Climate Change & YOU??
So what does the big picture problem of climate change mean to you? To a average UVMer? How do we even begin to bring up this issue with students? Do we need to?
posted by UVM Eco-Reps Program Coordinator @ 2:17 PM
So what does the big picture problem of climate change mean to you? To a average UVMer? How do we even begin to bring up this issue with students? Do we need to?
posted by UVM Eco-Reps Program Coordinator @ 2:17 PM
20 Comments:
To me, climate change is a very large issue to tackle. It means many things, including an increase in global mean temperature, which in turn affects things such as polar ice melting, shifting of species habitats, and changes in precipitation and agriculture. This is probably more in depth than the average UVMer thinks about climate change. I think that a lot of people feel that climate change is not really a huge issue right now, mostly because of the apocalyptic type press it gets. People might think "oh if its so terrible and real shouldn't i be able to see it?" What they don't realize is that they do see it here at UVM, they just don't recognize that the small changes here are much larger in other places.
I think that in order to bring up the issue to students, we must make it clear what is actually happening, not a worst case future scenario. If people are shown actual evidence of climate change in their own lives, and in the lives of others, they might start to act and feel differently towards it.
-Jenna
Climate change is something that will impact all of us. However, I feel like most people treat it like a kid treats poison ivy. If poison ivy is where they want to go they will go there no matter what warnings they are given because they wont get the rash until 3 days later. In the US we have been given many warnings and we still aren't completely listening. Unfortunately, we don't have time to learn from our mistakes like a child does when they are faced with the poison ivy for the second time. We need to trust science and make changes to our lifestyle.
I guess I would bring up climate change with students with facts. Hard facts that are hard to compete. I feel like most people would change their lifestyle if they were given enough motivation, and maybe that motivation is knowledge. I know I try my best, but there is still way more I could do, I just hope others can put an effort in also.
-Rachel Brooks
So what does the big picture problem of climate change mean to you? To a average UVMer? How do we even begin to bring up this issue with students? Do we need to?
I think that the big picture problem of climate change is that it is our generation's responsibility to work towards solving it and many people don't believe that it's happening or that we can have any effect on it. Overall, i think that UVM students are far more equipped to understand this problem because of the school's green-ness but I still believe that there is more that can be done so that the student body understands climate change better. For that i think that yes we need to bring up this issue to students and we can do this simply by incorporating more education on the matter. I remember in the beginning of the year we were all supposed to watch a presentation on drugs and alcohol and our responsibilities as college students and I think that if it was possible to show a brief clip on climate change and our responsibilities as human beings that would be AWESOME. But that's a pretty big feat to tackle, I don't know if it would work. But UVM can definitely step it up a bit.
Sarah
To me it feels like there are two groups - the group that care/environmentalists and the group that thinks the environmentalists are going overboard with the issue. It would be great if somehow these two segregated groups could get together and be friends. Maybe it is the people that care - care too much because they see how important the issue is and it is really important to them. Whereas other people are too busy doing there own thing. So if we could get these people to care and realize how important the issue is through small things like taking care of a garden or having a sense of place, etc then people will realize how important climate change is to their very lives.
I feel most people at UVM are aware about climate change, but the negatives of climate change is always shown so if we could show people what they can do instead of contributing to the negatives/problem then it would give people some hope.
:Kizette:
Climate change to me means a shorter ski season. It also means natural disasters, higher water levels, and humans' destruction of the environment that sustains us.
To an average UVMer, I think it means doom. I think it is a lofty, far off idea, it is an infomercial of a polar bear stranded at sea. Climate change has not yet hit us personally in a way we can readily see. I think it is very necesary to inform students about climate change. I think the best way to do this is to show them the impacts humans have had on the earth, through pictures and video such as the earth at night. If we can see just the amount of land that has been altered by humans, or the amount of species that have been extinct or endangered, we can realize the magnitude of the problem we have caused, and work to fix it.
Dan Hale
Climate change is an issue that is vital to tackle because it affects everyone. In my geology class we are currently talking about climate change and the history of Earth's climate. I think the facts need to get out the UVM students as well as the rest of the world. UVM students should get information on how they personally can make a difference. I think many times people think "How can little me change the world?" Well, I do believe that one person can change the world and that we all need to do our part in making a difference. By having workshops or specific things that students can do to help lessen climate change will help make students aware. This is definitely something that needs to be addressed because we are the future. It is up to us to make this a better world.
