Lecture by NASA director highlights climate change concerns

Decreasing emissions from coal-fired power plants is the best way to start solving the world climate change problem NASA scientist said Monday night.

“Figuring out how to deal with coal is 80 percent of the solution,” said Dr. James Hansen. “Big business is eager for the government to start giving them some guidelines,” Hansen said. “We can cast them as the bad guys but they could be the good guys.”

Hansen, who is also an adjunct professor at Columbia University, spoke at the University Center Ballroom at 8 p.m. as a part of the President’s Lecture Series. His speech was titled, “The Threat to the Planet: How Can We Avoid Dangerous Human-Made Climate Change?”

Hansen, a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, spoke of environmental destruction caused by the world’s increased use of fossil fuels.

“There is in fact, I believe, a crisis and it’s hard for people to see,” Hansen said. “There’s the danger that you can have (climate) changes out of your control.”

Hansen said the longer the world waits to use alternatives to fossil fuels, the more future generations will suffer from an increase in rising ocean levels and animal extinction.

“We’re going to have to figure out how to get energy without fossil fuels and we’re going to have to do that sooner rather than later.”

Hansen said if something isn’t done soon, “We will push species off the planet.”

The world’s addiction to oil and other products, Hansen said, will make the elimination of them a difficult task.

“It’s very important to use the existing supplies frugally. We have to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels and you can’t do that instantly,” Hansen said.

He said the key to halting global warming lies within the people.

“We still have a democracy and we need to make it work. My suggestion is we have to influence the electoral process,” Hansen said.

He said making sure the public holds energy companies responsible for their role in climate change is the best way people can create a positive change.

“If they were willing to become energy companies rather than fossil fuel companies, it could solve the problem. But, they do not yet feel the heat,” Hansen said.

Hansen said although political activism and a control over emissions given off by coal-fired plants are the two easiest and effective ways to help control the world’s climate, it isn’t the final solution – and damage to the atmosphere can’t be undone.

“It’s not likely that there’s going to be any single silver bullet to solve the problem,” Hansen said. “If you put the oil up there, you can’t get it back.”