It is not the strongest or even the smartest that may survive, but it is the most able to change.

These words were said by Fiona Finnigan, a sophomore art major on Monday.

Finnigan was one of five students who presented topics on renewable energy ranging from the war against carbon, the basics of biogas, corn as biomass and the green movement in architecture and schools.

Two graduate assistants from the School of Technology also presented their work with renewable energy.

“I think it is important for us all to be able to be willing to change and not stay the same, and I think it is much more important to think of renewable energy as moving forward,” Finnigan said.

Kyle Burton, a freshman communication studies major, presented a speech on the war against carbon dioxide.

“Every year humans produce staggering amounts of CO2, and now it threatens to cause a mass extinction of thousands of species on the world,” Burton said. “This is truly a war that humans have brought upon themselves and the first thing that needs to be done before engaging in war is to know thy enemy.”

He said he was inspired to sculpt a speech around the theme of war because he has been a part of the Air National Guard for two years.

“We have a long and expensive war ahead of us and it is not going to be easy, but with the opening of the Renewable Energy Center and rising support across the world, I have no doubt that one day the human race will claim a victory,” Burton said.

In 2001, the Eastern coal power plant produced about 189 million pounds of carbon dioxide and in 2010, the Renewable Energy Center cut that amount to 155 million pounds, he said.

“Because of the Renewable Energy Center, that number is predicted to be reduced by about 80 percent, which will leave us with about 31 million pounds of CO2,” Burton said.

Moriah Ord, a freshman communication disorders and sciences major, spoke about the use of corn as energy and a biomass, and she said she was interested in the topic because her grandfather is a farmer and she could see herself pursuing the topic more in the future.

Corn can be used to fuel cars, industries and farming machinery and will take the strain off of the decreasing amount of fossil fuels, she said.

“It is interesting that the food that gives humans energy can also power machines and other technology,” Ord said. “From the growth and history of corn, to the current process of creating the crop into fuel and energy we can hope for future generations that they will have a brighter and greener world.”

Katie VanHootegem, a freshman elementary education major, presented on the green movement in schools, and Zac Call, a freshman Spanish major, spoke about green architecture.

“Roughly 50 percent of carbon emissions originate from ordinary buildings,” Call said. “As college students, we spend the majority of our waking hours inside of these buildings without considering the massive carbon footprints that they create.”

VanHootegem said students who go to environmentally green schools are 51 percent less likely to get the flu.

Rachel Rodgers can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].