UM Climate Response Club
Climate Response Club playing Capture the Flag
By Elani Borhegyi, Andy Josten, Alena Flocchini, Sylvia Wood, and Luca Welle
“The Climate Response Club is really inspiring to me because I enjoy knowing that there are others on campus that are just as worried about climate change as I am and who want to make an actual difference through cooperation and conversation.”
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“The Climate Response Club is a symbol of hope for students to make an impact. Even though we’re not viewed as having a large impact individually or stronger together. I am excited to see what we do!”
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“This club has given me an outlet to take meaningful action on climate change and to connect with peers who care about the environment.”
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“I have been a part of many climate and environmental action groups and I was glad to see one on campus that is willing to tackle big and relevant issues.”
We are the University of Montana’s Climate Response Club (CRC). The Climate Response Club is a group of students with a wide variety of interests and goals regarding anthropogenic climate change. We come together to do what we can to appropriately respond to the climate crisis. We have kept up to date with current climate news and followed the COP26 summit to better understand the trajectory of current climate policy. Though the agreement that came out of COP26 was better than any previous summit, we believe it is lacking in its ability to effectively mitigate climate change. We are working on a lecture series that covers climate-related topics and issues (including COP26), and we all have much more work ahead of us.
The CRC was founded in spring 2019 by Lody Hollar (club president Fall 2019-Spring 2021) and Raina Woolworth (club president Spring 2019) as part of a Davidson Honors College Intro to Honors course. In 2019, Hollar and Woolworth worked to build up the club, collaborate with departments, and begin on sustainability initiatives. Woolworth’s presidency provided the foundation for a successful, active student group.
During Hollar’s presidency, the CRC grew in size and influence. In spring of 2020, we worked to garner student support for the Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP), which would cut UM emissions 35% by 2025. The campaign, 35 by 25, has supported UM in their construction of the CHP. Also in spring of 2020, the CRC submitted proposals to the Kless fund, which provides funding for sustainability initiatives on campus.
In fall of 2020, the CRC shifted their focus to include more intersectional environmentalism. We hosted several seminars with other student groups on campus focusing on this goal. This culminated in an event on climate justice and the Pacific in which the CRC collaborated with the UM Pacific Islanders Club. In fall of 2020 and spring of 2021, we also hosted several mindset sessions focused on talking about our emotions related to climate change, and turning them into action. Additionally, we campaigned for Protect the Results, which helped to ensure truthful reporting in the 2020 election.
In spring 2021, the CRC fundraised for the People’s Food Sovereignty Program on the Flathead Reservation. We raised several hundred dollars to contribute to the installation of gardening beds. We also raised money for 1000 New Gardens to install a bed at a local elementary school. The CRC went on to campaign for the re-implementation of reusable takeout containers in the Food Zoo, which showed substantial student support for the program.
The CRC has always been an outlet for student climate action at UM. Our influence will only continue to grow with future actions, such as working with the university to create sustainability plans, supporting climate strikes, and garnering student support for green initiatives. We look forward to becoming stronger and more confident demonstrators calling for change within the University to effectively address climate as a whole and within the community. Additional projects we’re interested in exploring include non-violent training and pushing for the University to declare a climate emergency and divest from fossil fuels. We are influential in the Sustainability Action Plan for UM which will work to increase investment in renewable energy.
Climate communication is crucial to us, especially because talking about climate change can be really difficult for individuals. Building and growing relationships with the UM community and finding common goals is the best way to move forward.
We look forward to the radical rest at the end of the day when we know that we have done our job well, progress has been made, and the future looks brighter.
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The UM Climate Response Club seeks to engage and mobilize the campus community to combat the climate crisis and strengthen future capacity for larger-scale action. Connect with them through Facebook or Instagram, or email crc.umt@gmail.com.