Letter to the Editor: Exeter's Climate Movement

At noon on Saturday, at about 20 feet above sea level, a marching band sporting fish hats played “Under the Sea” from “The Little Mermaid.” Hundreds waved their signs to the beat, following the players across town and down to the waterfront. Whether intentionally or not, this satellite demonstration for the People’s Climate March on Washington, D.C., had proceeded directly into a future flood zone.

One of multi-millionaire Brian Tracy’s “Unbreakable Laws” is as follows: you cannot set priorities without also setting posteriorities.

From our perch at 33 feet above sea level, it is difficult to keep climate change in our crosshairs. The craze of daily Exonian life easily obscures our view. Climate Action Day, though important and elegant, is buffeted aside by the tide of other priorities. Thus, three days later, a grand total of eight Exonians attended the People’s Climate March while many of us were back to the grind.

I, too, fall victim to the academic undertow. Even now, I sit at my desk designing flashcards for tomorrow’s class about various groups of animals, some of which may not survive the next century’s changing environment. How did I get so muddled? Since when is it more important to master the distinctions between various animal phyla than it is to preserve them?

My students and colleagues did not suffer from the same shortsightedness on Climate Action Day. Trees were planted. Invasive species were removed. Solar farm profits were calculated. Excitement, debate, rigorous problem-solving and hope were tangible. And we Exonians—the same ones that, according to my classes’ estimates, have carbon footprints three times greater than the regional average and ten times greater than the human average—began paying off our environmental debt. How can we preserve this momentum?

One of multi-millionaire Brian Tracy’s “Unbreakable Laws” is as follows: you cannot set priorities without also setting posteriorities. To say yes to climate solutions, we must say no to other things. Though many have already fought to make Exeter greener, this initiative will falter on the sidelines unless it is given room at the top of the priority list.

So what are our posteriorities? A lesson on animal diversity? A full 50 minutes of homework? A plane flight to a foreign study program? A full, eight block school day? An electric clothes dryer? A five day school week? Slots in the assembly line-up? Factory-farmed beef? An endowment invested in fossil fuels? A mini-fridge? An obsessively “college-worthy” transcript?

How exciting to think that, each time we loosen our grip on one thing, we free our hands for this critical work. Perhaps, Climate Action Day workshops could expand into full-blown courses. Perhaps, E-proctoring could become a weekly, dorm-wide project. Environmental clubs could become a regularly scheduled part of the school day.

Students, this institution exists to prepare you for the world you will inherit. To fulfill this promise, it must also fight to preserve that world. So, look for and appreciate the Exonians—faculty, administration, staff and students—who truly champion this issue every day. Join forces with them to push this agenda forward thoughtfully, strategically, and quickly.

With love and gratitude for a world worth saving,

Eben Bein, Biology Teacher