Here's what the students had to say:
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| Winners Olivia Myers and Rebecca Harris pose with Kim Cobb, in front of the Capitol building between office visits. |
Once it was
announced that our group had won the Carbon Reduction Challenge, I was excited
about the trip to DC. I was excited about flying. I was excited about meeting
with legislators. I was excited to possibly change some attitudes regarding
energy efficiency. After arriving at Dr. Cobb's parents’ house in DC, we had a delicious
dinner and enjoyed the entertaining and stimulating conversation with her parents,
who are both professors at George Mason University. Later that evening, Dr.
Cobb rapidly educated us on “asks” (What do you want from the lawmaker?) and
helped us create “leaves” (a 1-pager containing our main points, key graphics,
and contact info - see below) and generally prepared us for the next day. I went to bed
with my head spinning.
When we first arrived to Capitol
Hill at 8:00am, I was in awe of the majestic architecture of the Supreme Court,
the Library of Congress, and the Capitol building. That day, we would meet with
people who had influence over the major decisions made in this country.
Even though our first meeting, with
a staffer for Congressman Lewis (D-GA) was supposed to be “friendly,” Rebecca
and I were extremely nervous. Once we sat down, however, we surprised ourselves
by coherently explaining our project and delivering our main points: that energy efficiency should be key
component of energy-related legislation, and that the economic gains that it
affords make it attractive to lawmakers across the ideological spectrum. The
legislative aides seemed to really care about what we were saying. The day went
by in a blur, and we grew more confident in delivering our message with each
meeting. As we boarded the plane back to
Atlanta, we were tremendously satisfied with our time on the Hill. While I am
not planning on going into politics anytime soon, I truly appreciate how much
of an impact just one person can have on the process.
-Olivia Myers (3rd year biology major)
Our
adventure in DC proved to be very exciting indeed. What was most interesting
was the way in which the talks with legislative staffers unfolded. The quality
of the exchange always depended on the way we framed our “ask” and the response
from the staffer as they summarized his/her Congressman’s position on energy
legislation. We mostly visited with the offices of Republican Congressmen and
Senators, but we met with people from both sides of the aisle. It was very
interesting to see how they differently they approached our suggestions to
focus on efficiency as a way to be green and cost-effective. The staffers
offered a spectrum of viewpoints and approaches to governance, illustrating the
divisions in government that are celebrated in this country as bringing about a
balanced solution.
One example of compromise in the
presence of division is the process of “marking up” the 2013 Farm Bill that
includes legislation on biofuels and bioenergy, slated to occur that week. As
part of that process, Senators Franken (D-MN) and Harkin (D-IA) introduced the
“Rural Energy Investment Act”
that allocates funding to a host of initiatives aimed at encouraging agricultural
energy technologies, including advanced biofuels, biogas, biomass, and
renewable energies. One staffer joked that the Farm Bill was rapidly becoming
an energy bill. Dr. Cobb, Olivia, and I had a very interesting conversation about
the evolution of energy-related provisions in the Farm Bill, including past subsidies
for corn-based ethanol, and their ultimate effects on climate change. It’s just
another example of how energy and climate policy make their way into many
different types of legislation.
Later, Olivia and I got a chance to reflect over the day, our conversations with legislative staffers of different parties, the conversations within our own group, as well as our personal viewpoints. We both agreed that this experience allowed us to more greatly appreciate the complexities lawmakers work through during the legislative process. Compromise has always been a tenant of our government, and we see now that it is necessary in order to honor the nation’s diverse viewpoints and frameworks. The day also allowed us to be privy to the core beliefs that guide individual lawmakers. While scientific facts may suggest one course of action, lawmakers have to balance science with other goals when approaching climate and energy legislation. Even though it was frustrating and sometimes maddening when staffers did not agree with us and seemed to ignore the facts, I gained respect for the value they place in best representing the interests of their constituents.
-Rebecca Harris (2nd year public policy major)
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| A handout illustrating the Lumber Jills winning strategy for CO2 reduction. |
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| A handout illustrating some of the climate and energy initiatives at Georgia Tech. |
