Focus the Nation: global warming teach-in

University of California, Davis
January 14, 2008

UC Davis students, staff, faculty, and administrators will join with state government officials, area political leaders, the city of Davis – and their counterparts throughout the country – in a national teach-in on January 31 to discuss global climate change.

 “Focus the Nation” is a nationwide educational initiative encouraging civic engagement on global warming solutions for America. Activities on Jan. 31 are intended to elevate dialogue at more than a thousand colleges, universities, high schools, middle schools, places of worship, civic organizations, and businesses.

“Focus the Nation will help the community develop personal and societal responses to the challenges posed by climate change,” said the campus event’s programming coordinator Suanne Klahorst, a writer with the UC Davis John Muir Institute of the Environment. “This event was scheduled by national organizers during the primary elections to connect students with the ideas and the policymakers who are shaping the agenda on climate change solutions.”

A Focus the Nation team of students and staff at UC Davis has been meeting for months to plan dozens of interactive discussions and activities to stimulate thoughts and actions about climate change solutions. Details of all Focus the Nation UC Davis activities, plus more than 100 volunteer opportunities, are online at: http://sustainability.ucdavis.edu/focus.

All events are free and open to the public. Activities begin at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 30, with an event hosted by the city of Davis at the Veterans Memorial Center Theater. "The 2 % Solution" is a webcast featuring activists and national experts. 

On Thursday, UC Davis activities include:

• 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.: Teach-in, poster session and on-site learning at various sites at UC Davis and in the community. Includes Idea Fair and luncheon showcase at Freeborn Hall.
• 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.: World of Ideas Cafe and post-cafe entertainment at Freeborn Hall.

The list of confirmed speakers now includes these top California environmental and resource officials:

• State Resources Agency Secretary Mike Chrisman
• State Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura
• State Parks and Recreation Director Ruth Coleman
• State Water Resources Director Lester Snow
• State Fish and Game Acting Director John McCamman

Key speakers from the community are:

• California Assembly member Lois Wolk (D-Davis)
• Yolo County Supervisor Mariko Yamada
• Yolo County Supervisor Helen Thomson
• Davis Mayor Sue Greenwald

Key speakers from the university are:

• University of California President Robert Dynes
• UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef
• UC Davis professor Daniel Sperling, director of the Institute of Transportation Studies
• UC Davis professor Andy Hargadon of the Graduate School of Management

Focus the Nation is an educational initiative on global warming solutions for America occurring at more than 1,100 universities and colleges and in all 50 states. Its goal is to "prepare millions of students to become leaders in the largest civilizational challenge any generation has faced," according to the organization. For additional information about the organization and the Jan. 31 event, visit http://www.focusthenation.org.

Media contact(s):

• Camille Kirk, UC Davis Office of Resource Management and Planning, (530) 752-7954, cmkirk@ucdavis.edu
• Suanne Klahorst, UC Davis John Muir Institute of the Environment, (530) 754-9167, sjklahorst@ucdavis.edu
• Sylvia Wright, UC Davis News Service, (530) 752-7704, swright@ucdavis.edu