To the Editors:

Climate change is one of the most serious problems of the 20th century; its consequences are global in scope and environmental, socio-economic and political in nature.

According to the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate change, the average surface temperature of the earth has increased by 0.6 degrees Celcius over the past century, and is predicted to rise by another 1.4 to 5.8 decrees Celcius by 2100.

This global warming is caused by increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, which are released when we burn fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas.

The vast majority of the energy used on Oberlin College’s campus is created by the combustion of coal, which produces more CO2 per unit burned than any other fossil fuel.

The Rocky Mountain Institute energy audit found that Oberlin added over 50,000 tons of CO2 equivalent to the atmosphere in the year 2000 alone.

It is with this in mind that Climate Justice, a student organization dedicated to educating the student body about climate change and advocating climate neutrality on campus acts.

We are planning a month-long energy awareness campaign, which will take place in April.

Highlights will include a kick-off informational session at the beginning of the month, bulletin boards and even a campus-wide dorm electricity competition.

Through these efforts we hope to give students a clearer picture of climatic issues as they relate to both Oberlin and the world.

–Kate Weinberger
College sophomore