One individual changing personal habits may seem small when dealing with global warming. But when action is taken by 270 million people in the United States, savings are big.

Some experts say a student's education is how they can make a difference. Other experts are unsure of a solution.

Global warming results from the generation of carbon, in part, from people's waste. People are concerned about global warming because of its negative effect on the air people breathe and the water people drink, essentials needed to sustain human life.

Manufacture, distribution, use of products and management of waste all result in greenhouse gas emissions. Waste prevention and recycling reduce these gases by reducing methane emissions and saving energy. Reducing gas emissions helps stop global climate change by decreasing the amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. These gases cause global warming.

Ed Kessler, former director of the National Severe Storms Laboratory, said students can reduce greenhouse gases if they simply use less stuff.

Kessler said he hopes students will teach people how to limit themselves so there will be a future for others.

"We're fouling our nest," he said. "We should grow mentally. Read more books."

He said the solution to global warming may be fewer people. As society grows, more carbon dioxide is produced.

"At some point, will we have to tell people to have only one child, like China does," he said.

He said people burn about 6.5 billion tons of carbon annually. After all of the carbon is burnedpeople are not going to adjust very well, he said.

"Ultimately, society will probably have to be reorganized," he said.

Susan Postawko, associate professor of meteorology, said if the world does not take pollution seriously, the environment will worsen until it is no longer capable of supporting the human population.

"Whether we stop emitting carbon dioxide today or not, climate is going to change," she said. "What appears to be the problem now is that the human population has grown so large that we may increase amounts of carbon dioxide at a rate faster than in the past."

In 1999, industrial and residential properties accounted for 68 percent of the carbon dioxide released into the air according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Association. Transportation sources emitted 32 percent of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel combustion in the United States.

Another solution to the planet's warming is to redesign something crucial to the economy and everyone's life: transportation.

Phil Browder, meteorology freshman, said students should write congressmen and get educated about global warming and alternate transportation methods.

"I don't see an end to the greenhouse effect," Browder said. "The number one way to combat CO2 in the air is to fight for more enforced regulations on industries and push environmental issues."

He said since one cannot forecast the weather past three days, one definitely cannot forecast the exact answers to the Earth's future. He said society should look to what can be done now by changing individual habits.

Mark Meo, research fellow of the science and public policy program and professor of civil engineering and environmental science, said college students are obviously concerned about their future. He said if they are not concerned with global warming, they may not have as many choices in their future.

He said students, as well as the rest of the society, will be advancing when they understand the elements to make more environmental purchases.

He said society will be more educated when purchasing if products are labeled with the amount of emissions. He said people need to be informed about the emissions of products.

"If people are concerned about reducing emissions, then more information will be available about elements," he said.

He said if students are interested in environmental purchases, they can look for the Green Seal of Approval on products.

The Green Seal is an independent testing organization that sets environmental standards for products. The organization researches the energy and materials required to make and dispose of a product. The organization tests different products such as garbage bags to find the potential for releasing greenhouse gases.

The Green Seal of Approval is awarded to products that cause less harm to the environment than similar products.

"If you see the green seal, you're reassured it's a better product for the environment," he said.

He said 10 years from now there will be better systems to develop and manage fuels because students are being educated.

"They're going to design systems to reduce the amount of energy and minerals to provide the same service," Meo said.

He compared global warming with gravity. They both used to be difficult for people to comprehend. Now that people do not question it, they want to learn more about it.

Patrick Fajaro, chemical engineer sophomore, said global warming is more of an issue since people are more aware of it.

Fajaro said if people are dying in car accidents, people are going to want to make safer cars.

He said since people are concerned about preserving the Earth, people want to better manage Earth's resources.

Dave Bary, spokesman for the EPA, said the Kyoto protocol has received a great deal of discussion in America.

In March, President Bush's administration withdrew its support from the most recent effort to reduce greenhouse gases. After a number of nations met in Japan to discuss reducing greenhouse gases, the U.S. Senate elected not to ratify the Kyoto treaty in a 95-0 vote.

Bary said he did not know what students in particular could do to improve the climate right now.

Kessler said even with recycling, very little has been done to fix the problem. All the energy used by the last generation created too much carbon dioxide.

"The last generation is a consumer's society," he said. "We believe the earth is here for us to use it."

"We hope that the next generation will do better than the last."


To learn more about global warming, visit www.climatehotmap.org.


To learn more about Green Seal, visit www.greenseal.org.
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