Pragmatic Environmentalism - A Multifaceted Solution

             Too often do environmental policy proposals argue for sacrifice on the grounds of the moral imperative. This does a disservice to real world solutions by implying that environmentalism necessitates sacrifice. The following is an excerpt from an email that I sent to Principal MacFarlane earlier this year, outlining a plan for a million dollar subsidized loan fund for environmentally friendly local businesses. We will only be able to affect real change in this area and in others if we can come up with realistic, pragmatic solutions that provide benefits outside of morality or good citizenship.

           "Exeter should establish a $1 million fund in order to give subsidized loans to local business in our area that reach some “environmental stewardship” benchmark. These loans would not only be made out to companies that have environmentalism at the heart of their mission – they could also help to encourage regular companies to improve the environmental efficiency of their operations. In this way, the school could directly affect positive change by incentivizing local businesses to strive for innovative solutions to real world climate related issues. But the benefits don’t stop there.

A million dollars is less than .1% of Exeter’s current endowment, so it ought to be financially feasible. Furthermore, unlike other financially oriented policies, such as divestment, it doesn’t restrict the diversity of our investment portfolio – instead, we actually earn a return on investment. Lastly, the fund will be a self-sustainable force for good – as previous loans are paid off the fund managers will have the capital to make out new loans and further encourage climate-conscious development in the New Hampshire area.

The school could also increase student opportunity through such a program by stipulating that companies receiving subsidized loans must offer at least one summer internship for Exonians. Assuming we make 20 $50k loans to a wide array of small businesses, this program could act as a significant draw for future students while helping to level the playing field between current students who do and do not have the privilege of pre-existing networks of internship opportunities.

That brings me to my fourth and final point – potential PR benefits and the chance to catalyze a “non-sibi” chain reaction. The school can use such a program to position itself as the place to attend if one is interested in the real world application of environmentally conscious polices and ideas. Additionally, because the school is in the unique position of being a leader amongst peer schools, if this program is successful it may encourage other private boarding schools to develop similar programs of their own. This will help to raise the level of local environmental entrepreneurism in the New England area while providing substantial stand-alone benefits to such schools."