Nutshell: What Is Your Opinion on Climate Change?

MISHAWAKA—Wel­come back to the Nut­shell! This is where the Bea­con staff poses a ques­tion to you, the stu­dent body, and pub­lishes your an­swers.   

This week we asked you: What is your opin­ion on climate change? 

Sheri Campeau, Assistant Professor of Engineering, “I think that it’s a very politically motivated question and that the scientists are getting pushed aside.” 

Joey Johns, senior history and philosophy double-major, “I don’t know that you can really have an opinion on it, because it’s just kind of a fact. Human decisions have caused the climate to change in ways that it wouldn’t naturally have.” 

Andrea Jenoski, freshman undecided major, “I don’t know. I mean, if that falls under the category of global warming, I guess? I don’t know. There’s just so many things that fall under all of that. I know that it’s an issue, but I’m not exactly sure all the qualifications that fall under it, so I’m not exactly sure how to answer it in all honesty.” 

Bryce Yoder, junior liberal studies major, “I think that it’s real and that it’s man-made and that we need to do something. I don’t have the answers, I’m not going to say I’ve got the answers. Climate change is way more than just one thing, it ties into the economic system, it ties into the treating of indigenous people, of institutionalized and systematic racism, but there are definitely things we can do and at this point doing something is better than doing nothing.” 

Jonathan Hirshy, Instructor of Accounting, “My opinion on climate change is that climate change does happen. Part of it, I think, is man-made; but part of it I believe is God-made. I don’t believe that it is all humans' fault because I believe that it is part of God’s normal cycle for climate change to occur. And so, I believe in climate change, but I don’t believe that it is necessarily the way that it is portrayed at times.” 

Jennifer Martinez, freshman English and writing major, “I think it’s a thing; like, I think, like, global warming’s a thing and we’re probably all going to die soon, but it’s fine. But like, that’s about it. I haven’t done any research or anything.” 

Maudie Smith, senior elementary education major, “I don’t know.” 

Brandon Barnes, senior liberal studies major, “It’s going to have a negative effect on us as it continues.” 

Paige Sextella, freshman psychology major, “I guess I don’t really look at the news or anything about it that much; I do understand that there’s an epidemic within that right now, but I don’t know the full extent, so I can’t really give you an exact response.” 

Tiera Cartwright, senior business administration major, “I think that a lot of, like, the pollution that we cause is causing a lot of climate change, especially with, like, ice caps melting and things like that.”