With the country feeling the effects of two consecutive record-setting hurricane seasons, the debate on global warming has re-ignited across the country. One of the people speaking out and mobilizing people across the country to take action is Seinfeld co-creator and Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David.
David is working with his wife Laurie David, who founded StopGlobalWarming.org and mtvU to lead a “Virtual March on Washington” to petition the government to address the issue of global warming.
At a telephone press conference hosted by the Davids and Stephen Friedman of mtvU Tuesday, the Davids expressed their concern about global warming and stressed action, particularly from college students.
“College students in the past have proven that they can change policy,” Laurie David said. “We desperately need their help to address the issue of global warming.”
The issue of global warming is controversial, with some refuting that it is a problem at all.
Laurie David disagrees.
“There is complete and total scientific consensus that global warming is happening,” she said. “There is no legitimate scientist that disputes this.”
Douglas Fuller, professor of geography and regional studies at UM, feels just as strongly on the issue.
“At this point, the greenhouse skeptics are becoming fewer and fewer as the evidence becomes stronger and stronger,” Fuller said. “Furthermore, the climate models that were once assailed by skeptics have proven remarkably accurate and are improving all the time.”
However, both Laurie David and Fuller are reluctant to blame the past two hurricane seasons on global warming.
“There is little to no evidence yet to indicate whether warming is causing increased frequency of hurricanes,” he said, adding that as ocean temperatures rise, a side-effect of global warming, “storms will have more energy for development.”
Students agree that global warming is an issue to be taken seriously but don’t know much about the issue.
“I don’t know a whole lot about [global warming], but I know that’s it’s making our climate more and more unstable,” Blair Scott, junior, said. “I say people with cars should take a day off every week and walk or use public transportation.”
According to Laurie David, the government has avoided the issue which is why she started the Virtual March on Washington.
“We really need to force our administration, our Congress and our media to address this issue now,” she said.
Laurie David, who started the campaign with Senators John McCain and Bobby Kennedy, noted that this is not a partisan issue, but rather a moral issue.
Fuller suggested ways students can help with the situation.
“Find ways to conserve energy and rely less on the use of fossil fuels,” he said. “Write your political representatives and urge them to support the adoption of alternative energy sources.”
Students can also sign up for the virtual march at StopGlobalWarming.org. As an added incentive, students can also register on the site to win Larry David’s Toyota Prius through an mtvU sweepstakes.
Larry David said he was upset about losing his car.
“I’m very attached to the car,” he said. “I like it more than my pet, I can tell you that.”
For more information about the Virtual March on Washington, visit www.stopglobalwarming.com.
Jay Rooney can be contacted at j.rooney@umiami.edu.