Environment can change. But to which direction

The main themes in our group of Social democratic students are wide. Themes or thesis are about how chances should be the same for everyone regardless of gender and nationality. Justice for all! We also want to pay more and more attention to ethicality and the well-being of our environment. Through these we can all live better.

The most important theme for me personally is the well-being of the environment. The environment is the basis of our well-being so we must take care of it. Our student union is part of the surrounding world and we must take into account our surroundings and try to interact with it as much as we can.

The environment is the basis for the quality of our life, but the nature does not guarantee that it would continue as it is forever. As we use the natural resources, it is our duty to take care of the nature and leave it livable for the next generations too.

I believe that we can do a lot of small things to improve our environment ourselves. All you need is to open your eyes and start to look around you. For example saving energy can be easy. Our group managed to get a door bell to Opinkivi's sauna section. This way the door can be shut for not to let the warmth out, but the ones who arrive late can still get in. Simple but good!

Unfortunately small things are not enough unless big decisions and actions are also made on the international and national levels. The discussion of climate change is everywhere but we also want to see international agreements and practical actions on reducing emissions radically starting from the UN:s Climate Summit in December in Copenhagen.

We need practical hands-on means on all levels to mediate that our environment changes in a good direction. In our campus we finally got the lights in front of Liikunta-building to make the way to Mattilanniemi more safe. In the future cycling must be ever more supported and made more safe. This is one step towards our group's ambitious goal to be the first carbon free campus in Finland by 2050.

In Student Union Council we can also make sure that new and renovated buildings in the campus and in Kortepohja are efficient in their energy consumption. But in the middle of this "battle" against climate change, which will probably take the snow out from Jyväskylä, we need you international students to enlighten our everyday life with cultural exchange! This we can ever improve by increasing information about student union and events in English, but also organise alternative culture events for example for alternative music.