So basically right now I’m going to use my research proposal for this because I haven’t had time to keep up with doing more researching and reviewing…
Global Warming: What is it and what is IUP doing to help compared to other American Colleges?
Global Warming isn’t a newly discovered topic. It’s been around for centuries but has lately been drastically increased since the Industrial Revolution. A time when it can most be accounted for starting is during “The Little Ice Age”. The Little Age spans from 1300-1850, preceding the Industrial Revolution, which started late in the 18th C. Currently, in this time and day, global warming is an issue that is highly publicized and a lot of time and care have been put into its awareness. Global Warming is a highly important topic because without any care or attention, the Earth could result in unlivable conditions for the future and possibly kill off all of existence. So why should we care now and why should college students especially take attention to the topic? “…But the average student is more concerned about the exam tomorrow than the temperature 100 years from now.” (Berger 2007). It is almost correct to state that college students are more concerned about their personal welfare over the national and/or global welfare, but setting aside time and concentration can lead to a better future. The youth now are the next generation in control and by lecturing students; they will be more prone to making rational and educated decisions in the future. If college campuses start changing now to a more eco-friendly place that lessens their emissions, future generations will have an example to base their own decisions off of, including: gas friendly or gas-free vehicles, low energy intake homes, and an idealistic family size.
I currently attend Indiana University of PA, and I know that it is just a small campus set in a large country, but I believe that IUP can contribute to lowering harmful emissions and making an impact on global warming. I have done some research about other campuses nation-wide that have helped in the war against global warming. Some campuses have dedicated millions of dollars in solar panels, more efficient energy systems, recycling, and an overall lowering of emissions that are contributing towards a hotter Earth. My research is intended to compare those colleges with my own in finding out where IUP stands. I intend to make surveys to find out exactly how much IUP students know about global warming and what part IUP is taking to lessen their usage of energy and water supplies. Recycling is another important aspect in global warming and I want to know how much IUP does recycle. With my research, alongside of finding out IUP’s place in global warming, I also want to briefly discuss what global warming is and what factors play into it: as to what contributes to it, what started awareness of the climate change, what is causing the climate change, how has industrialization contributed to global warming, and what will happen to the future if we don’t act now? Global Warming is a world-wide issue that has provoked many American colleges and universities to act accordingly to the situation to help lower their impact on it’s harmful effects; I intend to compare and contrast my university, Indiana University of PA, to other schools nation-wide to see where it stands to others that are well on their way to aiding in the war of Global Warming.
My hypothesis is that IUP is not up to standards of other colleges like Penn State University and Carnegie Mellon who have been placed on Sierra magazine’s “Top 10 Coolest Schools” list, who both have greatly contributed to reducing their emissions and energy use (Hopey 2007). My expected results will probably be shameful to IUP and it’s students. I plan to help spread awareness of my campuses high impact on raising the climate temperature. I know that IUP doesn’t recognize “Focus the Nation” as an actual branch on campus of the national organization developed by Eban Goodstein, an economics professor at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon (Boccella 2008).
Global warming is important for many reasons. An example of how global warming could affect Indiana, PA, is that, in a few decades, a normal sunny 80-degree day now a days will turn into a hot and humid 120-degree Louisiana day. It will have severe changes in climate in places like the Polar Regions, by melting their snow and ice and rising sea levels. With increasing sea levels, many coastal cities, like New York City, will be flooded and Manhattan will no longer be in existence. Aside from major cities disappearing, many islands will be long gone and a part of history. Many fossil fuels will be depleted and if we don’t act now, we will not have a solution for heating, cooling, or transportation. Global warming is something that our generations need to act upon now and find solutions to our industrialized problems. We jump-started this phenomenon and now we need to find the solutions. There are many things one can do on a personal level, such as replacing high energy light bulbs with low energy ones and driving less or driving a hybrid car. Global warming just isn’t a myth but something that needs to be taken care of, and I feel that starting on a college level will help spread awareness and promote rational decisions for the future.
I currently attend Indiana University of PA, and I know that it is just a small campus set in a large country, but I believe that IUP can contribute to lowering harmful emissions and making an impact on global warming. I have done some research about other campuses nation-wide that have helped in the war against global warming. Some campuses have dedicated millions of dollars in solar panels, more efficient energy systems, recycling, and an overall lowering of emissions that are contributing towards a hotter Earth. My research is intended to compare those colleges with my own in finding out where IUP stands. I intend to make surveys to find out exactly how much IUP students know about global warming and what part IUP is taking to lessen their usage of energy and water supplies. Recycling is another important aspect in global warming and I want to know how much IUP does recycle. With my research, alongside of finding out IUP’s place in global warming, I also want to briefly discuss what global warming is and what factors play into it: as to what contributes to it, what started awareness of the climate change, what is causing the climate change, how has industrialization contributed to global warming, and what will happen to the future if we don’t act now? Global Warming is a world-wide issue that has provoked many American colleges and universities to act accordingly to the situation to help lower their impact on it’s harmful effects; I intend to compare and contrast my university, Indiana University of PA, to other schools nation-wide to see where it stands to others that are well on their way to aiding in the war of Global Warming.
My hypothesis is that IUP is not up to standards of other colleges like Penn State University and Carnegie Mellon who have been placed on Sierra magazine’s “Top 10 Coolest Schools” list, who both have greatly contributed to reducing their emissions and energy use (Hopey 2007). My expected results will probably be shameful to IUP and it’s students. I plan to help spread awareness of my campuses high impact on raising the climate temperature. I know that IUP doesn’t recognize “Focus the Nation” as an actual branch on campus of the national organization developed by Eban Goodstein, an economics professor at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon (Boccella 2008).
Global warming is important for many reasons. An example of how global warming could affect Indiana, PA, is that, in a few decades, a normal sunny 80-degree day now a days will turn into a hot and humid 120-degree Louisiana day. It will have severe changes in climate in places like the Polar Regions, by melting their snow and ice and rising sea levels. With increasing sea levels, many coastal cities, like New York City, will be flooded and Manhattan will no longer be in existence. Aside from major cities disappearing, many islands will be long gone and a part of history. Many fossil fuels will be depleted and if we don’t act now, we will not have a solution for heating, cooling, or transportation. Global warming is something that our generations need to act upon now and find solutions to our industrialized problems. We jump-started this phenomenon and now we need to find the solutions. There are many things one can do on a personal level, such as replacing high energy light bulbs with low energy ones and driving less or driving a hybrid car. Global warming just isn’t a myth but something that needs to be taken care of, and I feel that starting on a college level will help spread awareness and promote rational decisions for the future.
Bibliography:
Boccella, Kathy, “Campuses focus on climate change,” Philadelphia Inquirer, 31 January 2008.
Hopey, Don, “Carnegie Mellon, Penn State score well on Sierra magazine’s ‘green’ ranking,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 26 October 2007.
Berger, Eric, “Stars are on board for a college tour on global warming,” Houston Chronicle, 10 April 2007.
