On Feb. 2, the leading international panel of climate scientists concluded for the first time: “most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations.”

Whether we hug trees in our free time or not, most of us agree that global warming is a real threat and that in order to safeguard our energy security and protect our natural resources, we as a people must make more intelligent choices about our individual lifestyles and about how our energy is generated. The consensus on this has become so clear that even President Bush acknowledged the “serious challenge of climate change” in his January State of the Union address.

But what can you, one-six billionth of the planet’s population, actually do?

As of Feb. 12, there is something you can do to greatly reduce your personal contribution to global warming. On that day, the Student Assembly made the progressive decision to include in the coming March Elections ballot a referendum asking the student body whether we are willing to provide $5/semester towards the purchase of Cornell’s energy from clean energy sources such as wind turbines and solar panels. Just one student’s contribution is equivalent to planting over 40 trees or driving 500 miles less.

Funds generated through this fee would be spent towards purchasing and developing renewable energy through the Kyoto Task Team, a University committee in the Utilities Department composed of students, faculty and staff. A portion would be spent developing on-campus projects such as solar thermal water heaters, photovoltaic cells, or biodiesel/hybrid vehicles for the campus fleet. The remainder would be spent either towards purchasing renewable energy credits or towards covering the offset between purchasing clean energy and purchasing dirty energy.

As dozens of our peer institutions, from Harvard to Connecticut College, have already adopted such a fee, it seems natural for Cornell to do so, since we have long been a national leader in protecting the environment. It is also worth noting that Cornell’s administration will take its cue on the seriousness of this issue from how enthusiastically students support this endeavor. As proof, just days after the S.A. passed this resolution, President Skorton decided to commit Cornell to carbon neutrality by 2050 (see Feb. 23 articles in the Sun, Ithaca Journal and The Chronicle).

How seriously the administration holds to its recent commitment will be determined by how strongly students care about this issue —and this referendum will be the perfect opportunity to express your concern (or lack thereof!). It’s important to understand the key role that each Cornellian will play in this process. The S.A. did not just roll this additional charge into the Student Activity Fee, but instead chose to incorporate this important referendum into this spring’s elections to gauge the interest of the student body.YOUR voices as Cornell students are what the S.A., the administration, and other decision-making bodies at Cornell are listening to, so take advantage of this referendum and express your thoughts on this issue.

The decision made by the Student Assembly to support this referendum indicates growing recognition about the significant threats of global warming. Compared with past initiatives Kyoto Now! has brought before the S.A., this resolution found overwhelming support. The S.A. has recognized that global warming can no longer be called a “special interest issue” or “environmental politics.” The passage of the resolution affirmed that some action must be taken. What precisely that action will be is up to you.

If you are concerned about global warming and have the will to mitigate your impact on the planet, we strongly encourage you to vote during the Student Assembly Elections from March 5th through March 7th. We hope that the Faculty and Graduate student assemblies will follow our efforts. If you have questions or comments on this issue, please visit www.rso.cornell.edu/kyotonow or contact Matt Perkins ’08 (Kyoto Now!) or Neal Nisargand ’07 (Chair of the Student Assembly Environment Committee).

Neal Nisargand is the Chair of the Student Assembly Environment Committee. He can be reached at nan6@cornell.edu. Matt Perkins is a member of KyotoNow! He can be reached at mrp35@cornell.edu. Calvin Selth is a Student Assembly representative. He can be reached at cgs32@cornell.edu. Guest Room appears periodically.