By Mariana Leon Smith

Earth Day is April 22, and according to the World Public Opinion Organization, “Global warning has already been accepted by a strong majority of Americans as a real and serious problem.”

The University of Louisville has various environmentally-concerned organizations, as well as local schools and other larger-scale organizations that have planned many activities and events that aim to get students more aware and involved with environmental initiatives.

The Student Activities Board, in cooperation with Operation Brightside and U of L Students for Environmental Action, organized ECOSPEAK, which brought E-magazine, a national environmental bi-monthly online magazine, editor Jim Motavalli to the Student Activities Center’s Floyd Theater on April 9.

During his presentation, Motavalli said that while it is true that polls increasingly show people believe global warming is real, they are also showing that people don’t believe global warming has an effect on their everyday lives.

Motavalli explained some of the impacts global warming would cause in the state of Kentucky.

He said that in 2100, the average temperatures could increase by three degrees for all seasons. Furthermore, Mammoth Cave would experience higher temperatures, decimating bat populations that are already endangered.

Another impact Motavalli talked about was the effect of global warming on the production of Maker’s Mark, bourbon produced here in Kentucky. He said it would take longer to produce Maker’s Mark because “the aging process of bourbon would also be affected by global warming.”

Junior industrial engineering student Pierre Alessandria said, “The problem is that sometimes we’re too tied up with our lives that we forget what’s going on around us. Global warming is an example of that.”

Motavalli gave the attendees ideas as to what can be done around campus to halt the global warming process.

“Coal is maybe 20-30 percent of the problem, and in Kentucky, many places are heated up by coal plants, including this campus,” Motavalli said.

He encouraged students to urge the university to clean up the coal plant that provides heat around campus. As an example, Motavalli said that the coal plant at Yale University emits more carbon dioxide than a small African country.

At the end of his presentation, Motavalli said, “We do have a chance to turn this situation around for the future, we have the technology and the capacity today to solve this problem.”

The Step It Up 2007 organization along with Greenthumb have also hosted some events on and off campus that seek commitments and solutions towards global warming.

On April 14, students were to meet at the West Lawn in front of the SAC to make slogan t-shirts, and ride their bikes to the downtown Step It Up 2007 rally, featuring information booths, speakers, Third District U.S. representative John Yarmuth and a march.

The Step It Up events seek to get Congress to pass a law forcing an 80 percent reduction in emissions of heat-trapping gases by 2050.

Everyone can visit the Louisville Zoo on April 22, for their celebration of Earth Day, at “The Party for the Planet.”

Admission is one dollar and there will be over 30 exhibitors there including the U of L Community Band.

For other scheduled events in the area go to http://www.earthday.ky.gov.