Oliver Clubb wrote it for his daughters. He wrote it for his grandchildren. He wrote it for arguably every person inhabiting the Earth.

Clubb, a Syracuse University professor emeritus, wrote his third book, ‘Global Warming Solutions: A concerned citizen’s guide to climate protection,’ out of a sense of urgency for generations to come.

The book, at no cost, is only available online. A book release reception will be held Feb. 5 at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry at 1 p.m., where Clubb will share excerpts from his novel.

Clubb said the book is designed as a manual to show individuals that they can make a significant impact in the environment themselves, through small actions.

‘Small groups are the only things that have ever changed the world,’ Clubb said.

After reading a book warning of the dangers to come from global warming by author Bill McKibben, Clubb said he felt a sense of urgency to publish his book as soon as he could. The policies of the Bush administration contributed to this growing sense of urgency, he said.

‘They had been in bed with Big Oil and Big Coal and the automakers,’ Clubb said. ‘They posed a very irresponsible international attitude in regards to climate change. I wanted to do what I could to maximize any energy that can be saved on a local level, especially in academic institutions.’

He started at home. He traded in all of his incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent ones, among other changes.

He moved on to the community. Clubb’s involvement in Syracuse’s Global Warming Action Network allowed him to call on the city of Syracuse and energy officers to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, find renewable resources and reduce its reliance on coal-burning power plants – a primary contribution to global warming.

Clubb said he thinks SU has been sufficiently environmentally friendly, but that the university and ESF could do more.

‘Certainly neither institution has reached that goal yet,’ Clubb said. ‘It’s quite a difficult one to achieve. But, both the faculty and staff and the student body all need to be part of the solution and they need to be mobilized. We’re all in this together, and I would like to see the leaders of these two institutions addressing their academic communities about the issue.’

Richard Smardon, an ESF professor in environmental studies, has known Clubb for nine years and serves with him on the Syracuse-based Global Warming Action network. He said Clubb released his book online, rather than through traditional publication, because he feels it’s important to get the message out there before anything else.

‘What we were frustrated by was reaching the average Joe to show them what they can do about it,’ Smardon said. ‘Not to overpower people with the science and the facts and the stats, but to look forward and give them constructive things they can be doing now.’

David Sonnenfeld, chair of ESF’s department of environmental studies, will speak at next week’s reception and said he hopes that the book release will bring attention to the issue of climate change and appeal to a very broad spectrum of people.

Clubb’s contributions toward sustainability in a global and local sense are what he’s known for in the university community, Sonnenfeld said.

‘Sometimes people become as passionate in things during retirement as when they were teaching in the classroom,’ Sonnenfeld said. ‘I think for many people, Ollie (Clubb) is kind of a model citizen for life after one’s career as an academic. He’s the energizer bunny. He keeps on going.’

blbump@syr.edu

Published on January 28, 2009 at 12:00 pm