~Natalie
I'm in New Orleans right now, visiting my sister (and her Kindergarten classroom) for spring break, and the reality that the climate is already changing has really hit me in realizing the effects of hurricanes Katrina and Gustav. The intensity and frequency of these storms is increasing (a fact that can easily be linked to warmer ocean temperatures and climate change) so its no wonder that the school distract is factoring in an allowance for "hurricane days" into the school calender for next year, which was unnecessary until now. My nose and throat itch from the mold in the school, which lost its roof during Gustov. The teachers have seen an unusually large number of behavioral and emotional problems across the city in this kindergarten class, which they suspect could be linked to the events they witnessed as toddlers when Katrina hit and their homes were destroyed....the effects are endless....
Being around these students (in the 80 degree heat!) gives global warming a much more social aspect than I'd considered before. There are people already living daily with the effects of climate change here and elsewhere in the world. Even if we could stop all emission of green house gases tomorrow, we'd still have problems to solve.... it's so much more than just a matter of science and statistics...
I've already known that climate change is a complex problem, and being here has only added to its complexity in my mind. I can only think that a problem with so many angles of questions will have even more solutions, if we as a society choose to seek them.
I think that bringing up climate change to UVM students is very important, because it may spark us to seek those solutions. I think the spectrum of meaning of climate change among students is so varied it is difficult to find the "average". I think common feelings range from feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of the problem, to denying it/ dismissing it as unimportant, to thinking of it as something of concern only to "tree-huggers", to having a genuine concern and acting on it, to having a genuine concern and not knowing how to act.
The variety of perspectives out there makes it hard to know how to educate! I think keeping it simple is best, and also keeping it positive. I know in my first couple of years at UVM, I felt absolutely overwhelmed by climate change, perhaps because it was drawing lots of media attention for the first time (thanks Al Gore), and because being at UVM allowed me pretty much unlimited access to all things educating about climate change. While my view on climate change is ever expanding and changing, I know it has taken some growing for me to grasp the enormity of the problem without feeling bogged down by it. Any information presented to the average UVM student should challenge their perception while empowering them to make positive changes, rather than presenting a feeling of “doom.” Overall, eco-reps does a really good job at offering suggestions for change- light bulbs for example (I couldn't resist the pun) and I think that is a positive message that needs to continue!
I think that my view towards climate change has changed in the past year. From reading some of Michael Pollan and Bill McKibben's work, I've begun to believe that what we need now really is political pressure to address climate change. Given the scale of the problem, I don't think it's enough to just change our light bulbs, eat local apples, and ride bikes (although, as McKibben says, how could you not do these things?). The conference coming up in Copenhagen is huge, and I think as college students, we need to do everything we can to push for an incredibly large change in environmental policy - while there might be serious economic concerns, my understanding is that the cost of not doing so is far higher than we can even imagine.
I absolutely believe in the importance of small decisions to make change, and in this way I think it's important that we do everything we can on campus - composting, growing food, educating ourselves and other students. That said, I think we should step up our encouragement of involving ourselves in the political process (and I really include myself in this). Maybe we could host an event of writing letters to our representatives or making phone calls (and throw in some local appetizers!)? This would be neat to discuss in the next meeting.
-Page Atcheson
To me climate change was really highly put into perspective for me in my time in Port Sulfur, Louisiana on my Spring Break last week. There is so much evidence of climate change in the intensity of the natural disaster storm that hurricanes Katrina and Rita were and it's hard to tell if the inhabitants really understand or make the connection. In a town surviving mostly off of fishing, shrimping and other recreational water activities it's easy to see the potential that climate change has in completely affecting the way these people live out their livelihoods in attempts to survive. The area has no recycling system and trash covers much of the open land. The huge nat population is sprayed for once a week by huge pesticide filled trucks and no one really knew or understood the use of a nalgene. When visiting a nearby water way I was shocked at the amount of garbage and dead fish floating in the water. Through my environmental awareness I saw huge impacts of climate change in a place that is so fragile already, being that it is located below sea level. I see climate change as a way to really educate and bring people together.
To the average UVMer they may see climate change as longer, colder winters, sicker riding or a random 50 degree day after months of below 10.
