Focus the Nation, a series of climate-change-focused educational events on over 1,000 campuses across the United States, is basically the student-centered cousin of Step It Up. And if you were one of the thousands who attended SIU (or SIU 2), you know that raising climate consciousness doesn't have to be a drab affair. It can be a colorful, creative, youth-infused party of a time. Enter Focus the Nation.
Hoping to pick up where SIU left off, Focus the Nation is gathering together thousands of students and teachers for climate festivities, billing it as the largest teach-in in U.S. history. It all goes down Jan. 31. (Or, you know, whatever the kids say these days.)
In the lead-up to Jan. 31, over 1,000 campuses will be marking the occasion with a variety of events that promise to be as varied as the schools and students themselves, with the common theme of doing something already about the climate crisis. Two Missouri schools have decided to truck in 15 tons of coal for their Focus the Nation event that will serve as a life-sized visual aid showing students what their school consumes to produce just one hour of electricity. Other schools are planning everything from theatrical demonstrations to climate-themed plays to speeches by big-name celebs, greens, and politicians.
Then of course there are the teach-ins. Professors will devote a portion of their regular class time on Jan. 31 to teaching students about some aspect of climate change or let students out early to attend other climate-focused events. On Jan. 30 there's also a pre-teach-in pep rally webcast featuring Ed Norton, Van Jones, and Hunter Lovins.
Focus the Nation organizers are treating the multicampus events as the most important climate activism in a long while, which it may well be -- a vital, nonpartisan, feel-good time centered on confronting one of the most complex, potentially dire, intensely, gravely, astutely, acutely moral issues of our time (to paraphrase the Goracle).
Should be a kick in the pants ... see you in class.
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Alex M Tinker Posted 11:13 am
29 Jan 2008
More than 50 members of Congress including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are participating in Focus the Nation events along with hundreds of local and state politicians.
Certainly 2% Solution web-cast guests Rajendra Pachauri, Chairman of the IPCC and renowned Climate Scientist Stephen Schneider don't think it's a pep rally.
If Focus the Nation is a feel-good event, it's because getting educated on solutions and talking global warming policy with policy-makers feels good.
See for yourself what events around the country will look like:
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Kate PDX Posted 11:39 am
29 Jan 2008
Focus the Nation's academic, interdisciplinary, and solution oriented approach is what has made this educational initiative so successful and empowering for the over 1700 colleges and institutions that have signed on to hold events. Focus the Nation draws involvement from a wide audience, and prepares them to discuss practical applications for solutions to climate change. Because of this our events will be attended by over 50 US Senators and Representatives and countless local government officials.
Focus the Nation is a "feel good event," not only because we have found fun and creative ways to draw people in, but also because it inspires, empowers, and educates the coming generations to effectively shape the world they will inherit. Your right that does "Feel Good."
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tboggia Posted 11:42 am
29 Jan 2008
We have over 35 professors speaking in their classes about climate change this week. That means that over 4,000 students will hear learn about the issue from different perspectives. The professors span many different departments, for a truly interdisciplinary event.
We are hosting an all day event and expecting about 300 people to come listen to local climate speakers, eat locally produced organic food, take workshops on reducing their climate footprint and finally discuss their visions for campus sustainability.
The main environmental group on campus will be hosting a screening of the 2% Solution the night before.
For more info, visit sustainability.ucsc.edu
Focus the Nation on January 31st 2008
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MinnaB Posted 11:46 am
29 Jan 2008
Then, when Focus the Nation hit the 1,000 event mark in November of 2007, they thought, "maybe he wasn't so crazy after all" and took notice.
But now, with the 1,700 Focus the Nation events just one day away, they must be scratching their heads thinking, "looks like that idea was just crazy enough to make the difference."
With the participation of IPCC Chair Rajendra Pachauri, 50 U.S. Senators and Congresspeople including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, thousands of local student, faculty, faith, community, business and political leaders, and lest we forget, Edward Norton, Focus the Nation will engage MILLIONS of Americans in the neccessary conversation on the steps we must take to address climate change in a just, economically viable and environmentally sound way.
And that, my friends, is going to feel great.
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peachybetts Posted 2:54 am
01 Feb 2008
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