Letter to the editor

This letter is in response to Eidan Jacob’s Feb. 15 column, "Beyond natural gas."

As an environmentalist, I agree that tackling the environmental issues we face today is one of humanity’s greatest challenges, and raising awareness about these issues is a key step. So many elements of modern lifestyle, from energy to food, have hidden environmental costs. In that regard, I applaud your dedication to researching and sharing the environmental benefits of switching to a plant-based diet as well as your attention to the natural gas plant proposed to be built at Duke University.

However, when it comes to environmentalism, there is no single solution. In fact, achieving significant change must come through a multifaceted approach. Encouraging each student and citizen to personally make change to protect the environment is crucial to effective movements. This action should involve not only personal changes in diet or behavior, but also should include activism and engagement on local environmental issues, such as with the proposed gas plant. Given the current state of climate change—lead scientists have declared that climate change is beyond the point of no return—it is crucial now more than ever to stress the importance of helping in any way possible. Fighting the proposed gas plant requires collective action to fight a major, long-term polluting project that could lock in fracked natural gas for 35 years or more. Each person has an obligation to change not only their own lives, but to take action to improve the lives of others. The gas plant provides the opportunity to do both.

- Alex Simmons, T'18