Experts Debate the Effects of Climate Change – Loyola Marymount University Newsroom 

By Isa Pedersen, First-Year International Relations MajorThe effects of climate change have become very apparent in our everyday lives, and it’s important to understand our impact on it. LMU’s Institute for Business Ethics and Sustainability organized an event titled “Climate Change and Changing Prices: The Costs You Don’t See.”Student facilitators Naomi Alvarado and Nicolas Salkin moderated a panel of distinguished professors, including Clare Beer, assistant professor of urban and environmental studies at LMU; Dan Lazarus, a science, research, and policy specialist with the USC Sea Grant Program; Emily Jarvis, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at LMU; Junghoon Park, assistant professor of management at LMU; and Trevor Zink, associate professor of management and sustainability at LMU.“Climate change is the sprinkles on the cake of every disaster,” said Lazarus in response to the question of how climate change is affecting the everyday lives of LMU students.The topic of climate change sparked discussion about the recent fires in Los Angeles. Beer spoke on how the natural disasters we are encountering create emotional and psychological experiences for everyone impacted by them, supporting Jarvis’ statement about how the effects of these fires will be with us for decades. Zink took a different approach and discussed the water-energy nexus, essentially that to get water, we need energy, and to get energy, we need water. So, in this sense, everything is connected, and a disruption to one would cause a dramatic shift in our everyday lives.The discussion then shifted to how climate change interconnects with politics, noting the perception that a person’s stance on climate change is determined by what political party they are aligned with. Park added it would be beneficial for students to disregard their political beliefs when it comes to climate change.So, what was the number one agreed-upon thing that would make a difference and slow the pace of climate change? Changing our diets. While eliminating cows isn’t realistic, stopping the mass manufacturing of cows would help cut beef from diets. Lazarus agreed that changing our diets would make the most difference, explaining that meat uses 90% more energy than plants do, making a vegetarian diet the most beneficial in terms of climate change. Jarvis felt putting an end to large-scale factory farming would make the most difference, as well as finding more efficient ways of transportation, especially in air travel. The second most agreed-upon solution was to end single-use items such as cups, straws, to-go boxes, etc.Climate change is scary and can often cause negative outlooks on our futures. Zink stated, “It’s far too late, and things are far too desperate for pessimism,” which is a quote that he took from an unknown author. “It is best to look forward with optimism and continue to find solutions.” Lazarus referenced a poll from Yale University that revealed people are s