In the fight against global climate change, replacing light bulbs and driving hybrids won’t cut it, former Vice President Al Gore said to a packed auditorum of Revelle College students Friday.
The speech was part of a three-day event to celebrate the 100th birthday of UCSD founder and climate-change research pioneer Roger Revelle.
Revelle College senior Matt Wiepking, one of approximately 300 audience members, said students seemed to take Gore’s message to heart.
‘It was a reminder that we need to do more than just change our windows and put more insulation in our houses,’ he said. ‘These changes need to be enacted at a legislative level.’
The event was free, but only Revelle College students were allowed to attend. Seniors, honor students and student leaders ‘mdash; such as college councilmembers ‘mdash; received priority seating.
Following the afternoon lecture, Scripps Institution of Oceanography presented Gore with the inaugural Roger Revelle Prize to honor his efforts in making climate-change information more accessible to the public.
Guests at the elegant reception included UC President Mark G. Yudof, Lt. Gov. and UC Regent John Garamendi, renowned British environmentalist David de Rothschild and various Scripps donors.
In his acceptance speech, Gore said the human species has reached an ecological ‘fork in the road.’
‘This is not about the past; it’s not about honors,’ he said. ‘It’s about what we’re going to do.’
Yudof said UCSD’s research has transformed the state economy, but that public outreach is the key to securing future funding for the field.
‘Research universities need to do a better job of explaining to the public what they do and how it affects them,’ he said.
Readers can contact Jesse Alm at [email protected].