David Blockstein.

"David Blockstein, a senior scientist at the National Council for Science and the Environment, addresses a class of students at Goucher College Friday, November 12, 2010. Blockstein was invited to Goucher as a Mellon Visiting Scholar."

Besides the basics, I don’t understand anything that relates to Science or Mathematics in any way, shape, or form. In fact, I’m so unfamiliar with the Hoffberger Science building at Goucher that it took me nearly ten minutes to find the room to take this photograph.

I was sent to David Blockstein’s presentation to a Biology class as a photographer, but as I was shooting, I found myself genuinely interested in what he was saying. He spoke about environmental issues, a speech I’ve heard time and time again at Goucher. But he was able to talk about the problems we face more effectively, in my opinion, than anyone else I’ve heard.

As this presentation was directed to young people preparing to enter the world that exist beyond Goucher’s campus, one of his main points was that no matter one’s occupation, the skills that come along with that occupation can be used to improve the situation.

So it got me thinking: What is the role of the photojournalist in saving the planet?