January 17, 2008
UW to participate in national teach-in Jan. 31: Global warming solutions to be discussed
“In the next few years, we as a nation will make, or fail to make, critical decisions regarding global warming pollution and clean technology investments. These decisions will have far-reaching and irreversible impacts on the lives of today’s students and the lives of their children,” says the Web site for Focus the Nation, a nonprofit headquartered in Portland, Ore., that is calling for students and citizens to consider solutions to climate change.
“At this moment in time, we owe our young people at least a day of focused discussion about global warming solutions for America.”
That day will be Jan. 31, when a national teach-in on global warming solutions for America is planned. The UW will take part along with more than 1,300 institutions — mainly colleges and public schools. In this area, participants include such places as Evergreen State College in Olympia and Garfield High School in Seattle.
The day of events at the UW — which are all free and open to the campus community and general public — will culminate in a town hall meeting where elected officials and the audience will talk about solutions to climate change. Among those agreeing to participate are King County Executive Ron Sims, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and State Representative Fred Jarrett. The event will be from 7 to 9 p.m., in 130 Kane. To ensure seating, organizers are asking people to register <a href=https://go.washington.edu/uwaa/events/2008focusnation_townmeet/details.tcl>here</a>.
“Universities have a huge role to play in raising public awareness about climate change,” LuAnne Thompson, associate professor of oceanography and lead organizer of the UW events, recently told the online publication E: The Environmental Magazine for a story on Focus the Nation.
“Colleges not only have the credibility to discuss the complex set of issues linked to global warming, they also provide direct access to young people poised to inherit a radically changing environment. We created this problem, it’s theirs to fix.”
UW events Jan. 31 at the HUB begin at 10 a.m. with a talk on “Global Warming: Facts, Fiction and Solutions,” from Thomas Ackerman, director of the Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and the Oceans based at the UW. At 11 a.m. will be David Domke, professor of communication, talking about “Why Values are the Glue of Social Movements.” In the afternoon participants can choose from a number of panels on topics such as “Can Capitalism Save Us?” and “The Politics and Ethics of Finding Solutions.”
More than 30 UW faculty and community members have been enlisted to speak and conduct panel discussions. See the schedule at http://depts.washington.edu/uwfocus.
During the afternoon participants can take time to visit the Climate Action Café, sponsored by the off-campus group Seattle Climate Action Now, where an open microphone will be available for community members and students to propose actions to combat global warming.
Thompson attended an organizing event in Portland a year ago. She said she came away thinking, “I can do this, I can help make this change. I can convey the urgency of this to students.”
As a teacher, and serving this year as interim director of the UW’s Program on Climate Change, Thompson recruited 13 academic units on campus as sponsors and four campus organizations as partners: The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Washington Sea Grant, UW Libraries and the UW Alumni Association.
“It is our obligation as an institution to ensure that our students, faculty and staff understand the core of the issues and are engaged in the process of finding solutions free from the influence of politics and partisanship,” said UW President Mark Emmert in a statement supporting Focus the Nation.
“I encourage all faculty, students and staff to look for opportunities to participate in the UW’s Focus the Nation programming. It is through these types of community activities that we can build the momentum to make positive changes together.”
UW is one of nearly 60 Washington state institutions and citizen groups planning activities.
