In the upcoming elections, each vote cast will not only support a particular candidate but the positions that the candidates stand behind. Many of the issues are controversial, with the potential to dramatically impact the future. Environmental bills are currently progressing through the levels of the House and Senate with varying results. "In the balance of power, the environment is hanging by a very thin thread," said national Sierra Club president Jennifer Ferenstein.

Ferenstein, who is the youngest woman to serve as president of the environmentally-focused club, addressed a mix of Macalester students and community residents in Olin-Rice on Wednesday. She emphasized the problems with the Bush administration's energy and environment policies and outlined the positions of U.S. Senate candidates Norm Coleman and Paul Wellstone. Ferenstein also advocated the importance of voter activism to maintain a sense of hope for the future of the environment.

"There is hope," said Ferenstein, who also serves as the president of the Center for Environmental Politics. "Things have gotten better, and the most important thing is that we don't take the environment for granted anymore."

She cited statistics on a wide range of issues on both local and national levels to support the importance of environmental activism. According to Ferenstein, half of all lakes in Minnesota are polluted by mercury and the Bush administration consistently weakens support for wetlands protection and the enforcement of clean water acts. Ferenstein also criticized the current forestry policy, which supports removing the larger trees, which are more wildfire-resistant. "It doesn't make much sense," she said.

Ferenstein focused closely on changing American energy policy. The "highly influenced" administration, she said, is driven by oil company executives and overflowing with excessive subsidies for fossil fuel businesses. In order to make renewable resources more feasible on a large scale, she said that it is necessary to level the playing field by taking away oil company subsidies. Ferenstein explained that the Sierra Club is strongly opposed to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge because of the likely decimation of the native caribou herds and subsequent damage to the environment.

She suggested taking advantage of the enormous potential for wind energy, especially in Minnesota, where it is possible to produce seven times as much electricity as we consume by using wind power. "Instead of bringing dirty coal in, you could be exporting clean power out," Ferenstein said.

The United States is at a critical point between the Industrial Revolution and the development of a working long-term energy policy. "Students are generally on the forefront of revolutions," she said. "It's not so much an energy crisis. We're in a crisis of creativity and a crisis of courage."

In order to implement a progressive policy regarding energy and the environment, Ferenstein stressed the importance of casting a vote, with a special emphasis on the upcoming U.S. Senate elections. "This is the most important election I can remember" regarding the environment, she said. "The race is too close to call. It's a classic example of 'every vote matters.'

"You live in a state where there are choices," Ferenstein said. "In some states, it's the lesser of two evils, but in Minnesota you can actually pick some good people.

"If you guys don't vote, they're going to win on November 5 and they're going to win for years to come," Ferenstein said. "It's not about the environment, it's about the future."