Climate change was the topic of a forum held on the South Coast this weekend.
The League of Women Voters of Ventura County and Ventura College hosted Saturday's free event on campus called “Climate Change is Here to Stay…So What’s Next?”
Jim Hines, chair of the Sierra Club’s Los Padres Chapter and one of the panelists, said people must become activists to turn the tide.
"The public is the most powerful voice in democracy," he said. "Each one of those people sitting in this auditorium joining with millions of Americans across our nation in climate change rallies we've seen in the last two weeks and speaking out will make the difference in a positive way to protect our planet from climate change."
Scientists on the panel spoke about the dangers of climate change including the warming of the planet and sea level rise. They also talked about the economic impacts. One of the researchers said global greenhouse gas emissions are costing $1.5 trillion or 2% of the world’s GDP.