Global warming gets 'focus' at UC teach-in event

The University of Cincinnati participated in the largest teach-in in U.S. history on Jan. 31, when it was one of more than 1,500 universities encouraging students to find a solution for global warming.

The event, Focus the Nation, took place in the Tangeman University Center.

Eban Goodstein, an economics professor at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore., created the idea of a nationwide teach-in where campuses and communities could become educated and hopefully put global warming solutions into action.

Todd Portune, Hamilton County commissioner, described the county's efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions 80 percent by 2050, the amount scientists said they believe it will take to keep from doing more damage.

Portune explained some environmentally-friendly programs the county has put into place, such as a partnership between Kroger and the Freestore Foodbank, which allows Kroger to donate meat near expiration rather than throwing it away, fueling county vehicles with alternative fuel and recycling wood from fallen trees and branches to be used as mulch.

Portune's goal is to "make Cincinnati a zero waste community."

"[This means] getting people to go green in all walks of life," Portune said.

Richard Beck, a professor of geography, gave an overview of global warming and carbon sequestration - a process discovered by the oil industry in the '70s that takes carbon dioxide and injects it back into the ground for long-term storage.

"The technology to do this is already in place," Beck said. He cautions, however, that one solution is not enough.

Larry Falkin, director of the Cityof Cincinnati Office of Environmental Quality, agreed with Beck's assessment.

"There is no one silver bullet," Falkin said. "We need different ideas to chip away at emissions."

Falkin outlined the city's effort to solve global warming by creating a climate protection plan. An 18-member steering committee guides 120 volunteers in five task teams to determine how Cincinnati can cut back emissions by 2 percent every year.

While this project is still a work in progress, it is scheduled to be completed by April.

"We are changing the composition of our atmosphere," Beck said. "[We have an] extremely high risk that the observed rise in temperature is due to carbon dioxide increases. The strong correlation does not mean cause and effect, but it should worry you."

Other speakers included Randall Bruins and Fran Cramer from the Environmental Protection Agency and James Kinsman from Green Energy Ohio.

In an open forum, speakers and audience members engaged in discussion about what changes need to be made in America. The general consensus was that education in schools about global warming is the key to solving the problem.

Several organizations set up booths in the TUC atrium to inform students about the dangers of global warming and what they should be doing about it.

Leaders for Environmental Awareness & Protection, Students for Ecological Design, Keeping Cincinnati Beautiful, Green Energy Ohio and Hamilton County Environmental Services were all represented and handed out information and free goodies to students who attended.

Genevieve Rainsberger, president of Students for Ecological Design, spread the word at her table for the upcoming bake sale being held to raise money for recycling bins.

At the Hamilton County Environmental Services table, Leslie Meiring, a public affairs specialist, explained that manufacturing and cars are a large source of pollution, but even "minor adjustments can have an impact," such as using fluorescent light bulbs, warming up your car for less time, going inside a restaurant instead of using the drive-thru and turning lights and electronics off when not in use.

For more information on Focus on the Nation, visit www.focusthenation.org or call Minna Brown at 503-768-7996.