Face It: It’s Time for Change

Over the past few years, global warming has transitioned from being called a theory into a statistically proven problem that needs to be remedied as soon as possible. To spread awareness of the significance of the global climate problem and its potential solutions, a program called Focus the Nation was implemented on campuses nationwide. Cal Poly had the opportunity to host one of these programs, and the student population will continue to benefit from that experience by retaining the knowledge to make environmentally safe decisions regarding the future. I attended an event called Face It: Solutions for Global Warming. This presentation seemed especially important, as it explained what can be done to fix the climate problem. The audience, although small, appeared sincere in their concern for the subject matter, and attending of their own volition. The room was only occupied by 30 people, but of the group there were college students, Focus the Nation leaders, and members of the San Luis Obispo community who felt passionate enough about the importance of global warming education to attend the program.

The event began with a message from the members of Blue Man Group who combined a song with the message that Earth does not have any emergency exits, so if this world is used up, there are no second chances. This compelling message bluntly asked questions such as “Can you hear?” referring to the choices people make to ignore a problem that the Earth is so clearly warning about. The presentation transitioned to a video interview of Edward Mazria, one of the founding members of Mazria, Inc. Architecture Planning Conservation, a company specializing in environmentally conscious building plans. Mazria began with an engaging report of a National Geographic article from 2001 that correctly predicted the occurrence of Hurricane Katrina and the havoc it wrought on New Orleans in October of 2005. Mazria moved on to criticize scientists who report only the facts that support their political and economic beliefs. He supplemented this point with a visual of the skyrocketing measurements of carbon dioxide emissions that some scientists attempt to justify by claiming that factors such as population growth are at fault. Edward Mazria’s most effective point was his claim that the amount of time before significant climate change occurs is not indefinite, as some choose to believe. Instead, scientists estimate there is only a seven-year period before the earth experiences a dramatic change in temperature, effectively eliminating 25% of all plant and animal species on the planet by the year 2050.

After Mazria equipped the audience with enough information to elicit a mild panic, he transitioned to a more hopeful message: there are solutions that can stop the imminent threat of global warming. He explained that the increasing carbon dioxide emissions are primarily due to the burning of coal for production of electricity. Despite messages fed to the public about the existence of clean coal, Mazria insisted that presently, nothing exists fitting that description. I found this statement surprising. Clean coal technology promises to wash coal of its mineral impurities, removing all sulfur dioxide to make the carbon dioxide emitted from the burning economically recoverable. While it is true that to date there are no clean coal power plants, clean coal is already being experimented with for possible future uses. Until then, however, the question remains; what type of energy source can serve as productively as coal, without the harmful effect on the environment? While nuclear power presents one possible solution, the maintenance and construction expenses for nuclear power plants, time they would take to be built, and the residual toxic waste the power plants would produce are sufficient reasons to avoid this idea. Other options Mazria suggests are utilizing energy-friendly technology such as long lasting fluorescent light bulbs and Energy Star refrigerators that run on lower amounts of electricity. People can also request that the utility companies sell them “green energy” which makes use of wind, thermal, and solar power. Mazria explains that the best idea is a new campaign for cutting the energy consumption of new buildings in half while eliminating the use of carbon in the building process, a project called the 2030 Challenge. He explains that design and innovation of contractors and planners can utilize the resources already provided by the environment. This can be done by simple methods such as putting larger windows on walls facing East, toward where the sun rises to allow more natural light, and using passive solar heating panels to heat the structure without conventional gas heaters. The audience seemed to respond well to this portion of the interview particularly, because it presented ideas that would be permanently effective by building environmentally conscious homes. The idea of using energy in a way that will lessen people’s impact on the environment would not only fuel the recessionary economy by investing in local construction, but would also cut down on energy consumption costs for the individual.

As a member of the audience, I found myself fully engaged in Mazria’s interview because his suggestions have potential to completely eliminate the problem. They were different from the stereotypical ideas to change a light bulb, or set your thermostat to moderate temperatures. Mazria seemed to understand that many people, as consumers, will not change their lifestyle if it means spending more money for the same conveniences. Most of his suggestions for change kept this idea in mind, encouraging people to use nature’s elements passively in a way that would benefit themselves and the world we live in. While these things can easily be done, they are not enough to reverse the rising climate trend. Mazria’s ideas operate on a grander scale, which will make more of a difference in the long run. As the earth’s climate changes, humanity needs to adapt. Should they continue to ignore the options for change, people face the potential for extinction. Alternatively, if green energy and environmentally friendly buildings become the cultural norm, global warming will become a thing of the past. [sm1]