Classroom Publication

The issue of global warming and its existence has become a hot issue over the past decade. This debate over a dangerous human-caused phenomenon or a natural and unpredictable change of the earths climate has resulted in a separation containing believers and skeptics.

Global Warming is defined as the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's air and oceans, as well as the predicted increase. The majority of the temperature increase has been attributed to the increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere resulting from human activity. Skeptics of global warming argue that the human impact from greenhouse gases is much too small to effect a global change.

"I don't see it as a super big problem, I think there are a lot of other things like the War, that we should be concerned about," said Eric Miller, a 21 year old UAlbany student who explains while he is skeptical about global warming actually being a threatening problem, he wonders why it seems like the winters come later each year.

The ongoing debate concerning our planets future and the validity of global warming has sparked immense activity at the local and national scale.

"We're continually polluting the environment and eventually it will have nowhere to go," said 21 year old student Ashley Hughes who said she really hadn't given global warming much thought before.

Here on campus, the University has sponsored a campus-wide campaign that launched in October of the fall semester. "U Albany Goes Green!" promotes reducing waste and saving energy, while protecting the environment and its resources. This past month the organization which includes faculty, students, and staff held a showing and discussion of the film "An Inconvenient Truth." The documentary features ex-vice president Al Gore advocating for action against global warming. To learn more about "An Inconvenient Truth." click here.

Many advocates against global warming are taking to the internet to voice their concerns. StopGlobalWarming.org is a popular website which features a "virtual march" in supporting green solutions to the issue. "The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-political effort bringing Americans together to declare that global warming is here now and it's time to act," reads the organizations website.

" I don't feel that the data goes back far enough to show that we are really having an impact," explains Dave Graham, a student who believes that the Earth goes through natural temperature cycles.

Carbonfootprint.com is another website in which users can calculate their own personal levels of CO2 emission. A "carbon footprint," according to the website is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment concerning amounts of greenhouse gases an individual produces. Made of two parts, an individuals "carbon footprint" measures their direct emission of CO2 through the burning of fossil fuels, as well as the indirect emission through the lifestyle and products and individual uses. The website offers a personal carbon footprint calculator as well as tips on how to reduce your own personal greenhouse gas emission.

Major political movements have also been put forth to push further world-wide efforts in fighting against global warming. Most popular, is the Kyoto Protocol. An amendment to the United Nations treaty on climate change which requires all participating countries to set mandatory emission limits for the reduction of greenhouse gases. The Kyoto Protocol which currently covers more than 160 countries accounts for 55% of the greenhouse gas emissions world-wide. The United States, the country that is currently the biggest producer of greenhouse gases globally has neither ratified or withdrawn from the Protocol.

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