My Davidson | A Student Blog RCC Action Day: 4 Davidson Students Promote Sustainability on the Hill
June 5, 2025
Environmental Studies major Kella Jahn ’27 shares her firsthand experience lobbying Congress on behalf of the Rachel Carson Council, exposing the environmental dangers of the biomass industry and encouraging student activism on climate issues.
About the Author
Kella Jahn ’27 (she/her) is an Environmental Studies major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Outside of the classroom, she is involved with the Sustainability Office, theatre and the Tea Club.
“I chose Davidson for many reasons, but primarily the tight-knit community mixed with great academics.”
While I was familiar with the term “lobbying” from the pages of high school history books, before traveling to Washington, D.C., this past April, I never imagined that I would one day be the one doing it, let alone as the representative for a national non-profit.
But there I was with three other Davidson students in the heart of our federal government, lobbying directly in the Senate and the House of Representatives on behalf of the Rachel Carson Council. With nothing but a folder of one-pagers and sheer will, our cohort of over 100 students marched for over nine hours from street to Senate to House and back again to confront our delegates on the growing threat to America’s green energy transition: the biomass industry.
The biomass industry, or wood pellet industry, is one of the least sustainable, environmentally detrimental and morally questionable forms of energy acquisition in the United States. This is surprising, especially considering how few know it exists, let alone how or where it operates. Frankly, neither did I, but what we learned in debrief has stuck with me since: greenwashing schemes that questionably meet international regulations, entire forests pillaged under the guise of ‘hurricane cleanup,’ communities suffocated under billowing towers of splintered ash, and more.
I was shocked, but more than anything, determined. It was that determination that led my squad of six to talk our way through more than eight different offices spanning the entirety of the downtown area (with more than a few business cards to boot). I am proud of what we accomplished, and I look forward to working with the Council again next year. If interested, I highly encourage any Davidson student who wants to learn more about this issue to do so, as well.
While environmental concerns can seem daunting, especially when creating change at the federal level, there are many people willing to listen and who genuinely care about these issues—many of whom you would not expect. I implore anyone who understands what needs to be done to use their voice, because you never know who else will hear it.
