Daily Campus

Issue date: 4/10/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Nick McCarthy

Media Credit: Jennifer Broyles [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Nick McCarthy [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Nick McCarthy [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Nick McCarthy Sheryl [Click to enlarge]

Singer-song writer Sheryl Crow and founder of Stopglobalwarming.org Laurie David held a press conference Monday on the Hilltop. SMU students and faculty, as well as the surrounding Dallas community, gathered around to learn more about the Stop Global Warming College Tour.

Also present were Dallas Mayor Laura Miller, Arlington Mayor Dr. Robert Cluck and Austin Mayor Will Wynn.

SMU was the first of 10 colleges chosen for the tour. Crow and David said it is important to get the message out to college students because they are our future.

Crow's involvement in the issue is rooted in growing up in southern Missouri.

"There were just certain things you could count on, you could count on nice warm summers, lush breezy springs and chilly winters," Crow said.

Crow was frightened after hearing stories of Easter egg hunts in the snow this time of year in Dallas.

But Crow and David aren't alone in their efforts. Texas officials are joining forces to change the fact that Texas is No.1 among U.S. states in greenhouse gas emissions.

"Texas, just so you know, emits more carbon dioxide than the United Kingdom . . . as a country," Miller said.

Miller added that this issue has united more citizens and elected officials than any other in the history of Texas.

Mayor Wynn and Mayor Cluck backed Miller's plea to help Texas clean up. Wynn said that we have exhausted every other alternative, and Cluck said we cannot wait any longer to take action or it could be too late to help the environment.

However, according to David, not all Texas officials are supportive of the plan to stop global warming in Texas.

"It is unacceptable for Governor Perry to continue to ignore the dangers of global warming," David said.

David said that even though there is now complete scientific consensus that the globe is warming and humans are causing it, Perry doesn't believe it.

However, according to former student body president and current student trustee Liz Healy, SMU is aware of global warming and making changes to combat it.

Last year members of the Student Senate led a successful effort to join the EPA Green Power Partnership.

"SMU became one of the first large universities in the entire Southwest region to join this partnership and purchase at least 3 percent of our energy from renewable resources," Healy said.

She also talked about the new Embrey Engineering building, which meets the standards of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). The building is made of resources from a 500-mile radius to cut down on pollution caused from transportation. The chairs are made of corn, and the building even features waterless urinals.

SMU is also making a few small changes that help the school save up to $10,000 annually in energy spending. The campus is installing occupancy sensors that automatically turn off lights in unoccupied rooms and turn off vending machines after midnight.

Laurie David closed the conference by asking the audience to do four things:

Make a personal change, such as changing one light bulb to a 75 percent more efficient CFL bulb.

Ask universities to start the process to become more carbon neutral.

Put pressure on government officials to freeze and reduce production of carbon emissions.

Join the virtual march and stopglobalwarming.org.

SMU Junior Meredith Hultman said she had no idea that SMU is making changes to help the environment. She was most surprised by the little things that add up to big changes.

"Now I'm thinking about switching out my light bulbs. If you tell people about the small things, I think they will do them," Hultman said.

Crow and David ended their visit to SMU with a concert in McFarlin in the evening. David addressed the auditorium filled with members of the Dallas and SMU communities. Her main message was that as individuals, we can all make a huge difference together.

"You don't have to do everything, but you do have to do something. The solution is you," David said.

She also made it clear that the campaign is not about politics, but ethics. Members from the Republican and Democratic parties, Senator John McCain and Robert F. Kennedy Jr started the virtual march.

Crow had the same message for the crowd, which she communicated through songs as simple as, "A Change Would Do You Good."

For more information about the tour and global warming, visit stopglobalwarming.org.

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