Climate Corner: A report back from college

May 17, 2025

Nate McPeak

editorial@newsandsentinel.com

On the last day my Natural Resources and Human Ecology professor said, “College is about discovering the meaning of life.” While I am not there yet, I do think I am on my way toward finding my meaning. On May 9, I finished my first year at the University of Vermont, studying Wildlife and Fisheries Biology. Vermont is far away, and has different politics compared to West Virginia, but when I’m driving through the mountains in Vermont, I feel like I’m back home.

In my classes, I’ve been learning about Vermont’s progressive policies, which aim to preserve its “sense of place” a term my professor used often. West Virginia, too, has a strong sense of place, but after living in Vermont, I believe West Virginia can do more to preserve it.

Act 250 is Vermont’s land use and development law. This law regulates large development projects that threaten the local environment. It is the state’s greatest asset in maintaining its sense of place. A sense of place for a town like Burlington, Vt., or Parkersburg, W.Va., is essential for building community, and a desire to protect it. When I walk around Burlington, I am constantly surprised by little flower gardens, community libraries, and other projects that make me feel connected to the city. Act 250 has allowed many small local businesses to thrive throughout Burlington. I can shop for clothes, groceries, or even backpacking gear at local shops.

Why does Act 250 favor small businesses? Because the physical footprint of something like a local grocery store is much smaller than, say, a Walmart. Huge flat roofs and massive parking lots create issues with stormwater runoff. When it rains, water that would normally percolate through natural soil can no longer do so; instead, it flows over non-permeable surfaces, carrying chemicals with it. These chemicals end up in our watershed, making the water unsafe to drink and damaging the biodiversity of the local ecosystem.

Vermont lawmakers take the health of the local ecosystem seriously because it’s what brings value to the state. People want to visit Vermont to see the fall foliage, explore the Green Mountains, or ski in the glades. Vermont cannot afford to let corporations destroy the ecosystems it depends on. Another benefit of preserving local ecosystems is that it creates an incredibly strong sense of place. Locals grow up skiing in the woods or hiking in the mountains, cultivating a deep desire to protect the environment. This connection is reflected in the laws they vote for.

My vision for the future is one where the culture surrounding land management in West Virginia becomes more like Vermont’s. We need to begin building a stronger sense of place in West Virginia. This would promote tourism, which in turn creates jobs. A sense of place also goes a long way toward building support for land conservation. If people care about where they are from, they will want to protect it. Most importantly, I believe that a sense of place leads to greater concern about the changing climate. The greatest threat to the attributes that make West Virginia beautiful is climate change.

The current administration has given me and my peers at UVM a lot of anxiety. How are we supposed to create careers with our environmental majors if there is no more funding? It’s easy to feel scared, but we must not let it overwhelm us. I am scared about the threat climate change poses to biodiversity on this planet. At school, I’ve learned that wildlife is part of my “meaning of life.” I want to spend my life studying and protecting wildlife; climate change and the Trump administration are direct threats to that future.

The day after the election, UVM’s campus was quiet. You could feel the disappointment in the air. Going to a class about natural resources was hard that day. My professor knew that and decided to offer some insight before the lecture. He acknowledged the uncertainty of the future, but went on to say that the environment will always need people like us to fight for its protection. The fight cannot stop now!

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Nate McPeak, 19, has lived in the Mid-Ohio Valley since he was two. He just finished his first year at the University of Vermont studying wildlife and fisheries biology.