Joining more than 1,100 colleges and universities in all 50 states, Lone Star College-CyFair will participate in Focus The Nation - an unprecedented teach-in on solutions to global warming that will simultaneously educate close to one million youth.
The largest teach-in in U.S. history kicks off with the LSC-CyFair Environmental Club hosting a live, interactive webcast of The 2% Solution, Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. in ART 102. Audiences will join Stanford University climate scientist, Stephen Schneider, sustainability expert Hunter Lovins, green jobs pioneer Van Jones, and youth climate leaders, for a discussion of global warming solutions. Audiences can weigh in with cell phone voting.
As the first college designed and built in the 21st Century, LSC-CyFair is a natural host site for the teach-in. Incorporating the principles of environmental stewardship in landscaping and curricular initiatives, LSC-Cy-Fair creates a physical and academic environment that is a model for environmentally sustainable development.
“Our faculty and staff from multiple disciplines – literature, mathematics, philosophy, English, geography, geology, and environmental science - have planned a day of exciting events that will provide lively and meaningful discussions and practical solutions to global warming,” said Ted Lewis, Dean of Science and Public Services.
An environmental fair as well as environmental tours of the campus will be held throughout the day.
Morning events include discussions such as energy consumption; reduce, reuse, recycle, anti-materialism; and literature in the environmental movement.
Mid-day events include a student brown bag lunch panel and discussions on sustainable farming and corporate environmental responsibility.
Late afternoon events include discussions on environmental science/solutions, a paleoclimate workshop, and a film showing and discussion of “Who Killed the Electric Car?”
Evening events include electric car demonstrations and a community panel with community leaders, discussing environmental sustainability in the Cy-Fair community.
Sponsoring Focus The Nation is the National Wildlife Federation and co-hosted locally are Lone Star College-CyFair’s Environmental Steering Committee, Environmental Club and Beta Mu Lambda chapter of Phi Theta Kappa as well as Cy-Springs High School and Habitat for Humanity.
Created by Dr. Eban Goodstein, author and professor of economics at Lewis & Clark College, Focus The Nation is galvanizing a generational partnership between youth and baby boomers in a vision for America that has not occurred since the civil rights movement of the 1960’s.
Focus The Nation’s teach-in has four key components:
1. 2% Solution Web Cast – Live web cast featuring Stanford and I.P.C.C. climate scientist Stephen Shneider, Natural Capitalism president, Hunter Lovins and environmental justice leader, Van Jones, executive director, Ella Baker Center.
2. The National Teach-In – faculty-led symposium across campuses
3. Green Democracy – live and videoconference round table discussions between Congress and campuses on solutions to global warming.
4. Choose Your Future – online ballot for participants to vote on top five solutions to global warming.
The teach-in will culminate in solutions-based round table discussions between students, elected leaders and Congress. All participants across the country will then vote on top solutions. The top five results from the Choose Your Future vote will be announced in early February.
All Focus The Nation activities are free and open to the community.
For information on Focus The Nation events at Lone Star College-CyFair, call Lewis at 281-290-3989.
SCHEDULE FOR JAN. 30 and JAN. 31
7:00-8:30 pm The 2% Solution, live, interactive webcast
January 31st
8:15 am Welcome
8:20 Overview of the Day
8:30–9:25 Energy Consumption Calculation Exercise
9:25-9:50 Health Walk Around Lake
10:00-10:40 Literature in the Environmental Movement
10:40-11:20 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Anti-materialism
11:30-12:50 Student Panel / Brown Bag Discussion
“Global Warming: How Does it Affect Me?”
1:00-1:50 Sustainable Farming
2:00-2:25 Corporate Environmental Responsibility
2:30-3:10 Environmental Science/Business Solutions
3:10-3:50 Paleoclimate Workshop
4:00-6:00 “Who Killed the Electric Car” Film/Discussion
6:00-7:00 Electric Car Demonstrations
7:00-8:30 Community Panel: Local Environmental initiatives
Throughout the Day
Original Environmental Artwork: “Back of the Bread” and “Seven Demons Were Cast Out – Cupidity”
“Recycle Gently-Used Shoes”, sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society members, benefiting missions in El Salvador
Aluminum Recycling, sponsored by Delta Epsilon Chi members, benefiting the Ronald McDonald House
Environmental posters by students from Postma Elementary School
Screenings of Lone Star College – CyFair’s entry for Project Chill-Out produced by the Video Production Club
Environmental Tours of Cy-Fair Campus in the Conference Center Area Breezeway
• 9:00; 10:00; 11:00 and 12:00 tours with Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society
Environmental Fair: 11:00 – 1:00 in the area between the Conference Center and Cyber Cafe
• H-E-B Cypress Market
• Green Mountain Energy
• Urban Harvest
• Phi Theta Kappa
• Delta Epsilon Chi
• Environmental Club
More information can be found at www.focusthenation.org