I think it's hard for people to see the direct affects because they think of it as a very theoretical idea and something that is far away or out of our control, such as the melting ice caps and polar bear death rates rising. It's so incredibly important to assess the Vermont concerns for climate change and how those small changes can ultimately really shape the land in a negative way of the state we all love so much.
-Olivia
To me, climate change is a problem, but is one that I think can be fixed in many ways. I think people are too focused on finding alternative fuels, which in my opinion and the opinion of many others is not really all that possible. As of right now I think our main focus should be upgrading our technology so we use less fuels and making laws that make large industry responsible for the damage they are making to our environment. In addressing these issues, climate change is also being addressed.
I think the average UVM is aware of the situation but doesn't believe that it is serious or an issue that we need to address in our lifetime. My roommate is a nursing major and I know that she doesn't study what is happening. I think the average person when they think of global warming thinks of the polar bear posters and thinks it is only going to affect them and not us. I think it should be a requirement that all students learn about what is happening and somehow have it incorporated into their classes because it will affect everyone and people need to know what is happening. It is hard to try to get people to realize how serious this could be when politicians refuse to accept it.
~Briana
Climate change means the deterioration and destruction of everything that is beautiful in this world. I watch programs like the Planet Earth series and I cannot imagine a world without all of these beautiful creatures. They are as much a part of this world as we are and every individual should be making an effort to protect their home and ours. Besides the fact that species are becoming more rare, the lands in which they dwell are quickly losing their grandeur and wonder. I want my kdis to be able to witness this beauty, and not see the remains of devestating hurricanes and tsunamis. I think UVM students are more than well equiped to speak out for change and I think that among us eco-reps there could be someone to make drastic change on a politcal and national level. I think the most effective way to bring this issue up with students would be to present it in a way that emphasizes that it is happening right now, every day, instead of climate change as this ever looming doom in the future. If students knew the impacts they were having directly, I definitely think some of their actions would change. And it is a change we need.
Casey
Climate change is something extremely relevant to today's society, their lifestyles, what they know, what they don't know...and to me, climate change is a challenge I am personally trying to tackle with changes in my own life--i.e. i'm saving up for a bicycle for this summer because it will be perfect for my job; i'm making stronger efforts to eat less meat & more local food, and i'm simply trying to consume less. For many average UVMers, I think climate change is something they have heard about--through the news or An Inconvienent Truth and maybe briefly mentioned in some classes--but the topic is not something they're familiar with on an in-depth level. I've been getting the vibe that most UVMers think the only way you reduce your greenhouse gas emissions is by driving a car less, but there is more you can do which is what I think we need to make clear. I think it's very important we continue to educate peers about a prevalent issue such as climate change--it is a very real part of our life and personal changes in each individual's lifestyles can help make a difference.
--winter
I think we definitely need to bring up climate change with the community. The environment is connected to our lives individually more than one would first think. Though the average UVMer is probably familiar with the problem and issues surrounding climate change, I think people have a hard time connecting themselves to that problem. It is also hard to see the results from your personal efforts to reduce CO2 etc. In order for the UVM community to understand the issue and how they can help I think it will be important to give them all the facts about climate change and show what specifically affects it. Most important is to show them how they can make a difference, and what they will see if nothing is changed.
-Lisa
So what does the big picture problem of climate change mean to you? To a average UVMer? How do we even begin to bring up this issue with students? Do we need to
For me, climate change really encompasses our habits and decisions we make each day that have an affect on the environment Meaning, everything we do (or a good amount of it) contributes in some way to more emissions or climate change in another aspect. I like to think of it this way because then it really forces me to be more conscious of the choices I make each day and really puts the power of change into my own hands.
I think a lot of people, even at such a "Green" school like UVM, get overwhelmed sometimes by such an abstract idea as climate change that they just give up or don't care anymore. it's sometimes very difficult or just tricky to bring up the topic of climate change around people who aren't avid environmentalists because they tend to get defensive and think your preaching to them, when you really aren't or don't mean to.
I think the best way to reach people is to do what Eco Reps stands by the most..lead by example. Actions speak louder than words and this way you don't come off as preachy or like your on a high horse when trying to educate the UVM community about climate change and what they can do. I also think it's very important to stay positive so people don't feel discouraged.
