Governor talks conservation at UM

MISSOULA — Gov. Brian Schweitzer had a challenge for the 1,600 graduates attending the University of Montana commencement ceremonies this past weekend.

“You’ve got to make conservation cool,” he said in a speech that earned him a standing ovation.

Faced with a growing energy crisis, graduates will have to change their lifestyles to search for ways to conserve energy and make use of new energy sources, Schweitzer said.

Possible solutions could lie in wind power or finding ways to create energy from Montana’s vast coal resources with zero emissions, he said, adding that anyone who is part of the energy problem ought to be part of the solution.

“Your generation has so much to give,” Schweitzer said.

Billings Gazette (Montana)