society, the Chinese Club, the Fashion Club, and Speak Up.
The President of the International Relations Society, Mihail Iotov, gave a speech on Green Politics, which he defined as a doctrine that “aims to create an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, non-violence, social justice, and grassroots democracy.” He defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Then, he explored the three pillars of green politics: economic development, social development, and environmental protection. His argument was that living in a capitalistic society, green economy could even turn out to be a profitable long-term investment. For instance, the United Arab Emirates is investing $163bn (£134bn) in clean energy projects to ensure that half of the country’s power needs are generated from renewable sources by 2050.
To conclude the event, club presidents simulated the Kyoto Protocol by signing the “Presidential Environmental Pledge.” It was an attempt to reach a greater involvement on environmental issues at the university level. Let’s not forget that we can build social change from the bottom up!
Power Point Presentation: Green Politics