-Sam Ethridge
I think that there needs to be an appreciation for the big picture of climate change, but that appreciation does not need to come in the form of a technical understanding. Too often the science gives me the feeling that the problem of climate change is to complex to be affected positively by my actions and I also get the feeling that no matter how much environmental good I do, I will always do environmental harm. The issue is so multifaceted, with many different causes and implications, and there is so much to understand that it is overwhelming and disheartening.
What I value is a practical understanding. Granted that this is a complex issue, but what can I do and how does what I am doing help?
I feel that looking at it from a more personal perspective, dealing with real changes that I can make, really improves my spirit and willpower. But is that oversimplifying the problem? Not really. Having that appreciation for the complexity of climate change is the first step to making practical change. Realizing that there is so much going on, realizing that it affects you and you affect it in every aspect of your life, allows you to realize that your life can become an great opportunity for positive change.
Climate Change is such a huge issue that so few people care or even worry about. I feel as if there are environmentally conscience students here at UVM and there are students who have no interest in learning the littlest thing about what they can do to better the world. There are so many aspect to climate change that its something that one poster can't explain. It takes course after course and increased interest in the matter to truly start to grasp the idea of this problem. It blows my mind every time I look at graphs or read about new problems as it truly illuminates how dynamic our earth is. The best way to introduce the idea of global climate change to our peers to to simply get the word out there. I just lead an Outing Club trip today and we spent fifteen minutes discussing our thoughts on this topic. By talking and expressing opinions and new ideas, students can begin to understand what so many already care about.
Caroline Shepard
I think to me climate change is a current issue that has been created over a long period of time due to our very technologically advanced lifestyle. Just because we may not be experiencing numerous disasterous effects right now that does not mean that things are not changing. We cannot totally undo the damage and pollution we have already added to our earth but we defintiely can work together to improve the conditions and work towards creating a much more environmentally-friendly way of living. I feel that a lot of students here at UVM are very environmentally conscious compared to other places and colleges. Some people just do not seem to want to believe that climate change is a real issue and during the winter months i'll hear comments like "yeah right global warming..." I agree with Rachel that one way to address the climate change issue is to present them with hard facts and try to find ways to motivate people to change some of their habits in order to help decrease the rate of climate change. Also, I think people uniting together on an issue such a climate change can have a huge effect as we have seen students here at UVM uniting on certain environmental issues in order to enforce a change in the college.
-Stephanie
The bigger picture problem of climate change means the overall degradation and negative and unhealthful change to a place that we love and depend upon so much. This change is not something that can be ignored, though some people would live to live oblivious to the changes so obviously occurring around them. To the average UVMer, I believe this climate change is inconvenient (strange weather patterns not entirely conducive to snowboarding or ski culture) and starting to become a bit scary. Though I think at this point, many UVMers, seeing this change, feel unable to do something of impact to fight this problem. We need to bring up this issue with students. We can do this by conversation, posters, events, guest speakers... everything we have been doing up until this points are steps in the right direction. This work is not going to end and our job in bringing up this issue with students is to be persistent. To not attack. To understand that this is scary but this is something that can be helped.
--Leigha
As the wise-beyond-his-years Patrick LaClair once said, "It's scary enough not knowing something that doesn't affect you. Imagine not knowing something that does."
I can't remember the context in which I was hit with that knowledge, but I feel it was somehow related to climate change. It does a good job of summing things up for me.
To me, Climate Change means a lot of things, most of them generally unpleasant. I'm not sure how to describe the average UVMer, but I imagine for him/ her it could mean anything from Al Gore to devastating floods in Bangladesh. That said, I certainly feel it is important to start dialogue with students about climate change. I still get the feeling that, since it hasn't directly and blatantly affected many people here (UVM, US, North America), the term "Climate Change" is still something that isn't entirely believed in. I think it might help to reach a consensus on what Climate Change might mean for a student here, and start the conversation that way.
-Mike
Many students have different veiws on the issue of climate change. As environmentalist we all probably share similar views on what should be done to change habits of the world. But as eco-reps i think it is out responsibilty to respect ( not necessarly agree) with all views on the issue. Through talking about climate change the last couple weeks, i have realized that the topic has been associated with certain political parties and agendas by the american public. Instead of preaching opinions on the issue, why not use the scientific evidence that is out there! Focusing upon the basic 3 R's-- Reduction of consumption, recycling, and reusing--- and how living these guilelines out can make a contribute to the slowing of climate change is the way to spread the message to students who are irie about the issue.
Jim P
Post a Comment
<< Home