Rice University: Global Warming
CO2 Forum focuses on solutions for global warming - 02/07/08
Rice University further strengthened its commitment to and its leadership role in addressing global warming by hosting the CO2 Forum and Sustainability Fair Jan. 31 as part of a nationwide educational initiative, in which 1,700 universities held similar events on the same day.
Optimism that CO2 emissions could be reduced with education, technology and behavioral changes permeated throughout the presentations of the forum's five distinguished speakers.
"Thanks to education, more people are aware about global warming and what they can do than just 15 years ago," said Dominique Raynaud, senior author of the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore.
He said that the 2007 IPCC report found that the warming of the Earth during the past 50 years is unequivocally due to increases of greenhouse gasses emitted by human activities. Raynaud said that 11 of the last 12 years are the 12 warmest global averages recorded since 1850. He's confident that global warming can be slowed, but it will be challenging and it won't take just one solution because the "world is diverse and we have to respect the different ways of thinking."
In his welcoming remarks, Rice President David Leebron touted the university's leadership role on addressing global warming issues through research, education and institutional policies and actions.
"Many of our students already come to campus with a passion about being part of a solution that will lead to a greener future, and they will graduate with an even greater appreciation and passion," he said.
