More than 1,000 students, faculty, staff and community members gathered in Gates Auditorium last Thursday to hear environmental activist and lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s comment on the state of the economy and the environment.

Rising out of this economic crisis doesn’t have to come at the expense of the environment. In fact, protecting the planet actually boosts the American economy, Kennedy told the audience.

“We don’t have to abolish carbon to understand it’s the largest drag on the American capitalist society,” Kennedy said, pointing out that the U.S. spends billions of dollars purchasing oil every year when American companies could use that money to pursue more sustainable solutions.

The choice between economic prosperity and the environment is a false one, he said during his hour-long speech.

The Daniels College of Business hosted Kennedy as a “Voices of Experience” speaker to help the DU community connect business development with the green movement.

“The University of Denver is passionate about sustainability in any form,” Daniels Dean Christine Riordan said in introducing Kennedy.

“It was the most inspiring speech I’ve been to,” freshman Sean Johnson said.

He learned about the event only two days prior and said he had no idea what to expect. “[Kennedy] gave me a sort of snapshot…of the world I live in and definitely stimulated my curiosity,” Johnson said.

That snapshot included not only references to the environment and the economy, but politics and history too.

He began by referring to the current economic stimulus package, recently approved by Congress and to be signed by President Barack Obama this week.

The current package includes multiple provisions addressing industry incentives for “greening” their businesses as well as money toward research and development of green technology. A “Smart Grid” solution is also part of the new policy, promising to update the national electricity grid to make it more energy efficient and accessible to more parts of the country.

The Smart Grid can “intelligently harness government and energy companies,” said Kennedy. The costs are high, though. It will take $150 billion to build the grid itself and $650 billion to develop its infrastructure and maintenance for wind and solar energy, Kennedy said.

According to the latest legislation, the government will cover $11 billion of this cost. Kennedy emphasized that the remaining billions of dollars will come from private investors, utilizing the energy of the free market. Kennedy advocates that a free marketplace best “promotes efficiency and reduces waste.”

“The talk was very enlightening,” said senior Briana Cano. As an international business major, she though this talk was especially pertinent to her coursework. “It made me want to go out there and build the [Smart Grid] myself!”

Kennedy used his time to discuss the history of legislation and enforcement of environmental laws, as well as his various work with venture capitalists on sustainable business solutions.

Among others, he highlighted a recent project with Israel and a US entrepreneur to completely eliminate gas-powered cars by giving all drivers an electric car. The business would provide the new auto infrastructure and gain profit by promoting contracts with drivers to charge their cars. The company is also exploring investment with 30 other countries, including Australia and France, as well as with the state of California.

A life-long Democrat, Kennedy is the son of former Attorney General and U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, as well the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy. The conversation did turn to politics, specifically addressing the influence of money, especially from the oil lobby, in campaigns.

He also discussed his perspective on the Bush environmental policies. He said that it will take time to rebuild some of the industry regulations that the previous administration reversed.

His overall message, though, focused on the importance of protecting the planet to save businesses and improve our way of life. Moving the American auto industry to the mass production of more energy efficient modes of transportation under the same support and energy as its production of resources for WWII, “could save Detroit,” he said.

According to Kennedy, regardless of anyone’s politics, everybody could ascribe to the idea that a good economic policy is built by a good environmental policy.

“It’s about preserving the values system of our country,” Kennedy said.

“He has a great sense of humor and is very candid in talking about our current economic situation,” senior Monica Kumar said. As the undergraduate student body president, Kumar was also proud “to be able to watch a speaker of such a high caliber right here on our campus.”

Kennedy joined a smaller group of students in the Marcus Commons at the Daniels College of Business Thursday afternoon before joining his family to spend some time in the Rocky Mountains over the weekend.