7A Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

1. We have all read or heard the news about climate change. In the recent years we have heard about the effects of climate change on the environment and we may have even experienced some of those effects depending on where we live.

2.  People all over the world are experiencing the effects of climate change which is caused by a number of factors. However, though most know that it's an issue, relatively little is being done to slow down the effects of factors of climate change, for example, greenhouse gasses.

3. I think that the solution to climate change is dependent on everyone, not just one person or one country. There are some that are going to feel the immediate effects of climate change more than someone like me who lives in a midsize city in the center of the country compared to someone from a coastal area that may actually see rising sea levels. I think everyone would be more receptive to alternate form of energy if it was more readily available.

4. For each of the following interviews, my introductory question was to ask what their thoughts on climate change was. I realize that's a broad question, but depending on their answer I would ask different follow-up questions. The conclusive question was always, if these alternate forms of energy were readily available and not too expensive would they go ahead and switch.

i.) 26-year old male
I believe that climate change is real and that big companies are the ones to blame for the lack of change. The reason I think that people haven't switched from non-renewable to renewable energy is because it would be expensive. And the way things are right now I don't think we can make a big impact to prevent us from going down the road we have already started. Although, I do believe that he first step in making progress is to start with our public education system. I would like to think that if renewable energy was made readily accessible and economical, I would make the switch.

ii.) 22-year old female
I think it's an issue but maybe not to the extent people make it out to be. And by that I mean, we as people, are focusing on the wrong aspects of Climate change.  For example, earlier this year parts of the Amazon forest were on fire and many people were freaking out thinking that nobody was doing anything about it when in reality not all forest fires are a bad thing. Or you see people that are going around with metal straws talking about 'saving the turtles'. While that's not a bad thing, that's only one aspect of the problem - they're are not looking at the issue as whole I guess is what I'm trying to say. I think the solution starts with teaching younger generations how to minimize the effect we are having on the planet. The reason I think that we haven't switched over to renewable energy is first, because it's expensive and second, people (particular older generations) are set in their ways and don't welcome change. Also, right now it's not feasible, not without government intervention at least. Even if alternate forms of energy were readily available and inexpensive I still wouldn't switch over to it, because like I said earlier, people don't like change and I'm one of those people.

iii.) 27 year-old male
Climate change is a bigger issue than it's portrayed as. I think alternate forms of energy are great but its expensive and not profitable which is why fossil fuels are not going anywhere anytime soon.  Also, everyone that it's affecting are human and it's not in our nature to change until we have to. Speaking as someone who lived in Florida, I can tell you that in our neighborhood the houses were powered by solar power. Our neighbors even made enough and then some to sell back to electric companies. I can tell you that even though I know it's an issue and recycled in Florida, that's not something I do here in Arkansas. As far as the effect of climate change on coastal areas, that's not something I can comment on at the moment, not without more observations. I don't believe that we'll see any immediate action pertaining to resolving this issue considering I've been hearing about this since 2nd grade and I still don't see any real difference in the way we do things. That could be due to the fact that change would be an expensive undertaking. If alternate forms of energy were readily available I would like to think that I would get it but then again, humans are stubborn and won't change until they're forced to.

iv.) 14 year-old female
I think climate change is the result of Humans modifying the environment. And that we should do a better job of protecting the environment by not polluting the air as much and cleaning up oceans. That's where I think our focus should be. I think we haven't switched over to renewable energies because of laziness. As far as everything else, I don't know enough about the topic to form an opinion.

v.) 30 year-old male
As far as climate change, I think we can reduce our impact if we put our heads together to form and solution and by 'we' I mean everyone. I think climate change was cause by a mixture of everything though not entirely greenhouse gasses. They were a contributor, absolutely, but in my opinion (and I haven't done extensive research so don't quote me on this) urbanization has played a bigger part. If you think about it we have more roads and farmlands than we've ever had before and to do that we've cut down a lot of trees. Part of the problem is that we used asphalt, if you look back in history you can see that the Romans used bricks and stones to build their roads. They used materials that were insulators, they stayed cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Our roads don't do that, they just give off heat all year round making it even hotter outside. Another thing, I don't think we should have ever become as dependent on petroleum as we are today but the reason for that is that money talks. Big oil companies are the ones that don't want us going green. When gas prices were almost $4 a gallon people were becoming unhappy and if prices had been kept that way I can almost guarantee you that more people would have Teslas and Electric cars today. I think the oil companies sensed that and is why they dropped the prices. I think we haven't switched over to renewable energies because it's expensive to start-up even if it is cheaper in the long run. Also we're not maximizing our resources like we should. We have all different kinds of terrain all over the country. We have desserts (where it only rains like twice a year) that would be perfect for a solar power plant and we have windy coast that would be great for wind turbine farms. I don't think we'll see any real change until I generation gets into power and even then I don't think we'll ever see the benefits, maybe our grandchildren will but not us. Even then, we have to start with the younger ones education. We have a vast history where we can learn what worked and what hasn't we just have to learn from it.

5. Everyone that I interviewed agreed that climate change is an issue. Some more than others and most were in agreement that solar power to fuel our energy would help tremendously but it's expensive which is why no one has switched to it. I was surprised by how many of them thought we couldn't make an immediate impact and how most thought the best solution was to educate the younger generation. Given their responses, it makes me a little pessimistic about us contributing any solutions on the grand scale of things although I was hopeful when some said that they would change over if the technology became accessible to them.