2008 Woodie Awards
RAP-J Forum Focuses on Global Warming
Helen Schamrai
Issue date: 12/5/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
The United States is responsible for 25 percent of the world's pollution, said Dr. Richard Smith, economic historian and environmental expert.
Last week about 30 countries all around the world took action to stop global warming, by protesting and addressing the issue.
On Wednesday, Nov. 30 about 50 people showed up to learn about global warming at a Rutgers Acts for Peace and Justice-sponosred forum in the campus center.
Three guest speakers, Richard Smith, economic historian and environmental expert, and Don Lee and Jose Colon, student interns at the NJ Public Interest Research Group spoke about global warming.
Global warming is defined as an increase in temperature near the surface of the Earth.
The increase in those temperatures is "primarily caused by people," said Dr. Smith.
Coal-burning power plants and cars are the top two creators of harmful carbon dioxide gasses, he said.
Some, however, are convinced that the global warming issue should not be addressed because it is caused by the natural processes. Among those people are the owners of oil companies and government officials that make a profit off it, Smith argued.
Smith gave an example of how European countries, Germany in particular, try to cut down on pollution.
"At the end of the line of the grocery stores there are no bags, people have to bring their own," he said.
Germany is a small country compared to the U.S., therefore they have no extra land to store their wastes.
The grocery stores also promote recycling by allowing people to bring their own containers to the store and recycle the ones they are buying.
Two student interns at the NJ Public Interest Research Group, Don Lee and Jose Colon, are trying to come up with a plan to cut down pollution that is created by Rutgers-Newark.
One of their suggestions was to install solar panels on the roofs of the buildings to cut down on energy consumption.
Last week about 30 countries all around the world took action to stop global warming, by protesting and addressing the issue.
On Wednesday, Nov. 30 about 50 people showed up to learn about global warming at a Rutgers Acts for Peace and Justice-sponosred forum in the campus center.
Three guest speakers, Richard Smith, economic historian and environmental expert, and Don Lee and Jose Colon, student interns at the NJ Public Interest Research Group spoke about global warming.
Global warming is defined as an increase in temperature near the surface of the Earth.
The increase in those temperatures is "primarily caused by people," said Dr. Smith.
Coal-burning power plants and cars are the top two creators of harmful carbon dioxide gasses, he said.
Some, however, are convinced that the global warming issue should not be addressed because it is caused by the natural processes. Among those people are the owners of oil companies and government officials that make a profit off it, Smith argued.
Smith gave an example of how European countries, Germany in particular, try to cut down on pollution.
"At the end of the line of the grocery stores there are no bags, people have to bring their own," he said.
Germany is a small country compared to the U.S., therefore they have no extra land to store their wastes.
The grocery stores also promote recycling by allowing people to bring their own containers to the store and recycle the ones they are buying.
Two student interns at the NJ Public Interest Research Group, Don Lee and Jose Colon, are trying to come up with a plan to cut down pollution that is created by Rutgers-Newark.
One of their suggestions was to install solar panels on the roofs of the buildings to cut down on energy consumption.