This evening I heard an Environmental Panel of Cornell professors speak. All of these professors represent Cornell and its move towards environmental sustainability. Multiple questions were posed during the course of the panel, a few of which were directed at the audience. We were asked how many of us cared about the environment. Almost everyone’s hand went up. We were then asked how many of us had serious concerns for the environment and the future state of it. Again, almost everyone’s hand went up. But when the question was posed of how many people have actively done something to protect the environment or voice their concern, few peoples’ hands were raised.

While nearly everyone in the crowd knows that the environment is something that needs to be protected, not many people, including myself, have actually actively done something to protect it (besides turning off the lights when you leave the room or turning off the water when you’re brushing your teeth). Though this panel informed me of the different pros and cons of thermal energy, nuclear energy, coal, etc, the main thing I took away from this evening was the need for people to DO SOMETHING. Just like anything else (i.e. a job, a project, school work), nothing is going to be accomplished if you do not act and do something. If we are concerned for the environment, then we must play an active role in learning how we can preserve it and ensure its stability for years to come.