Attendees: 

Paige Tolleson, Julia Haggerty, Kristin Blackler, Michael Brody, Daniel Short, EJ Hook, Jared Leonard, Paul Edlund, Paul Lachapelle, Steve Swinford, Hailey Sinoff, Jacob Northcutt, Duke Elliot, Rebecca Gleason, Kevin Amende, Brooke Lahneman, Heather Higginbotham

Approval of previous minutes

  • Approve August 26, 2021 minutes
  • Motion carries

Informational Items

  1. Update on Sustainability Plan, Julia Haggerty 

Julia Haggerty and Kristin Blackler met with President Cruzado about the Sustainability Plan. President Cruzado is excited about the plan and to work more closely with CSAC in the future. She provided feedback that she thinks there should be less detail and more focus on the major targets, including the carbon neutrality target, which she fully endorses. Our next steps are to collaborate with Montana Hall on an overarching framework, formalize external communications support and priorities, and plan ongoing interactions. To organize these efforts the carbon neutrality task force will need to meet and establish work groups.

 

2. Presentation, Paul Edlund, Sustainability Office: CNTF: Lessons Learned

Paul Edlund presented on lessons learned from the Carbon Neutrality Task Force. Paul discussed what scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions are and what MSU is doing to reduce emissions in each category. To reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions MSU needs to focus on energy reduction, electrification, and greening the grid. To reduce scope 3 emissions programs, policies and infrastructure need to be addressed.

 

Old Business

Proposed resolution on climate emergency, presented by Paul Lachapelle (attached)

 

Comments submitted for Sept. 16, 2021 CSAC meeting by Paul Lachapelle, Professor, Dept. of Political Science paul.lachapelle@montana.edu

 

Thank you for the opportunity to present this resolution to you all today.  I rise today in support of the Resolution on Montana State University’s Response to the Climate Crisis. I would like to start with a quick word on the impetus for this resolution.  We are drawing on text primarily from the Utah State University Faculty Senate Resolution that passed with 56 votes in favor, 1 opposed in Feb of 2019.  There are likely some of you who feel that we should not be voting on a resolution addressing the climate crisis as we just submitted a Sustainability Plan.  Some of you have contacted me with concerns that the timing is not optimal since the plan has not been formally approved by the President, or that we may alienate and lose support from some of the more conservative constituents around the state, or that this provides fodder for the governor or legislature to restrict future funding.  Let me try to address each of these concerns.   

 

First, the Sustainability Plan has 16 distinct goals and addressing climate change is referenced as only one of the goals, Section 3.1.   There is no mention of funding or resources to address what is arguably the most important section of the Plan.  Note that one of main missions of CSAC, Article 1 Section c of our bylaws is to “Explore and propose methods to fund campus sustainability initiatives and improvements.”   This resolution simply reinforces our resolve and commitment to the plan by suggesting a dedicated capital campaign; many of us have noted it was not appropriate to mention funding in the plan and that is why we have a separate resolution about funding.  Recommending a capital campaign removes any pressure to rely on the legislature and takes away the guesswork about how we will implement Section 3.1, specifically the Climate Action Plan process.  In short, it takes away the potential for that section of the plan dealing with climate change to be significantly amended or removed.   The resolution also mentions a specific action to join the Presidents' Climate Leadership Commitments (formally the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment) as a potential way to pay for the Climate Action Plan through pro bono consulting and it also goes into much greater detail on the science behind the crisis; what has been referred to as ‘Code Red for humanity’ based on the most recent IPCC report. 

 

Which brings me to the next point; alienating some of the more conservative constituents in Montana.  Our land grant serves as a beacon of higher education in the state, to provide for the dissemination of the most current science.  The need to address the climate crisis is greater now more than ever.  Data from the Yale Program on Climate change Communication still unfortunately suggests a wide disparity in public opinion and knowledge in Montana about climate change; for example, in parts of Montana, upwards of 45% of the population believe that most scientists still disagree that global warming is even happening, and in most counties of Montana, 60-70% of the population rarely or never discuss global warming.  Encouragingly, the same data show that most Montanans (65-81%) across the state agree that schools should teach about the causes, consequences, and potential solutions to global warming.  Our sustainability council serves an advisory role to educate and advise the campus and the public.  Art 1 sec a of our bylaws state that we are to “Provide a university framework to coordinate and advise sustainability efforts”, sec b we are to “Advise the University President regarding …sustainability efforts” and Sec f charges that we “promote, publicize and raise awareness of MSU’s sustainability efforts, …among campus, community and statewide constituents.”  This resolution does just that.  What we are witnessing is a climate emergency, a position held by the mainstream science, defined by Dr. Rob Davies from Utah State University as a situation requiring immediate action to prevent a catastrophic outcome.  UN Sec General Gutierrez said of the latest IPCC report, the alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable.  In declaring a climate emergency, we join over 7,000 other universities around the world in our recognition of the urgency of the situation. There is no time to delay in communicating this message.   The days, months and years matter. 

