Illinois Collegian Calls Out Hidden Housing Costs
Few Americans have heard of the EPA's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System program.
Clarifying the Climate Conversation at UIUC
As students passed through the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign quad during finals week, they were met with a different perspective on climate change.
SDSU Students Question if Offshore Wind is Really Green
WATCH NOW: California Collegians SHATTER "Clean Energy" Misconceptions at San Diego State University What if a "green" energy project comes with environmental costs of its own? That was the question CFACT students Caleb Rothstein and Jack Krepps posed to their peers at San Diego State University during a recent round of street interviews focused on offshore wind energy. As students weighed the issue, Caleb and Jack raised concerns on the impacts on marine ecosystems and whale populations. For several participants, it was information they had not encountered before. The reactions varied. Some students remained supportive of offshore wind, while others appeared [...]
UT Austin: An Expert’s Case for Nuclear
When CFACT Collegians Thien Nguyen and Tiffany Lomax set out to host energy expert Sterling Burnett on University of Texas Austin’s campus, they knew they were bringing students a perspective they rarely encounter in the classroom. The day began over lunch at a local Asian restaurant, where the CFACT Collegians sat down with Burnett and discussed the unique challenge of how to engage young people on complex energy issues. The conversation soon expanded into Burnett's work in energy policy, nonprofit advocacy, and the importance of educating the public on topics often overlooked in mainstream environmental discussions. Back on campus, students gathered [...]
WATCH: Arizona Students Reconsider Nuclear After Seeing Data
WATCH NOW: CFACT Student Quizzes AZ Students on Nuclear Energy College students hear constant calls for clean energy via solar panels and wind turbines, but far fewer have ever been challenged to consider where nuclear energy fits into the conversation. At the University of Arizona, CFACT Collegian Elliott Taylor set out to test students' assumptions with a simple question and a surprising piece of data. Elliott began by asking students what they believed was the most reliable low-carbon source of energy. The answers came quickly and confidently. Nearly two-thirds of the students interviewed selected solar power as their top choice. Others [...]
WATCH: Arizona Students Reconsider Nuclear After Seeing Data
WATCH NOW: CFACT Student Quizzes AZ Students on Nuclear Energy College students hear constant calls for clean energy via solar panels and wind turbines, but far fewer have ever been challenged to consider where nuclear energy fits into the conversation. At the University of Arizona, CFACT Collegian Elliott Taylor set out to test students’ assumptions with a simple question and a surprising piece of data. Elliott began by asking students what they believed was the most reliable low-carbon source of energy. The answers came quickly and confidently. Nearly two-thirds of the students interviewed selected solar power as their top choice. Others [...]
Idaho Collegian Weighs in on EPA Rulemaking Affecting Rural America
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering new regulatory actions aimed at addressing contaminants such as microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and other emerging pollutants that may find their way into America’s waterways. While protecting water quality is a critical objective, questions remain about how far federal regulators should go, what scientific evidence should drive these pivotal decisions, and how new requirements could affect rural communities that depend on affordable access to water resources. CFACT Collegians recognize that environmental stewardship and economic prosperity are not mutually exclusive. That is why CFACT Collegian and Brigham Young University–Idaho student Alex Goodman's public comment to the EPA [...]
NC Collegian Op-Ed Champions Private Conservation
CFACT collegians are always looking for opportunities to amplify their voices and disseminate the organization’s core policy perspectives. Following in the steps of many collegians before him, University of North Carolina Greensboro student Kevin Six recently penned an excellent article making the case for private conservation efforts that was picked up and published by the Montgomery Independent. You can read his op-ed in its entirety below: “The Case for Private Conservation Efforts to protect the environment take many forms, from individual lifestyle changes to sweeping public policy. Yet in the pursuit of sustainability, well-intentioned government action can sometimes produce unintended consequences. In [...]
