On May 7, the Sepharadic Heritage Alliance Inc. (SHAI) held the second in an ongoing series of environmental forums. This one, entitled "How to Break the Oil Bondage," drew a roomful of citizens concerned with environmental issues facing our community and our planet.

The panel of speakers consisted of Dr. E. Christa Farmer, a paleoclimatologist and assistant professor of geology at Hofstra University; Peter Maniscalco, lifelong environmentalist from Dowling College; Sarah Meyland, an associate professor at New York Institute of Technology, and Frank Morris, executive director of the Sierra Club, Long Island. The moderator for the evening was Carol Frank, environmental reporter for the Great Neck Record. The event was organized by Michael Harounian of SHAI.

Ms. Meyland began the evening by presenting an overview of the effects of climate change on the environment. According to Ms. Meyland, since the onset of the Industrial Revolution in 1850, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have increased by approximately 35 percent and the United States has the highest per capita carbon dioxide emissions in the world through its consumption of fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal). The carbon dioxide emitted from these fossil fuels results in the "greenhouse effect" in which heat from the sun is trapped in the earth's atmosphere, thus warming the earth's surface. Ms. Meyland also indicated that the earth's overall temperature could increase by up to 7 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100, which would result in disastrous consequences. Ms. Meyland referred to a study by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which predicted that by 2025 humans will have exceeded the earth's ability to support us, a so-called tipping point. "There is no technical solution to this dilemma. WE are the solution," concluded Ms. Meyland.

Dr. Farmer then discussed the tangible effect of climate change on the earth's water levels. In the past one hundred years, the sea level has risen seven inches and since 1993, the melting of glaciers, ice caps, and polar ice sheets, as well as the thermal expansion of sea water, have led to a rise in the sea level of 1.8 millimeters per year. Based on these statistics, it is not difficult to imagine that Great Neck could be submerged in water within the next 150 years.

Frank Morris gave an overview of the marriage between politics and the environment. According to its website, the Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. When asked a question from the audience about political races, Mr. Morris stated that the Sierra Club supported candidates with an appreciative outlook for the environment, including support and funding for fossil fuel alternatives. "We run our infrastructure on fossil fuels. We need a new industrial revolution for the conservation of energy," he said. Mr. Morris suggested that 35 percent of carbon emissions could be cut immediately, which led to a discussion by the entire panel about environmentally friendly actions that could be taken today by both individuals and governments. These included purchasing energy efficient light bulbs, and energy star appliances, recycling, driving hybrid vehicles (and in a few years, plug-in hybrids), installing solar panels on homes, schools and highways, and supporting community grown organic produce. Hence the panel brought to light the need to demand change. "If the electorate wants it, you get it," Mr. Morris stated. Ms. Meyland emphasized the point when she said that "understanding complex change is hard. Global and local actions are needed. Doing nothing is an action."

Mr. Maniscalco's basic premise was that we all need to be "one" with the environment, a point he has made in the "Spirituality of the Environment" course he has taught at Southhampton College. As a longtime environmental activist who has worked closely with indigenous people, Mr. Maniscalco believes that the problem is that "we see ourselves as different from nature....We are dominant and can change. We are storytellers and we need to get the story right so that we will know how to act right. He noted that the late scientist Carl Sagan always said the "we are a part of the universe and are made from stardust." Mr. Maniscalco emphasized, "We need to understand our place in the universe." When asked what we can do to make a difference, Mr. Maniscalco added that we must "teach our children to love the Earth so that each child will act appropriately."

Indeed the Earth's sustainability depends on our action today. What we do today will mean the difference for our children tomorrow. Sustainability means living so that we reduce carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases, using our resources respectfully so that we may protect the quality of our lives and the lives of future generations. In conclusion, finding renewable energy is the key. As Ms. Meyland so eloquently stated, "we cannot live in a throwaway society any longer. We must live small. Our view of how we relate to the Earth must change." Indeed, if we are to sustain this planet, we must change. We must get involved, get informed, and demand change.