On February 9th, three brilliant experts on climate change and its effects on the community joined a panel held by Pacifica institute, Orange County branch in collaboration with United Nations Association’s O.C. Chapter, Irvine United Congregational Church and Newport-Mesa-Irvine Interfaith Council.
Virginia Bernal MC’d the event as Professors David Feldman, and Jere Lipps presented their assessments of climate change. Miss Bernal discussed that it was only a few years ago in 1988, that the United Nations formed a panel on climate change.
The professors discussed topics such as what the world would look like in the upcoming years if the climate kept rising as it did, and apparently many beachfront properties decimated. But aside from the property loss, countless sea creatures will be affected due to the rise in temperatures in the ocean. Countless miniscule creatures might die off, causing huge ecological imbalances. Profesor Lipps brought to our attention that everyday creatures that form shells such as oysters and such cannot even grow past a few inches anymore. So climate change will also have a drastic impact on the fishing, and seafood industry.
Another topic discussed was about the problem of having enough freshwater to continue sustainability. This lead to a discussion about California’s drought, because it is being affected very quickly by climate change- but luckily, California has begun to put into action long term plans for the upcoming climate rise. The professors then discussed what most of the state could do to prepare for the rising climate, and how to prevent it from being more devastating than we can help it. Professor Feldman discussed how the state is trying to conserve water, such as applying fines to overuses of water as such. But the bottom line is- “there is no dirty water, just water, and we must conserve every drop”. To adapt to the climate change, it seems that our communities may indeed have to succumb to this ideology.
The night then concluded with a Q & A session.