George Phillips, PhD, teaches English at Franklin College. He invited our founder, Daniel Poynter, to present to his class. Below is their feedback.
What are 2-3 emotions you felt during / after the presentation? For each, why did you feel that way?
Response 1:
Hopeful: I felt hopeful during this presentation because it was the first time that I had ever heard about potential solutions to climate issues. I have spent weeks studying the negative effects of climate change, but we never discussed the potential remedies.
Engaged: I felt engaged during this presentation because Daniel presented both personal anecdotes and information.
Response 2:
Happiness- Was nice to hear that there are organizations trying to combat climate change in Indiana. Understanding- I could relate with Daniel’s stories about defeat and some of his struggles, but also how he brought himself back up.
Hopeful- we hear about a lot of bad with climate change so it was nice to hear something good.
Response 3:
Intrigued and interested are two words I think I could use to describe how I felt after Daniel's presentation. I really enjoyed the way he presented the info. I think I feel a little intrigued because the presentation made me think a little more about carbon footprints, and how individuals can make an impact. For our class we recently read Phillipe Squarzoni's "Climate Changed" graphic novel, and after reading that, I felt like climate change was such a huge issue and how if its so big and inevitable, how can just one person make a difference? But after Daniel's presentation and the discussion over Carbon Neutral Indiana and the work they do, I realized that starting small and working your way up is a much more efficient way to go about reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Response 4:
inspired, interested. Daniel's presentation had me inspired to make a change and know that it's possible and I was interested in what he did to help Indiana become carbon neutral.
Would you recommend this presentation for other groups? If so, which ones and why?
Response 1:
Yes, I would recommend this presentation for other groups. I think groups of students should hear this presentation- especially if they plan on making a career in environmental science. I also think that homeowners, legislators, and the board members of academic institutions should hear this presentation.
Response 2:
Yes, other colleges or high schools would really benefit from something like this. I wish more people would speak about climate change, and high school especially tends to shy away from it.
Response 3:
Yes! I really enjoyed the presentation! I think one thing that made me enjoy it was that the story Daniel told was kind of relatable, and he also didn't just throw a bunch of numerical figures at us and move on, he gave us background information to go along with those figures and data. I think I would recommend this for others that are kind of hesitant to get involved in helping to deal with climate change because they don't know where to start. I would also definitely recommend this presentation to other high school/college classes and students!
Response 4:
Yes - I would recommend it for higher-ups such as government officials for them to utilize some ideas for carbon maintenance.