Instead of passing a lazy winter break, two Tech students spent their time learning how to save the world.
Angella De Soto, a junior environmental policy and planning major, and Natalya Hallanan, a sophomore wildlife sciences major attended a three-day training session led by former Vice President Al Gore called the Climate Training Project in Nashville.
The project was a non-profit started by Gore, aimed at educating the public about global warming, which is highlighted in his documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.” Those who attended the training learned to give the same presentation that Gore gives in the film.
The training session, held Jan. 8-10, was the first time Gore had educated people to give his slideshow presentation, which includes education and solutions to global warming.
During training, De Soto and Hallanan learned about the presentation one day and practiced giving it the next day. At the end, they were given a global warming manual about the slideshow and brought home a wealth of information to share with students.
“We have everything we need right now to avoid the most serious consequences,” said De Soto. “Every single person has to do their part. This is the defining challenge of our generation.”
Some of the information that was presented included a study where 10 percent of all peer-reviewed articles on global warming, or 928 articles, were tested and none claimed that global warming was false. Next, 20 percent of media articles, or 636 articles, were studied and 53 percent denied global warming was real.
“It puts into perspective both sides of the argument, but there’s no argument in the global scientific community,” De Soto said. “And that’s why American citizens are so confused about global warming.”
During the training sessions, there was a scientist present to explain details for every slide. It was to show how global warming is not political and is not propaganda.
“There’s a consensus from scientists all over the world on this information,” said De Soto.
Both De Soto and Hallanan are co-coordinators of the Campus Climate Challenge at Tech.
“The Virginia Tech slogan actually is Invent the Future,” Hallanan said. “So if everyone can realize what we are facing, then we really can invent the best future for us and our children. Most people aren’t aware that it’s a problem that we have to take care of right now.”
De Soto first heard about the Climate Project through a friend who worked at the Environmental Protection Agency. She applied for the training and told Hallanan about it, who applied as well.
The training was so popular thousands applied, but only 1,000 made it to the first training. The sessions was split into 200 people each. In their group, De Soto and Hallanan were two out of three college students to attend. The other student was from Harvard.
“As college students, our generation is responsible,” Hallanan said. “It’s called a challenge because it’s not going to be easy.”
Both have not given the presentation yet. The project at Tech will be run through the Environmental Coalition. A kickoff concert is scheduled for Feb. 16 in the Commonwealth Ballroom at 7 p.m.
The first public presentation of the slideshow followed by a discussion is scheduled for Feb. 21 in Haymarket Theatre at 7 p.m. The girls are also working to bring Gore to speak at Tech next year.
The campaigning will not be limited to Tech. The girls will be giving presentations all over Virginia. Roanoke College has asked them to present the information. They will also be working to build a statewide coalition of all the universities that are running the Campus Climate Challenge to form a more unified voice for the state.
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 Natalya Hallanan / SPPS |
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