Georgia Southern University Students Discuss Environmental Problems and Solutions With Georgia Congressman

March 24, 2009

A group of Georgia Southern University students had the ear of Georgia Congressman John Barrow during a recent trip to Washington, D.C. where they discussed environmental topics including pollution in the Savannah River and the possibility of using pine tree products for fuel.

Members of Georgia Southern University’s Student Alliance for a Green Earth (SAGE) met with Barrow while they were attending the Power Shift Conference, which brings together thousands of college students from around the country to work on solutions to environmental problems. The members of SAGE met privately with Barrow in his Capitol Hill office where he asked them to provide him with information regarding some of the tough environmental issues facing the state and the country. Barrow serves on the House Committee on Energy and Environment.

‘Rep. Barrow asked us to send him research on plants that pollute the Savannah River,” said SAGE member Jessica Sparrow. ‘He said he would also like to see research on the effectiveness of solar and wind as alternative fuel sources. He’s even interested in any information we can provide about the possibility of using materials from pine trees as fuel.”

SAGE president Juliette Jordan hopes significant change will come out of the meeting. ‘I hope this trip convinced Rep. Barrow and other members of Congress to pass laws that will cut carbon emissions, keep new coal plants from being built and create green jobs.”

SAGE faculty advisor Lorne Wolfe, Ph.D. said the opportunity to meet with Barrow was one of the highlights of the students’ trip. ‘This trip and the meeting with Rep. Barrow gave our students a renewed sense of purpose as they work to make changes in environmental policy at all levels. I could tell the whole experience re-energized them. I imagine that those five days will be remembered as one of the highlights of these students’ university years,” said Wolfe.

The students’ trip to the Power Shift Conference was sponsored by the office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment management.

Georgia Southern University, a Carnegie Doctoral/Research University, offers 116 degree programs serving nearly 18,000 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelors, masters and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. The University, one of Georgia’s largest, is a top choice of Georgia’s HOPE scholars and is recognized for its student-centered approach to education. Visit: www.georgiasouthern.edu.