Sheryl Crow sang three of her hit songs while performing during the Stop Global Warming College Tour
Paul Revere, the Blue Man Group and former Vice President Al Gore showed MTSU students the peril earth faces due to the effects of global warming on Tuesday night. Grammy Award winning singer-song writer Sheryl Crow and global warming activist Laurie David parked their bio-diesel tour bus at Murphy Center to help educate students about global warming,
its effects on the Earth, and the dangers it poses for future generations. "I am terrified about what is happening to [the] planet," said David, founder of Stop Global Warming. "Global warming is happening faster than expected, but [we] can do something to stop it."David said scientists have concluded the earth has less than 10 years to slow global warming down, or else "we set ourselves on a course that cannot be corrected."
According to statistics David provided from scientists, such as James Hanson of NASA, human activity has guaranteed a two-degree global temperature increase."The difference between one degree is a frozen Popsicle in your freezer or a puddle on the floor," David said. "No other issue is going to impact your life more than global warming."Both David and Crow offered suggestions on how students could make positive changes in their lives to help slow the process, such as taking a reusable cup to Starbucks to get coffee, driving a hybrid car, taking a garment bag to the dry cleaner to reduce using plastic, and voting for candidates who are doing something to try and slow the process down."
We need to change as individuals first, then as families, schools, cities, and then as a country," David said.David shared stories from other college campuses on how they are making changes to combat global warming. "Texas A&M is using left over oil from their cafeteria to power their campus trucks. LSU students started a petition to eliminate cars on campus and it's going to effect as of July," David said, adding that students should work with their school president to make their campus carbon neutral.In the past, MTSU students have done their part to combat global warming. In the 2006 spring Student Government Association election, students voted unanimously to raise student activity fees by $8.00 to purchase green power."
Every student purchases clean energy and green power with their tuition," said Reggie Miller, co-chair of Students for Environmental Action. "They can do even more by turning off a light, or by carpooling and biking to campus."Crow paused during the show for a moment of silence to "send good energy and our deepest condolences to the families and victims at Virginia Tech."Crow sang acoustic versions of her hits, including "A Change Will Do You Good" and "Everyday Is a Winding Road," which she said have taken on a new meaning for her."The more I learn about [global warming]" Crow explained, "the more there is the burden of knowing." Crow joked with the audience about tips to help stop global warming including wearing recycled paper outfits and using one square of toilet paper.
Crow responded to questions about different steps schools can to take to better educate, not only students, but university staff as well."Part of the problem is that we have been in denial for a long time. We don't want to face the fact that this is happening," Crow said. Crow also recommended that every school show "An Inconvenient Truth." She considers the documentary to be a wellspring of information for students and teachers that lays out the issue of global warming in terms everyone can understand.Students who attended the concert received a free Phillips, International energy-saving light bulb, which lasts for seven years and is more energy efficient than a regular light bulb."It's not about doing everything, but about doing something," Crow said.
Steve Goldmacher, a representative for Phillips, said the evolving technology is allowing energy to become viable and allow people to hear the message. "Energy saving bulbs are identical to [the] light bulbs people are already using, but they save 75 percent in energy costs," Goldmacher said. "The only difference is that the bulbs are fluorescent as opposed to incandescent."The Stop Global Warming College Tour concludes on April 22 in Washington, D.C. Along with other artists, David and Crow will then urge U.S. leaders to take necessary steps to protect the planet before it is too late. "Our message is that it is possible; scientists are saying that it's possible and to not give up hope," David said. "Hopefully, we'll begin to look around and start to make changes in our personal lives."
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