Interview: Beverly McKinney Talks About Climate Change

By: Brenda Munguia

I will be conducting an interview with my old AP Biology teacher, Beverly McKinney, who
studied at California State University, San Francisco, College of Charleston, Charleston Southern (then
Baptist College of Charleston), Old Dominion University (BA), California State University, San Diego,
Catholic University, Colorado College and more, these are the major ones. In this interview I will be
asking a series of questions about her opinions on climate change and how she stays up to date with
current events; as well as budgets, solutions, policies, and the use of politicians advocating for its citizens.
This interview will be presented separately from this paper, and will be in the basic form of a Q&A
(question and answer).
Brenda Munguia: How would you define climate change?
Beverly McKinney: Continued change to the weather patterns that have persisted over long periods of
time.
Munguia: Has the earths climate ever changed before? How so?
McKinney: Yes. We have had ice ages that have had major impacts on life. We have had periods of
warming causing the reduction of frozen areas as well. Since we werent present to record the history, the
best we can do is interpret the evidence in rocks, trees, soil and fossils.
Munguia: What causes climate change?
McKinney: Good question. Not sure there is a completely clear answer. Certainly volcanic activity,
meteor impacts, shifts in the magnetic field of earth. Perhaps solar changes as the sun ages and changes.
Perhaps the evolving of life on the planet. Today, populations of living things including humans
producing waste of all sorts into the air and soil.
Munguia: Is there a consensus in the world that climate change is likely caused by greenhouse gases
created by humans?
McKinney: There is never consensus in the world - too many superstitions. However, most scientists
seem to agree that carbon emissions are causing the current problem. Those emissions are not only from
our human machines, but from volcanic activity, and waste produced by all living things.
Munguia: How will climate change affect the oceans and the organisms that live there?
McKinney: If global warming continues, the oceans will become warmer and slightly less salty as a
result of ice melts. Organisms that can sustain within only tiny change limits will suffer the most - both

on land and in the ocean. Some corals are very fragile and need specific salinity and temperature to
survive (their enzymes work within a limited temperature variant). I suspect we will see extinctions of
species. But I also suspect we will see the rise of new species that survive well in the new reality.
Munguia: Will climate change affect different areas around the world equally?
McKinney: Have no idea on this one. My guess is that some areas will thrive as new plants and animals
move into their area whereas others will become desert-like, and see current lifestyles decay. Areas near
ocean edges will certainly become be heavily affected as water moves further out onto what is land today.
This will be an economic nightmare in some places, and beachfront property for new places.
Munguia: If you answered no to question 6, what areas do you think will be most severely affected?
McKinney: As I said above, todays shoreline areas and chaparral areas may see the greatest changes.
But this is just a guess. Some areas of the planet may see increased rainfall causing permanent flooding.
Not sure where this would be or what it might look like.
Munguia: What are you doing to reduce your impact on climate change?
McKinney: Not much. Like many people, Im not willing to give up much of my lifestyle. I drive a
hybrid to reduce the use of fuel; recycle everything I can, but Im not sure that it really makes a
difference; use the minimum electrical in my house and minimize water use; by used when I can. I would
like to go totally solar for energy and hope that will be possible soon. Right now, it is cost prohibitive.
Munguia: Do you think people should be made to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and thus their
contribution towards climate change? Why or why not?
McKinney: I think we could require hybrid and/or electrical transportation if we, as a people, were
willing to help everyone do it. Get all older cars off the roads. But, poor people cant afford newer cars,
and there isnt enough safe public transport to accommodate everyone. We would have to supplement the
cost of turning in old cars and getting a newer one. But, since we cant even house the homeless, how
[are] we [going] to do this? However, we are just talking about the U.S.. How in the hell are we going to
get the world to work together on this? We cant even stop ISIS!
Munguia: How will you and your community be affected by climate change?
McKinney: Everyone will be affected by climate change. We will be poorer. People will die. There will
be less food available and less water. There will come a time when we cant heat or cool our homes.
Manufacturing will be affected because most of it needs water. Homes will be destroyed by ocean
inundation and flooding. All of us will pay the price in some way. But, how do we stop it? Dont know.
When will it happen? Dont know. Can we think and plan our way out of this? Dont know. So, my
philosophy, live today and one day at a time. Do the best you can to help where you can. Dont worry
about the things you cant change. Have the wisdom to understand your limitations.
Munguia: Do you stay up to date with current events pertaining to climate change? If so, using what?
McKinney: Since Im not getting any journals right now, I scan articles online and read ones that look
interesting (as in new perspective or data and graphs).
Munguia: Is the information youre using verifiable?

McKinney: How verifiable is any article? For me, it is the weight of multiple studies and articles that
indicates a problem. We humans have too short a history on the planet to pretend to really understand
what is going on. However, carbon emissions vs temperature increase planet-wide speaks to a serious
problem.
Munguia: Is climate change solvable?
McKinney: As to solvable...only if every country seriously slows emissions. Not happening. Other
possibilities: find a way to remove problematic chemicals from the atmosphere; allow many human dieoffs to reduce population (the main problem), as climatic catastrophes happen, find a new planet to
pollute.
Munguia: How do you feel about the environmental protection budget? From the total U.S. budget, that
is about $1 billion, it is only receiving less than 1% of the entire budget.
McKinney: Would be nice if it were more, but only if money is focused on actual promising
research/implementation. Reality is, U.S. cant do this alone. Developing countries are the biggest
problem. Why should they listen to us who have a good lifestyle and wealth...they want what we have,
and that takes the use of fossil fuels for food, medicine, transport, [and] building. We want what we
have...how many of us are willing to do without heat, reduce food intake by half, do without medicine and
hospitals, without lighting, without transport, dig for and carry our own water...thats what it will take.
Munguia: So, do you feel like there should be more policies implemented to find solutions to the
problems that youre addressing?
McKinney: First, we have to control the population on the planet...remember the exponential graphs?
Put resources there, and put resources into the physics of climate change and scrubbing pollutants from
the atmosphere. Those are the only serious solutions I think might help. But, again, this is a global
problem, and we humans cant even stop crazies from killing because of crazy beliefs or need for power!
Good luck trying to manage population control.
Munguia: Are you comfortable with politicians advocating for climate change? Either for or against.
How effective do you think the decision making progress in Congress is?
McKinney: Any conversation about climate change on a national or state level is good...at least it is a
step to educate and possibly slow the problems down. Congress is less effective these days because the
populations they represent are so large, varied, and less educated on issues. If enough people join
together and make demands on politicians, the system can work...happened in the 60s and 70s and
stopped the Vietnam war, and changed racist laws throughout the country. That is the only way Congress
will act...unless there is a catastrophic event.
Munguia: Okay, thank you for your time. You have helped me see things in new perspectives. Many
thanks!
McKinney: Any time...just one opinion for what its worth.