Special | 4/24/08

Media Credit: Blake Savadow [Click to enlarge]

As part of the Earth Day events this week, students gathered in the University Union Potomac Lounge to hear a lecture by New York Times science editor James Gorman. Gormon discussed topics relevant to global warming and other environmental concerns.

According to Darcy Accardi, special assistant to the vice president for student affairs and coordinator of civic engagement initiatives, there were roughly 55 people in attendance, most of which were students.

After explaining a few ideals of environmentalism, Gorman discussed the idea of extinction. The planet has gone through a series of mass extinctions, the most commonly known are the dinosaurs, he said.

"Eventually we could be included in this mass extinction," Gorman said. "The planet will survive, but the people, plants and animals may not."

He said he attributes the actions of humans to the destruction of the environment.

"The point here, whether we're saving the planet or not is a good question and how we talk about it is really what makes a difference regarding the political aspects we take and the language we use," Gorman said.

With these problems surfacing now more than ever, he said, the poor countries are going to get hit harder.

"What the climate divide suggests is that the rich countries in the temperate regions are the biggest polluters but they are also the wealthiest so they'll be affected the least. They have the money to cope," Gorman said.

There are many different theories of how the planet came about, and we all do not have to agree, he said. Gorman focused his talk on understanding the fact that despite how the planet came about, it is here and people have a duty to take care of it.

"It has a lot to do with the language used to present those thoughts and how the political discussion is framed," Gorman said. "I'm not here to urge one point over the other. I just want to urge you to think carefully about what you read, hear, and write."

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