 

Third point, that the governor or legislature may restrict future funding for discussing and responding to the science associated with climate change.  At this public university, we have a fiduciary to uphold the public trust, an obligation, surely legal and perhaps sacred, to alert the public of the crisis that is unfolding.  To consciously not uphold that fiduciary is a political act.  The prime directive of universities is to educate and to advise, and with this climate crisis, our Council is responsible for doing just that.  We are obliged to advise the campus and the public on the risks and threats to their health, welfare and safety. 

 

To conclude, students increasingly look to, as I do, youth like Amanda Gorman who recognize “climate change is the single greatest challenge of our time” and Greta Thunberg, who in her 2019 UN speech, stated, “right here, right now is where we draw the line, the world is waking up, and change is coming” as well as author Alex Steffan, “winning slowly is the same as losing”.  The next moments matter.  I hope you all will consider our obligation as an Advisory Council and will vote in support of this resolution.

 

Discussion:

  • Brooke Lahneman asks about desired outcomes. Hopes this gets posted front and center on CSAC website
  • EJ Hook is concerned about timing, thinks we need education campaign first.
  • Hailey Sinoff exclaims that people don’t tend to change views on climate change through higher education, but it is helpful for people that are on the fence or don’t have formed opinions. If we want people to take climate change seriously the university needs to set an example and take it seriously.
  • Jacob Northcutt stands in support of the resolution; feels we need to act now. Has questions on where a resolution goes after it is passed.
  • Kevin Amende supports this resolution, has a question on capital campaign, have we talked to the foundation to get understanding.
  • Heather Higginbotham is in support urgency is critical in addressing climate change
  • Michael Brody: we need to get senate steering committee on board before we bring it to senate. Critical we keep administration in the loop and understand what their stance is on this. What if it doesn’t pass in senate? If it does pass, senators will want to know where it’s going. A. If this doesn’t pass in senate those senators need to look themselves in the mirror. As members of the academy to not recognize this is a climate emergency it’s on them to deal with the outcome of the vote.
  • Nicholas Fitzmaurice: Question about rejoining the president’s climate leadership commitment, how much does this cost? Costs $4,000, there are many benefits. Pro-bono consulting would be very beneficial.
  • Michael Brody: The resolution has implications for budget council, deans’ council, academic council, planning council. Is there any plan to reach out to other councils? There are serious political implications that should be considered.
  • Duke Elliot: Fully agree with the urgency of the situation and the urgency of action, most interested in taking appropriate action to build on reduction of energy consumption and emissions. I will be voting no mostly due to timing, second on the standpoint of collaboration. Question whether this will create a positive impact.
  • Julia Haggerty: My hope as chair is that this will be used constructively. I anticipate if people understand it to be used as a weapon against the administration in a tone of shame we will fail widely and risk alienation.

 

Motion to adopt resolution on climate emergency via electronic roll call vote:

  • Paul Lachapelle: motion to adopt resolution; Heather Higginbotham: Second.

Action Items:

Think about constructive role that draws on your expertise that you could play in carbon neutrality task force working groups.

Adjournment

  • End: 3:30 p.m.

 

Voting to adopt motion on climate emergency is paused.

Email from Jacob Northcutt:

“My fellow co-sponsors and I have decided to pause the current vote on our resolution, "Resolution on Montana State University’s Response to the Climate Crisis." In light of the conversations during (and after) last week's meeting, we believe it is important that we receive more input and suggestions before we bring the resolution back to the council for a vote. We hope this additional time will allow you to engage further with the resolution so that it reflects your ideas, concerns, and good work.”