AUBURN - When it comes to climate change, Brian Aldrich, a teacher at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, believes the public typically exhibits something resembling the five stages of grief: denial, anger, depression, acceptance and moving forward.
Jill Connor / The Citizen
Walt Aikman, left, a Cayuga Community College conservation professor, speaks as Jean Siracusa, his colleague in the conservation department, Brian Aldrich, from the Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Ron Grube, a history and geography professor at CCC, all panel members, listened to what Aikman said at the Focus the Nation “teach in” panel discussion on climate change and global warming at CCC Thursday afternoon.
Walt Aikman, left, a Cayuga Community College conservation professor, speaks as Jean Siracusa, his colleague in the conservation department, Brian Aldrich, from the Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Ron Grube, a history and geography professor at CCC, all panel members, listened to what Aikman said at the Focus the Nation “teach in” panel discussion on climate change and global warming at CCC Thursday afternoon.
“Climate change strikes at the very heart of our way of life,” Aldrich said at a climate change and global warming forum at Cayuga Community College Thursday. “Fossil fuels, it's how we heat our homes. We can drive to our jobs 50 or 60 miles away. It makes our lives easier...
“Two of the things Americans don't want to be told is to wait and change the standard of living,” he continued. “But we are going to have to change some of the things we do in time.”
Aldrich, joined by four other local experts on climate change and global warming, spoke at the college on the possible ways to deal with climate change.
Panelists included Aldrich, Cayuga Community College professors Ron Grube, Jean Siracusa and Walt Aikman and Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology specialist Jessica Coughlin.
The event, hosted by IAGT, was part of a national effort organized by Focus the Nation, a nationwide educational initiative, to bring awareness to climate change. More than 1,000 colleges, universities, high schools and community groups participated in Thursday's teach-in.
“Our intent is to move America beyond fatalism to a determination to face up to this civilizational challenge, the challenge of our generation,” stated Focus the Nation on its Web site, focusthenation.org.
Of CCC's panel discussion, Amy Work, organizer, educational coordinator and Geographic Informations Systems specialist through IAGT, thought Thursday's event was successful in creating discussion on a pervasive issue.
“I thought it created a dialogue,” she said. “Many people may already have ideas and bringing everyone together, it allowed people to start thinking about different ways they can come up with different projects and plans. You can talk and talk, but at some point we need to take action.”
Aikman suggested a federal approach to dealing with climate change. He said a plan on the same scale as the Marshall Plan - the primary plan of the United States for rebuilding Europe after World War II and repelling communism - would provide the forum for instituting major change in fossil fuel consumption. Specifically, he suggested that the federal government offer grant money to various states to come up with plans to deal with climate change.
Siracusa pointed to consumer spending as another way the climate is adversely affected.
The food and merchandise that people purchase are shipped into the area by gas-guzzling trucks, she said. And on the other end of the spectrum, fossil fuel is used again by garbage trucks picking up waste. She urged people to shop less as a way to curtail use of fossil fuels.
Siracusa also mentioned how interested college students are in raising awareness for climate change and doing something about it.
“Students, there are a lot of you,” she said, “and there is a lot you can do.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
“Two of the things Americans don't want to be told is to wait and change the standard of living,” he continued. “But we are going to have to change some of the things we do in time.”
Aldrich, joined by four other local experts on climate change and global warming, spoke at the college on the possible ways to deal with climate change.
Panelists included Aldrich, Cayuga Community College professors Ron Grube, Jean Siracusa and Walt Aikman and Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology specialist Jessica Coughlin.
The event, hosted by IAGT, was part of a national effort organized by Focus the Nation, a nationwide educational initiative, to bring awareness to climate change. More than 1,000 colleges, universities, high schools and community groups participated in Thursday's teach-in.
“Our intent is to move America beyond fatalism to a determination to face up to this civilizational challenge, the challenge of our generation,” stated Focus the Nation on its Web site, focusthenation.org.
Of CCC's panel discussion, Amy Work, organizer, educational coordinator and Geographic Informations Systems specialist through IAGT, thought Thursday's event was successful in creating discussion on a pervasive issue.
“I thought it created a dialogue,” she said. “Many people may already have ideas and bringing everyone together, it allowed people to start thinking about different ways they can come up with different projects and plans. You can talk and talk, but at some point we need to take action.”
Aikman suggested a federal approach to dealing with climate change. He said a plan on the same scale as the Marshall Plan - the primary plan of the United States for rebuilding Europe after World War II and repelling communism - would provide the forum for instituting major change in fossil fuel consumption. Specifically, he suggested that the federal government offer grant money to various states to come up with plans to deal with climate change.
Siracusa pointed to consumer spending as another way the climate is adversely affected.
The food and merchandise that people purchase are shipped into the area by gas-guzzling trucks, she said. And on the other end of the spectrum, fossil fuel is used again by garbage trucks picking up waste. She urged people to shop less as a way to curtail use of fossil fuels.
Siracusa also mentioned how interested college students are in raising awareness for climate change and doing something about it.
“Students, there are a lot of you,” she said, “and there is a lot you can do.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
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