Marquette University’s Diederich College of Communication in collaboration with The O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism hosted a presentation entitled “Coal and Wind in China’s Inner Mongolia” Feb. 12, 2014 in Johnston Hall.
Seattle reporter and current O’Brien Fellow, Hal Bernton, along with a Diederich College graduate student, Zhu Ye, spoke about their trip to Inner Mongolia in December, where they witnessed the coal mining world and the carbon emissions that come from burning coal along with the alternative energy sources that are being explored.
According to Bernton, finding alternative energy sources, like wind, are important to China and Inner Mongolia. “There is a big effort in China to eradicate carbon emissions. It’s not always about coal use. The big issue is the coal soot that is causing problems in the lungs of people who are exposed,” said Bernton.
Gas flares from a recently built coal plant in eastern Inner Mongolia.
(Photo by Hal Berton)
At Marquette University, O’Brien Fellows spend nine months researching and reporting on large impact stories that they find interesting and believe have the potential to change people’s lives.
The research done by Bernton and Ye will contribute to a planned series of stories in The Seattle Times about the challenges of reducing carbon emissions in China and the United States.
Students, faculty and staff were welcome to attend the event.
The O’Brien Fellows work through the Diederich College of Communication, a college within Marquette University. Marquette is a Catholic Jesuit university located in Milwaukee.
For more information on the event and topic, please contact:
- Hal Bernton: Henry.Bernton@marquette.edu or at (206) 423-1898
- Herbert Lowe, the college’s direct of journalism for social change: herbert.lowe@marquette.edu or at (414) 288-4068
Contact: Stephanie Ramirez
Public Relations Representative, Diederich College of Communication
(773) 414-9855
Stephanie.Ramirez@marquette.edu
Stephanie Ramirez 