Sparking conversation was the purpose of the Focus the Nation clean energy conference, but a lack of student participation left many participants wondering why students don't seem to care about a sustainable future.
Vivian Bogue, a member of Students for a Sustainable Campus, said the conference offered opportunities to learn from business and community leaders, but the next step to achieve sustainability is to formulate grassroots activism.
"You look at the geothermal and hybrid vehicles Ball State is implementing, but what are the students doing and when are they going to engage in those conversations?" she said.
The conference offered sessions on legislative efforts in the Statehouse, green journalism, the resident hall energy challenge by the Ball State Energy Action Team and water scarcity.
Jesse Kharbanda, director of the Hoosier Environmental Council, presented the lecture of the legislative agenda for the state and highlighted the evolution to green jobs.
"He talked about lobbying the state at the federal level and the position of where Indiana is on clean energy. We want to move the legislators off of coal, and there are so many roadblocks," Bogue said. "I did not fully understand [what's happening in the General Assembly] until Jesse talked about having different energy options available for our state."
SSC member Abby Rondot said although climate change has been an issue for years, there are still people that do not know about the devastating impact it will have on the planet.
"The public doesn't know about it. I have heard people say it's not real or it doesn't matter and it does. People don't know what to do, but with Focus the Nation they can learn," she said.
Bogue said next year will be another opportunity for SSC to bring Focus the Nation to campus, but Ball State students need to be ready to be active.
"It's a growing issue that needs to be addressed and students need to know it's here and start the conversation with professors," she said. "Activism comes from a person that takes interests and wants to do something about it. If you built it, it will come and its here."
SSC hopes to hold Focus the Nation again next year and have more students attend.
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