Victor Maccharoli- Standing in front of a
wooden windmill yesterday at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse,
students from throughout the state called on national leaders to pass
firm legislation to stem greenhouse gas emissions and halt global
warming.
Standing
in front of a wooden windmill yesterday at the Santa Barbara County
Courthouse, students from throughout the state called on national
leaders to pass firm legislation to stem greenhouse gas emissions and
halt global warming.
The group of about two-dozen students, representatives of CALPIRG
(California Student Public Interest Research Group), said they decided
to forgo trips to Cancun, Mexico and other southern climes for spring
break, and instead drum up support for their cause via a statewide tour.
“We think that global warming is really the defining issue of our
generation,” said Sarah Dobjensky, a junior at UCLA. “We’re encouraging
our elected officials to be really strong on global warming.”
Dobjensky said CALPIRG is imploring the Obama Administration to pass
national global warming legislation in the new president’s first 100
days in office.
One official whom the students believe has shown leadership in this arena is Rep. Lois Capps.
Though Capps was not in attendance, the students gave one of the
congresswoman’s representatives the Climate Hero Award, a framed green
cape with an earth button attached.
In a prepared statement, Capps said she was committed to ensuring a
national renewable electricity standard is established in the near
future.
UC Santa Barbara professor of environmental studies Dr. Ed Keller told
the students the global temperature has risen by a half-degree in the
last 100 years and will likely increase a full degree in the coming
decades, even if aggressive steps are taken to thwart greenhouse gas
emissions.
Politics aside, Keller said it’s in everyone’s best interest to change the way humans consume energy.
Using coal as an example, he noted its widespread use is justified by its affordability.
By sheer dollars, Keller said coal is cheap. But whenever one
calculates the value of a commodity, he said it’s important to take
into account the externalities. And in the case of coal and other dirty
fuels, a big external factor is the long-term health of people and the
planet.
“How much is it worth for your last couple years of life to be
healthy?” Keller asked. “What kind of world do we want for our children
and their children?”
Dr. Walter Kohn, a UCSB physics professor and Nobel Peace Prize winner
who has long championed solar and other alternative forms of energy,
said he doesn’t envy the young people who are going to be forced to
deal with the issue of global warming.
“The time to act is now,” Kohn said. “It’s not just a slogan, it’s a
necessity. It’s too bad you have to deal with such a problem.”
Before the week is out, the students will make stops in San Diego and Los Angeles.