Tree-mendous Environmental Stewardship at UF
While many students spent finals week buried in textbooks, CFACT Collegian Lena Zizza and a group of University of Florida students headed outdoors to leave something lasting behind: a native tree planted near Lake Alice. On April 23, Lena hosted a tree planting ceremony at the University of Florida, bringing together seven students from various campus organizations to plant a Green Ash tree, a species native to Florida. The event was part of CFACT’s Conserve & Preserve campaign, which encourages students to practice real environmental stewardship by maintaining healthy ecosystems, preserving wild spaces, and supporting native plant and wildlife populations. The [...]
Southeast CFACT Collegians Host “Change My Mind” Debates
CFACT collegians brought direct, open debate to campus walkways at Florida International University and Clemson University through a series of “Change My Mind” tabling events—engaging students in substantive conversations on energy, conservation, and environmental policy. At Florida International University in Miami, campus representative Joshua Espinoza set up his table inside the Graham Center, a high-traffic student hub, and rotated between two thought-provoking discussion prompts: “Recycling is a Myth” and “Nuclear is the Future.” Espinoza (featured in bottom panels below, center & right) was joined by a team of fellow like-minded students who helped staff the table, distribute materials, and engage passersby—expanding [...]
Trailblazers: CFACT Collegians Advocate for Public Access in KY
CFACT Collegians are once again stepping beyond campus and into the policymaking arena—this time weighing in on how America’s national parks should be managed for both conservation and public enjoyment. Students RaeAnna Morales of Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and Ariana Alonso of William Paterson University in New Jersey recently submitted public comments on a proposed National Park Service rule to expand recreational access in Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. Their submissions reflect a core principle of CFACT’s mission: that conservation and responsible human use are not mutually exclusive. RaeAnna Morales, located just south of the national park across the state [...]
VA Grid Games & Nuclear Gains at LibertyU
Under bright spring skies filled with aircraft taking off from the school-operated airport, and with a steady flow of prospective students visiting campus, CFACT Collegians at Liberty University turned a routine orientation day into a hands-on lesson in energy reality. On April 10th, campus representatives Silas Pearson and Colton Smith—joined by National Director Nate Myers fresh off CFACT’s ICCC16 conference in Washington, D.C.—hosted a dual event combining a nuclear soda giveaway with an interactive “Power the Grid” beanbag toss. The setup was simple, but the impact was anything but. Silas engaged students at the table, handing out sodas alongside flyers highlighting [...]
Florida, New York Collegians Confront Federal Overreach
While most college students are busy preparing for finals, two CFACT Collegians took their advocacy beyond campus and straight into the federal rulemaking process—submitting formal deregulation proposals through Regulations.gov. This unique opportunity allows everyday Americans to recommend rules for repeal or reform, giving students like Sophia Sousa of the University of Florida and Skyler Perez of CUNY John Jay College a direct voice in shaping national policy. Rather than simply reacting to government decisions, these Collegians stepped up to challenge the regulatory state itself. It’s worth noting that the structure of the federal submission portal requires detailed, section-by-section responses—meaning comments of [...]
Spin to Win: Southwest Students Learn Nuclear Facts
CFACT Collegians are proving once again that meaningful conversations about energy don’t have to happen in lecture halls—they can start with something as simple as a spin of the wheel and a piece of candy. At the University of Arizona, campus representative Ashlee Mendola (pictured above) brought nuclear energy education straight to the heart of campus life. Setting up on the busy mall near the student union, Ashlee invited passing students to test their knowledge with a colorful prize wheel featuring nuclear energy trivia. The concept was simple: answer a question, win some candy—but the impact ran much deeper. Ashlee reported [...]
Birdhouses, Not Blades: Chicago Students Rethink Wind Energy
CFACT Collegian Pearl Beyer attending University of Illinois Chicago hosted a birdhouse painting workshop last week designed to highlight an often-overlooked consequence of wind energy: its impact on bird populations. The two-hour event brought together 9 students at Pearl’s home for a hands-on activity paired with a frank discussion about the dangers wind farms pose to our feathered friends. While painting and assembling birdhouses, attendees learned about the documented toll wind turbines take on wildlife—particularly birds, which are frequently killed by turbine blades operating at high speeds. Estimates suggest turbines in the United States kill between 140,000 and one million birds [...]