An ASU student who describes himself as a child of the desert was walking in front of a Starbucks at Fifth Street and Mill Avenue in August when a worker for one of the most well-known environmental organizations spotted him.

As the two strangers crossed paths on Mill Avenue, ASU’s chapter of Greenpeace formed.

On Wednesday, Greenpeace and its ASU chapter held rallies in front of the offices of the Congressional District 5 candidates — Democratic incumbent Harry Mitchell and Republican David Schweikert.

Over the past months, community members and students have written
thousands of postcards and letters to Mitchell as well as to Schweikert, said Joey Cienian, a global-warming field organizer for Greenpeace. Their efforts culminated Wednesday at the ASU club’s biggest event so far, when they rallied and presented the letters to the candidates’ offices.

As drivers honked and waved, anthropology senior Erik Young said students and community members experienced a receptive response at the rallies at Schweikert and Mitchell’s offices in Scottsdale in Tempe, respectively.

Young created the ASU group in September after discussing the environment that day in August with Cienian.

Young said the new student chapter is a medium through which students and community members can express their interest in global warming or any other environmental issue.

“We want to establish long-term ties with the community,” Young said. “A lot of people in District 5 have an interest in global warming and want to change things.”

Young said the group is working with its parent organization as part of the larger campaign Project Hot Seat, a plan by Greenpeace to mobilize Congress on the issue of global warming. Greenpeace is targeting Congressional District 5, which includes Tempe, because of the constituents’ interest in global warming and because it’s a close race, Cienian said.

“Politicians pay more attention to the community when there is a close race,” Cienian said. “There’s strong support for this issue in this district, and there are many who are excited and enthused about the issue. Global warming has the potential of affecting people here in Arizona and across the world. Why the resistance? I think it’s embarrassing.”

In an e-mail, Seth Scott, a spokesman for Mitchell, said the congressman continues to examine all legislation in his effort to end dependence on carbon-based fuels and stop the effects of climate change.

He said earlier this month Mitchell passed into law important tax credits for utility companies to develop solar power to grow clean, renewable energy. Scott did not respond to Greenpeace’s accusation of Mitchell’s resistance to a comprehensive environmental plan.

Schweikert said he is a big fan of moving the economy toward solar energy and has been outspoken on solar tax credits. Creating green jobs in a time of economic turmoil is a tough job, he said.

“We need to make sure there are green jobs with a longer future and not just a flash in the pan,” he said. “One way to do this is to ensure that the panels are created here in Arizona and not in China or Spain.”

Young, now the president of the ASU Greenpeace chapter, said his group would continue to hold politicians accountable after the election.

“We want them to know we’re still watching them,” Young said. “And if they haven’t made a plan, we’re going to ask why.”

Reach the reporter at philip.haldiman@asu.edu.