Faculty, students and staff gathered in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library last Wednesday to listen in on the first presentation to kick-off the 13th annual University Scholar Series.
The presentation focused on economics professor Matthew J. Holian’s research on trends and relationships in California and India related to air pollution, regulations and economic growth.
Holian travelled to India to compare the trends and relationships in air pollution and its effects the economic growth of both India and California.
"We downloaded air pollution data from monitoring stations that they (in India) have all of over the country and so we took the data and calculated city averages,” Holian said. “And in some cities you have multiple monitoring stations and then we merged that air pollution data for cities to a bunch of other variables including income and literacy.”
He said the key question is what happens to pollution levels as income rises, because if people have more money they are buying more things which means they are polluting more.
According to Holian’s presentation, the whole scale of consumption goes up, but on the other hand people begin substituting for cleaner products when people have more money.
"That was really the key in the research, what's the effect of income growth on pollution,” Holian said. “We didn't find really clear evidence other than to say there is no clear relationship, it is complicated.”
Outreach librarian Elisabeth Thomas said the library works with the Office of the Provost and the Spartan Bookstore to bring speakers to demonstrate and honor professors’ extensive research.
“As a committee we come up with three speakers every semester,” Thomas said. “This semester it’s two speakers from different departments, faculty from different departments, and we want to showcase them and honor them for their extensive research that they do and have them come and speak and it’s hosted by the provost so we call it the Scholar Series.”
Thomas said other departments don’t realize all the work that other areas do and this event is a great chance for people to come together and showcase the work their department does.
“It’s really interesting, you get stuck in your own little niche on campus and it’s really nice just to see the vibrant and extensive work that we do,” Thomas said.
Among the members who attended the event, child development sophomore Annabelle Catolico said she found the presentation interesting.
“I found it interesting on what he had to say about the south campus plan and how the grass he showed, was how greenhouse effect is going on and how transportation has increased since the 70s till now,” Catolico said.
Holian said the things Californians and the government are doing in California are putting us on the right track with the inclusion of state bill AB 32 with aims to reduce California’s greenhouse gas emissions.
"California is a leader in climate change mitigation in the United States,” Holian said. “I think it provides a lot of hope to a lot of people in the country and hopefully will serve as a role model for other people.”
The next Scholar Series event will be Oct. 28. Michael Kaufman is scheduled to present his research focusing on the interactions and feedback between newly formed stars and the interstellar medium.
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