Scholars warn students of global warming evils

David de Rothschild trekked across Antarctica in 100 days with a technical crew and a team of husky sled dogs. For his next project, he plans to cross the Pacific Ocean on a raft.

But yesterday afternoon he took a break from his globe-trotting, recounting his adventures to a packed room of students in East Pyne. As audience members crowded into the lecture hall, filling the chairs and lining up along the walls, Rothschild charmed them with his crisp British accent and witty side comments.

Rothschild said he normally shares his experiences with British elementary school students in a " 'Mission-Impossible,' James Bond style," hoping to get young people excited about the natural world. But yesterday's talk, entitled "Walking on Thin Ice: Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability," was more serious than his usual fare.

During his lecture, which was part of a panel on environmental issues, Rothschild warned of the dangers of environmental degradation and a gradually warming planet. "We have to change the story of why we were put on this planet," he said. "We must stop thinking of it as just our planet."

Despite his somber subject matter, Rothschild managed to interject some humor into his lecture, using creative metaphors like the "Jenga theory," his way of describing earth's environmental fragility. Referring to the popular game, in which players remove wooden blocks from a perilously stacked tower, Rothschild said the destruction of various small ecosystems is similarly risky. Eventually, he said, the global environment — like the unstable block tower — will collapse.

Geosciences professor Michael Oppenheimer spoke after Rothschild, arguing that the international community needs to step up its environmental activism. In the 1980s, he said, he discussed ways of using civic engagement to improve the problems of global warming with then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Last week, he spoke with New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine.

Dennis Markatos GS — founder of the campus environmental organization Students United for a Responsible Global Environment and a graduate student in the Wilson School — spoke next. He described how college presidents all over the country are signing climate change commitments, promising to become more carbon neutral. So far, he said, 350 campuses have signed on, but Princeton has not yet committed. Markatos urged students to carry "the torch of progress" and convince the University to join the effort.

All three speakers described themselves as optimists but emphasized the importance of being realistic about climate change.

When asked what he thought of the University, Rothschild said that he found it "beautiful and very clean." He hopes to continue his studies, he added with a smile. "Who knows?" he said. "One day you might see me on campus as a student."