LSP Environmental Studies Community Event Reports

Sidra Farooqi
Community Event 1
Environmental Studies

On Tuesday, September 30th I attended a lecture on “Equitable Solutions of the Climate and Carbon Problem”, held in the Welcome Center on Gould Plaza. The event was a formal academic lecture and was open to the public, although for whatever reason, the majority of the audience was comprised of what appeared to be faculty and not students. The speaker for the event was Stephen W. Pacala, a professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University, and Director of the Princeton Environmental Institute, which is Princeton University’s center for environmental education and research.

http://web.princeton.edu/sites/pei/index.html
Overall, the event was academic and informative; Dr. Pacala lectured on climate change and various methods to combat it and reduce carbon emissions, although he was frequently interrupted by an unidentified scientist in the front row who could not resist the urge to repeatedly jump up and correct Dr. Pacala on excruciatingly minor details, such as the particular month of the year when a survey was released, or the pronunciation of a fellow scientist’s surname. Despite these obnoxious interruptions, Dr. Pacala managed to deliver a lecture which I was pleasantly surprised to find was both educational and amusing – he made dull (or what I consider dull, I’m sure others find them highly exciting) topics interesting and related examples to our everyday lives.

Dr. Pacala began by listing the four excuses government officials, politicians, and the public have used in the past to justify lack of action to combat climate change – the first excuse is that climate change doesn’t exist, the second is that there is no technology available to prevent it, the third is that it is too expensive to combat climate change, and the fourth excuse is that there is no point in taking serious action until the biggest global carbon emitters are on board. He then went through the four excuses, explaining why each was unjustified.

First, he explained why there is ample reason to believe that global warming is a real threat and that climate change will negatively affect us; much of what Dr. Pacala spoke about was similar to what we learned in class, as he discussed greenhouse gases, and the rise in average temperature over the past few centuries, and why it was not a typical cyclical pattern, as many cynics believe. Then he explained how it is possible to use technology, such as solar panels, wind power, and solar electricity to fight global warming. Dr. Pacala did not deny that sometimes these technologies can be expensive; instead, he stressed that despite costs, they are necessary. He explained that because climate change becomes more threatening every year, the cost to prevent it grows more expensive every year – and so, it is best to act as soon as possible.

The last excuse he addressed was that no action should be taken until everyone, especially the largest carbon emitters, is on board; this excuse has been used recently by several government officials, including, I’m shocked to say, our very own President. Dr. Pacala explained that while it is true that nations such as China are larger emitters, it does not mean immediate action should not be taken. He explained that since nations such as China and India are developing countries, it is not fair to hinder their possible economic growth and thus endanger their people by forcing them to contribute money they may not be able to. His overall point was that radical decarbonization of emissions in wealthy nations is mandatory in the next half century, to both the planets’ well-being and the well-being of humanity.

His other main point was that conservation is simply not enough – if it were the only method used, and humans had a limit on their carbon emissions per capita, it would greatly hinder our lifestyle, because we would be forced to travel less and engage in minimal activities. Dr. Pacala also stated that he believed there is little difference between the energy policies of presidential nominees Barack Obama and John McCain, although Obama’s policies are slightly more environmentally beneficial. Also, McCain’s vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, is certainly not opposed to on-shore drilling, although Dr. Pacala pointed out that the oil in Alaska will last us a mere ten years. Therefore, serious government legislation is needed to outline a plan in the near future to combat climate change, in addition to research and development of alternative fuels.

Photo of a melting glacier: http://www.blog.thesietch.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/meltingglaciers.jpg

Possible solutions: http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t175/jcwinni/TARGET-GLOBAL-WARMING-3.jpg

While this was my first time attending an environmental lecture outside of class, it was not very different from the lectures I attend on a weekly basis; the professor lectured about the topic and gave us an opportunity to ask questions and respond to his statements. Although I initially
expected that the event would be tedious, Dr. Pacala managed to be both informative and entertaining, as he was knowledgeable and passionate about his subject. I was surprised by how much I learned and the information I still remember, although I didn’t write it all in my notes. What I found most interesting is that unlike many people who are highly concerned about the environment, Dr. Pacala didn’t lecture us on our personal behavior – not once did he talk about trading in our SUV’s for hybrids, or reducing our carbon footprints with far less travel. In fact, he stated that he dislikes environmental extremists who discourage humans from living very active lives, and insisted that while it is important to conserve, the time has come for us to turn our focus to the research and creation of new technologies.

What I learned about most is the new emerging technology of wind and solar power; although I’ve seen dozens of commercials depicting wind turbines and wind power plants, and have heard about the benefits of solar energy, Dr. Pacala detailed how wind and solar power is harnessed into energy and how it can be used as an alternative to other fuels which increase carbon emissions. Also, while I was previously familiar with consequences of climate change such as drought and the warming of the planet, I learned that the rise in sea level due to melting glaciers is now causing instable ocean circulation, leading to a rising intensity in tropical hurricanes. While I think the event was highly informative and successful, I think it would have been of greater value to the community had Dr. Pacala been able to lecture to a broader audience. The limited seating prevented more people from attending and I saw many people simply leave after being denied seats, although others stood in the back to attend the event.

Overall, I benefitted from the lecture and based on the fact that many stayed afterwards to ask questions and speak to Dr. Pacala, most of the audience did as well. Although I’m not an Environmental Studies major and don’t have a passion for science, I found myself genuinely interested. I’m involved in the Earth Matters club at NYU and while I regularly go to club meetings, I never attended any of the lectures or debates because I assumed they would be boring, but this event has given me a different perspective.