More than 1,200 colleges, universities and high schools in Arizona and across the United States Jan. 30-Feb. 1 will participate in Focus the Nation – a teach-in on solutions to global warmingto educate and energize about 1 million young adults.
Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Glendale Community College, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Tempe High and Corona del Sol High are among those hosting events. For more information, go to http://www.focusthenation.org
ASU’s School of Sustainability, the first school of its kind in the nation, will be showcased in a 4-minute segment as part of the web cast of the 2% Solution, produced by the National Wildlife Federation. The Wildlife Federation chose ASU as the only university to be featured in the web cast.
The web cast, to be shown this week at selected campuses, will focus on the need to decrease carbon emissions by two percent each year for the next 40 years to reach the goal scientists advocate of 80 percent reduction by 2050. It will feature segments from actor and activist Edward Norton and Stanford University and international climate scientist Stephen Schneider.
No other generation has had to face a threat as significant as global warming, according to Eban Goodstein, founder and director of Focus the Nation and professor of economics at Lewis & Clark College in Oregon.
“We would be failing as educators if we did not prepare them with the tools necessary to meet this challenge,” said Goodstein.
ASU President Michael Crow said the Focus the Nation events represent education at its finest.
“Our students have enormous power to use their education and passion to create positive change in the world,” he said.
Glendale Community College will host a variety of events Wednesday-Friday including a panel discussion of community leaders on Thursday.
“Our goal is to develop the political will to respond to the challenge of climate change: on our campus, in collaboration with our supporting communities and across America.'' said Robert Reavis, assistant chair of GCC's Department of Biology. “America needs to be a global leader on climate change and we need national leaders willing to take on the challenge of the 21st century.''
Pushpa Ramakrishna, Chandler-Gilbert Community College biology faculty and coordinator of CGCC's Focus the Nation events, says that she hopes this initiative will motivate students to become sustainable stewards and conserve resources to help make the world a better place for current and future generations.
CGCC students and faculty will participate in an interdisciplinary teach-in Wednesday and Thursday over this two-day period to discuss issues such as climate change, oil and alternative fuels, oil and human rights, food in the future, reducing our carbon footprint, personal consumption, and production and consumption.
“Focus the Nation's teach-in and the preceding web cast will provide the opportunity for our nation's youth to become leaders in the battle against the most significant threat of our time.” said Julian Keniry, director of campus leadership for the National Wildlife Federation. “These events will challenge young people to develop solutions to protect the world from the devastating impact of global warming.”
During the web cast, participants may send in cell phone text messages on how they would spend $100 billion in a clean energy revolution. Messages will be visible on the Earthday Network TV, which will broadcast The 2% Solution web cast.
The teach-in on Thursday Jan. 31 will culminate with round-table discussions between students and elected officials before asking all participants to vote on their top five solutions on the Choose Your Future ballot. Focus teams will deliver campus and citizen endorsed agendas to congressional offices across the nation on Feb. 18. when members of congress are back in their districts for the President's Day recess.
“As traditional hubs of innovation, colleges and universities have always helped our country move forward,” says Kevin Coyle, vice president of education for the National Wildlife Federation. “Focus the Nation is providing a nationwide campus forum that brings young innovative minds together to seek solutions and demand change for a cleaner energy future.”
For more information, go to http://www.focusthenation.org
Lori Baker is mom to two daughters, 21 and 23 years old. She is
editor for the Valley and State section's Education and Environment pages in the Arizona Republic.
