Report on Roberta Fernandez “New Dialogue” speech
at the USF Green Expo
by Yuliya Lukyanets
Roberta Fernandez's “New Dialogue” speech definitely
appealed to a “green crowd” at the
Getting Green by Going Green Expo at the USF Sun Dome held
Saturday, April 12, 2008.
Roberta Fernandez, a “Climate Change Messenger” and
founder of Planet
Partnership, educated students, business
owners, and guests of the Expo about sustainability and issues
of climate change, stressing that "we are all in this
together.” Her biggest concern is that “ the
most powerful countries are not moving quickly” on
what she sees as the world’s
biggest challenge - climate change. She talked about the
nature of the challenge and explained that disagreement on
the validity of climate change still exists. She said that “this
partisan divide baffles her” since no issue had ever
been big enough and that “a
New Dialogue is required” to avoid
a global climate change that can significantly affect everyone
in 5-10 years.
Fernandez extensively talked about the science behind global
warming and pointed out problems that should alarm people
about future unavoidable consequences if we don’t start “acting
now.”
Here are some of the alarming statistics that she presented:
- A progressive trend of many mountainous areas losing
glaciers
- Scientists are predicting that Alps can be completely
ice free by 2050, and China's glaciers can disappear by
2060.
- IPCCC is looking at a 2°- 3° C temperature
increase by 2010.
- Between 1980 and 1999, 30 glaciers were shrinking at
the rate of 11.8 in/year; whereas between 2000
and 2006, shrinkage of 4.9 feet were observed.
- In 2005, 16% of coral reefs were affected worldwide.
- In 2007, 20% decline of ice caps was observed.
- Scientist are projecting no frozen ice at the
North Pole in the near future.
- Rapid changes in Greenland’s geography will cause
a significant increase in glacial earthquakes.
Furthermore, Fernandez pointed out that
melting of glaciers and polar caps will lead to tremendous
problems with future water supplies and that disappearance
of coral reefs which are esessential to the world ecosystem
. She also pointed out that the meltng of ice caps will lead
to further national security issues like increasing the nation’s
dependence on foreign oil, driving the insurance costs up,
and spreading hunger and epidemic diseases especially in
developing countries. To help put things in perspective for
the Tampa audience, Roberta Fernandez explained that a 1
meter rise above sea level (something that scientists are
projecting in the near future in Florida) will affect 14,000
square miles of land, impacting travel and fish industries
and thousands of homes built near water.
Overall, Roberta Fernandez’s message to the audience
was that humans need to become more aware of the problem
of climate change and “ not live in a box,” and
realize that we all are “ part of the global community.” She
urged that we only “have about 10 years to act and
to take bold actions” before it is too late.
She encouraged us to start with “your
own household” and
try to lose 5000 lbs. of our carbon footprint by making
small changes like checking for potential energy leaks,
getting an energy audit, shifting to green power, planting
trees, and carpooling. Her company, planetpartnership.com
is working with companies/orgnizations to help employees
do just that and audience members at her talk received
her free workbook and were invited to join her online community
dedicated to making changes immediately. Many of the workshops
at the EXPO provided hands on tools for people to start
making some of those changes and vendors had giveaways
(e.g low flow showerheads) for home improvement.
Yuliya Lukyanets is an undergradate student in Civil and
Environmental Engineering.
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