This week is National Public Health Week. Did you know that? I didn̢۪t. Not until I was sent to cover a presentation discussing the Valley̢۪s climate change and what I could do about it.

The turnout was embarrassing. I showed up late, because I had class, but other than that, there were six other people there. Does no one care about their health, or their future?

Well, I came to find out that the Masters of Public Health Program was putting on the event, for the first time, and they only had a few weeks to prepare for the conference.

But, e-mails were sent out to faculty and staff, none of which were there, and booths were set up on campus earlier in the day and received a much better turn out. Maybe people don̢۪t want to sit through a lecture when it is not required, but seeing how the topic is so prominent in our everyday lives, I expected more from students.

Rebecca Lopez, a graduate student in the Masters of Public Health Program, was helping run the event. She was also disappointed in the turnout, but said it was the first year, and put together a little last minute.

“This is a starting point, and we hope it continues every year from now on,â€Â Lopez said.

I hope so, too, and I hope students take part.

The discussion covered many facets of global warming and what we can do to change the way we live, and where we are headed.

David Lighthall, Ph. D., was the speaker and is a Senior Scientist here on campus at the Central Valley Health Policy Institute.

He told us about one Website that lets you calculate your “carbon footprint.â€Â That is how much carbon waste each of us is producing each year.

I was intrigued.

The calculator takes into account how much money you spend on electricity and gas at home, how much to travel by plane, how much gas you use each year, what kind of activities you do and the food you buy.

So I went to www.carbonfootprint.com and found out just how wasteful I am. Although I was below the average, I still have a long way to go. The country average is 20.4 tonnes per year. Mine is 6.631. And the goal? Two.

The average for industrial nations is around 11 tones, and the worldwide average is only about four. Looks like the U.S. has a ways to go.

Being a poor college student helps me conserve, and this definitely opened my eyes.

But, a major way we here in the Valley can help, as Lighthall suggested, is to go solar. We have a great advantage with the amount of sun we get for most of the year.

The cost of installing solar paneling on a home is scary to look at, at first glance. But the payback, said Lighthall, can be done in seven years or less with a household of four or five people.

“The technology is becoming more affordable, you just need to look into it,â€Â he said.

California has taken a lead in becoming more energy efficient, Assembly Bill 32, which was passed in 2006 put us in the forefront of the battle against climate change. We have a long way to go and a lot of changes to make, but the outcome in the end appears to be well worth it.

The discussion covered many more aspects of change, and although I could tell you about each and every one, I̢۪ll give you the website to the Masters of Public Health Program, and you can check it out yourself.

Also, if you are interested in actually taking a stand and doing something for the future of our climate, . Find out about National Public Health Week and what you can do.