Sierra College Joins Largest Teach-In In US History
Thousands of campuses help focus nation on solutions to global warming
Published on Jan 23, 2008 - 11:24:02 AM

By: Sierra College

On Jan. 25, 29, and 31, 2008, Sierra College will participate in Focus The Nation, an unprecedented teach-in model on global warming solutions. "Today's college students are truly the greatest generation," says Lewis & Clark professor of economics Dr. Eban Goodstein, author and project director for Focus The Nation. "No other generation has ever had to face this kind of civilizational challenge. And we as educators would be failing if we did not prepare them with the tools to meet this challenge."

Focus The Nation has created a teach-in model centered on the three most essential pillars for today's youth to embrace solutions to global warming: education, civic engagement and leadership.

"We are in a time where critical decisions need to be made on global warming, which means today's leaders and the youth who will inherit the crisis need serious education on the issue," said James "Gus" Speth, dean, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. "Focus The Nation is our country's foremost model to create that level of education and interaction with law makers."

The teach-in will kick off the night of Jan. 25 at 7:30, with a lecture "Climate Change: Past and Present" in Sewell Hall, Rocklin Campus. A Natural History Museum sponsored event; the lecture is free to museum members, $2 for students and seniors, and $5 general admission. On Tuesday, Jan. 29, at 11 am until 12:30 a presentation on "Carbon Cycle and Climate Change" will occur at LRC 107 on the Rocklin Campus. This lecture is free.

The teach-in will culminate on Thursday, January 31 with a series of free events on the Rocklin Campus beginning with a lecture on "Climate Change and Human Behavior" in LRC 107 from 11 am to 12:30 pm. Next, from 2 pm until 5 pm in the Dietrich Theatre, the film "An Inconvenient Truth" will be shown followed by updated information presented by faculty members. At 3:45 a presentation on "An Overview of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Forth Assessment Report". The day will finish with a "Solutions Roundtable Discussion".

"We are thrilled to be a part of this initiative. This is education at its finest," said Leo Chavez, Superintendent/President, Sierra College. "It represents the enormous power that youth have when they use their education to create positive change in the world."

For more information on Sierra College and their participation in Focus The Nation, please visit www.focusthenation.org, or call 916-789-2725 or 916-789-2933

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