University City student Rafael Arreola Jr., a 15-year-old freshman at the Charter School of San Diego (CSSD) in University City, was selected to speak at the Earth’s Environmental Crisis and the Fate of Humanity Symposium.
The symposium, which will deal with understanding and resolving current and future environmental issues, will be held Monday, April 30, at California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB). The daylong event features various expert presenters.
The Division of Social, Behavioral and Global Studies with the Big Sur Environmental Institute is sponsoring the symposium. Arreola was selected to participate based on his interest and knowledge of global warming and changes in the Earth’s climate.
“I was very surprised and happy to be chosen for this conference,” Arreola said. “The whole idea came in one blast and got me really excited.”
His passion for science began to grow after he studied basic science as a younger student.
“Now science is something I feel I must conquer because I have raised many more questions that science cannot answer,” Arreola said. “When I was 13, I became interested in the topic of global warming.”
Arreola pinpoints much of his motivation to the movie “The Day After Tomorrow,” which got him interested and scared him at the same time.
“I always wanted to contribute to the world, and what better way than to help solve a problem that is going to affect the whole world?” he said.
Before being selected, Arreola had been contemplating what life would be like in a career that involved public speaking about climate change.
“This symposium will surely give me an idea of what that life would be like,” he said. “If things happen for a reason, this certainly was one of them.”
Arreola calls himself an old soul and said he seems to appreciate life more now than in his younger teen years.
“I’m one of those people who takes interest in everything. I like music, art, philosophy, literature, martial arts, and most of all creating,” he said. “I like to express creativity, including composing music. I try to see the world through everyone’s eyes.”
In school Arreola enjoys English, history and philosophy. His dream is to open his own school of thought ” profound for such a young man.
Arreola’s passion in his studies revolves around what he calls the “climate crisis.”
“The climate crisis is going to affect the whole world, and the impact of such a thing is left for us to decide,” he said. “We can lessen the impact now or we can wait.
“I will be at the symposium expressing the concern of the younger generations. I will be there as concrete evidence that younger generations are scared.”
In his speech for the event, Arreola will show an example of how the world is changing by using abalone shells. He expressed his view on climate change as an effect “like yin and yang or the action and reaction principle.”
“The climate crisis is certainly a big topic these days, especially when the world as we know it is at stake,” Arreola said. “A crucial problem is that scientists are not talking to each other. That is the purpose of this symposium: to get people from all walks of life to unite and speak about a problem that will affect us all.”
In addition to speaking at this symposium, Arreola wrote a book targeting teenagers titled “Belief Versus Reason in the Age of Crisis.” The book presents his opinion that teens and adults alike should become more active in environmental issues.
“The book I am writing is about a way of life or philosophy that I created not too long ago called the Way of Experiencism, or WE,” he said.
In the book, he establishes some core beliefs that he said can help people accept what they are and enjoy life.
“There are many levels to the book, and one of the messages is that we need a call to action to help solve the climate crisis. We must unite to solve a problem that will affect us all and we can all help,” Arreola said. “The book is appropriate for all ages, but is directed at teens who can absorb the lessons it holds.”
Arreola said he went through a transformation in the summer of 2006 and it motivated him to get involved.
“I suddenly felt compelled to do something about the climate crisis and I wanted to help humanity,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to leave a legacy and a book is concrete, but with abstract ideas. If it changes just one person’s mind, then it was worth writing.
“Younger generations will be handling climate crisis, so why don’t we get them ready for it? We need a call to action, because as time goes on without that call it may be too late to act.”
Arreola’s schedule gives him some room to explore topics of interest, such as climate change.
“I go to a public charter school for four hours a week,” he said. “I am in high school and am completing credits right on schedule. I chose this school so that I can have more free time to write and enjoy all aspects of life, not just the school part. My uncle told me about the symposium. He told me to look at the Web site. I talked to someone associated with CSUMB and he understood I was interested and he recommended that I speak.”
More information about the conference can be found by visiting http://sbs.csumb.edu/site/x17863.xml.