In a conference call with student journalists from around the country, former President Bill Clinton said college students could have the greatest impact on the world by encouraging their universities to become carbon neutral.
The call was an effort to promote the Clinton Global Initiative University, a William J. Clinton Foundation project to bring together students and educators to work on solutions to global problems. Clinton was joined by Scott Cowen, president of Tulane University, the foundation's partner in the project.
The Clinton Global Initiative University will gather students at a conference March 14-16 at Tulane's New Orleans campus to discuss global and domestic problems and develop solutions students can enact to help the world.
"Young people have proven they have a commitment to change, and they have enormous power," Clinton said.
Students and administrators from any university in the country can apply to attend the conference, but only a limited number will be able to attend. During the conference, Clinton said students will spend a portion of each day volunteering in New Orleans to repair damage from Hurricane Katrina.
"The U.S. will not be whole again until it makes good on its commitment to New Orleans," Clinton said.
Cowen cited the Tulane trip to New Orleans as an example of a small way students can make a difference.
Getting universities to reduce carbon emissions and donating small sums of money to improve public health in developing nations were some things Clinton said every college student could do to improve the world.
Clinton said he hopes to expand the conference in the future, and having more people involved will give students more power to affect change.
"I'm hoping to get a lot of students involved," Clinton said. "We all have the power to change the world."
Students can find more information at www.clintonglobaliniative.org.
adamziegler@dailynebraskan.com
is a member of the 
