Hope for protecting the environment turning global climate change around lies in the hands of young people all over the world.
New York Times reporter Andrew Revkin, who focuses on environmental issues, made an appeal to the student population of the University to help his cause yesterday at a lecture at the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences Building on Cook campus.
Students filled the hall of building to hear Revkin speak about issues regarding poverty and energy around the globe at the Climate and Energy Seminar, sponsored by the University's Climate Environmental Change Initiative.
Revkin said environmental issues should be discussed as energy problems because that is the way people gain interest on the topic. Students and younger people should pay attention to the issues, he said.
"It's important to bring the next generation into climate and energy issues because the decisions made now will affect younger people 20 years from now," Revkin said.
But while he encouraged young people to keep in touch with these issues, he said neither presidential candidate has focused enough on them enough.
"It helps to find out a little more," said Donlai Gong, a graduate student of oceanography. "But it seems like what either candidate will pose will not be enough."
Media interest in environment and climate issues is not always strong, Revkin said. "There was a burst of coverage after Al Gore ran for office," he said. "[But] overall, people are more interested in war, economy and health."
And the problem extends beyond the United States. There are many countries in the world without access to energy like the United States has, Revkin said.
"In Guinea, I've seen some students who do their homework by sitting under the parking lot for the lights there," he said. "These are eager young minds, and they have to hike to the parking lot to do their homework."
The more information out there, the more interest there is in the topic said Kristina Dahl, the research program coordinator for the Center for Environmental Prediction.
Revkin also spoke about nuclear power and its role for the future. It is an important feature to examine and utilize in order to gain more energy freedom, he said.
Dave Robinson, the state genealogist and chairman of the Department of Geological Sciences, said he believes in the strength of nuclear power.
"It can lower dependency on foreign fuels," Robinson said. "It's important not to limit anything."
Dahl said she sees some problems with nuclear power.
"Any source of energy is going to have an impact [on the environment]," she said. "Turbines won't emit carbon dioxide, but a lot of people don't like it because of visual pollution. The same can be said for nuclear power. It can be detrimental since we may not know how to deal with nukes."
The lecture was a part of a Climate and Energy mini-series. The series is still in the works, but there is a hope to invite approximately six speakers for the fall semester. The spring semester will mainly focus on polar issues.
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