On February 13th, in honor of Valentine’s Day, Long Island University student and CFACT campus representative Matt Cairo declared his love in big bold letters for all to see, “I love fossil fuels, change my mind!”
Setting up his table in Hillwood Commons, the campus student center, Matt decorated his table with flyers, stickers, and other literature he researched and printed himself. In classic Steven Crowder fashion, our confident collegian welcomed passing students to sit down with him and debate the costs and benefits of the demonized energy source.
Burning the candle at both ends, Matt had constructive conversations with dozens of students over the course of the day, reporting that he lost count at thirty-five. “During these conversations, we talked about why fossil fuels have a positive impact on our society. I wanted to help people understand why they should love oil and natural gas!” Citing petroleum’s use in almost every facet of American life, to its abundance and availability, Matt had no issues providing skeptical students with reasons why to love fossil fuels.
According to Matt, his goal was simple. He wanted to create a space for students to engage in respectful debate and encourage critical thinking about the invaluable role fossil fuels play in today’s world. “My goal was to foster dialogue that’s different than what students typically hear about fossil fuels being “bad,” when in reality they make our lives better!”
Succeeding in his mission, Matt drew people into engaging deliberations that were lively, active, open, and thoughtful. Though he encountered many students already receptive of his argument, many students stopped to sit down and challenge his stance. According to Matt, “Overall, it was a fun, exciting, and productive experience engaging with other students, even changing some of their minds despite their intentions of changing mine. We had very good conversations all around and the event was a big success.”
Thanks to Matt’s confident and erudite candor, scores of New York students now have a fresh and positive outlook on fossil fuels.
As this semester flies by, CFACT collegians throughout the country are busy fighting for a...